Dirty Martini – RecipeTin Eats

September 3, 2026

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This is my favourite cocktail to kick off an evening – a Dirty Martini! It’s a classic gin martini with a splash of olive brine which makes it dangerously drinkable – smoother and less alcoholic. I never liked martinis until I had a dirty one!

Introducing Dirty Martinis

I never used to like martinis until I was introduced to Dirty Martinis! Now it’s one of my favourites.

In case you’re new to them, it’s just a classic gin martini with a bit of olive brine, which I know might sound weird if you’re not already in the martini-loving-world (which I wasn’t). You will be amazed how a little splash of salty, briny olive pickling liquid makes the whole thing so much smoother to drink. It takes the harsh edge off the gin and adds a hint of olive-y flavour that is so nice!

This recipe I’m sharing today is a classic Dirty Martini with standard gin-vermouth-olive brine proportions of 5:1:1, which I was happy to learn is exactly how my favourite bartender at my favourite local restaurant makes it (Simon at Boronia Kitchen).

Dirty Martini at Boronia Kitchen — Apparently, the Dirty Martinis at Boronia Kitchen are so good I can’t even wait until nightfall! 😂 Actually, these photos are from March – it’s light until late.

Ingredients in Dirty Martini

When reading this section, note that I’m in Australia which affects the brands, availability and value-for-money comments I make below. We have notoriously high taxes on spirits, so the price gap between what’s considered mid-range and premium can sometimes be compressed. Tanqueray is a classic example. Regular is ~A$60 compared to $70 for the No. 10 premium, a 16% difference. Whereas in the US, my friend tells me it’s ~US$21 for regular versus US$36 for No. 10 – that’s 71% more!!

So, international readers, keep that in mind when choosing your gin. 🙂

Gin type – Any London Dry is the classic choice for martinis, like Tanqueray, Beefeater and Bombay Sapphire. These are all mid-range choices that are safe bets for a good martini. London Dry gins are a type of gin that are crisp, dry and juniper-forward, rather than sweet or overly floral – some craft gins are really heavy on the botanicals!

What I use – These all make great martinis, and are also great all-rounders for gin based cocktails as well as G&T’s:
- Tanqueray No. 10 (the premium Tanqueray version) else regular Tanqueray,
- Four Pillars Olive Leaf – an Australian made savoury gin. Not a strict London Dry but is basically purpose built for dirty martinis. Love it!
- Roku gin – this Japanese made gin has become massively popular in recent years, loved for its delicate and crisp flavour. Though probably a smidge delicate to be considered one of the “best” gins to use in a martini, it’s my favourite for G&T so you better believe I use it for martinis too!

Avoid very floral, fruity or delicate gins – they can taste confusing with the olive brine.

Dry vermouth – Noilly Prat (original) and Dolin Dry are both reliable mid-price range choices that are hard to go wrong with. Here in Australia, more premium vermouths aren’t readily found at the large chain liquor stores, though you can find them at specialist liquor stores and online if you want to explore. Just make sure you get a dry vermouth – sweet vermouth is a very different beast!
Olives – You need to use an olive in brine, not olives in oil like the ones you get over the counter at delis. Use any green olives you like, the regular ones stuffed with red capsicum are the classic choice. But feel free to go fancy if you want – blue cheese! parmesan! anchovy stuffed??😳

** MAKE IT SPICY! ** This might make martini purists gasp in horror, but sometimes I like to use the brine from pickled jalapeño as well, or instead of! It makes the martini a little bit spicy and adds tasty jalapeño flavour. Like a martini version of spicy margaritas!

Martini glass

The traditional martini glass is cone shaped which is a classic cocktail glass shape but finding the right size is bizarrely hard! Most cocktail glasses are 250ml/8oz+ which are way too big for a martini – unless you make a monster size one. #dangerous!

After stirring with the ice, you end up with about 120ml / 4oz of liquid plus the olives on the skewer. Here is a size guide for appropriate glass sizes:

150 – 180 ml (5 – 6 oz) – ideal for elegant, restaurant/bar size. Fills near to the brim.
200 ml (6.5 oz) – a good mid range size that can be used for other cocktails. I’ve got the GRAPE@RIEDEL 200ml / 6.5 oz martini glass, pictured in this post.
250 ml (8 oz) + – common size for all-rounder cocktail glass, too big for a proper Martini in my opinion!

How to make Dirty Martinis

Stir, don’t shake your martinis. Stirring gives you a beautifully clear martini with a smooth, silky texture and more controlled dilution from the ice. Shaking aerates the drink and breaks up the ice, making it cloudier and slightly frothy.

Yes, Bond has been doing it wrong all these years!!! 😂

Chill your glass – in the freezer for a speedy option, or in the fridge if you’ve planned ahead. You can also fill it with ice cubes and leave for 5 to 10 minutes (this is how it’s often done at bars, presumably to avoid using fridge space for glasses).
Stir 30 seconds – Use a mixing glass or jug around 2 cups in size (500ml). Fill with ice, then pour in the gin, vermouth and olive brine. Use a bar spoon or other spoon or table knife to stir vigorously in a circle motion against the wall of the glass for 20 to 30 seconds. No longer, else your martini will be overly diluted. No shorter, else it won’t be cold enough!
What happens during this step: Not only does the martini get chilled and mixed, the ice melts to create just the right amount of dilution to open up the flavours and take the sharp edge off the gin (~15 – 20ml / 3 – 4 tsp).

Strain the martini into the glass. (Yes I’m using a slotting cooking spoon! 😂)
Olive garnish – Thread 3 olives onto a skewer and pop it in the glass. Then enjoy!

There you go. So now you know my (current) drink of choice, how I make it, and how my favourite local restaurant makes it.

But what I’m more interested in is how you take your martini! Are there any martini connoisseurs out there? Any other martini-shy people out there that maybe just need to get a little dirty too??!! 😉 – Nagi x

PS In case you’re wondering, it’s called a Dirty Martini because the olive brine turns an otherwise crystal-clear martini slightly cloudy or “dirty” looking. Perfection is overrated. Drinkability wins!