Dirty Pickle Martini

Before you start

A dirty martini adds olive brine to gin or vodka for a salty, savory drink. Using the brine from a jar of dill pickles swaps the olive's fruity salinity for garlic, dill and vinegar sharpness. It is a bold, snack-like martini that pairs well with oysters, fried food and anything you would serve with a pickle.

The brine you choose shapes the drink. Refrigerated, naturally fermented pickles give a cloudier, sour, garlicky brine; shelf-stable vinegar pickles are cleaner and sharper. Either works, but measure it carefully: 15 ml is assertive without burying the spirit. Strain the brine first to remove spices and seeds, and chill everything so the salt tastes crisp rather than heavy.

Ingredients

• 60 ml (2 oz) gin or vodka — a dry, clean London dry gin or neutral vodka
• 10 ml (⅓ oz) dry vermouth — refrigerated after opening
• 15 ml (½ oz) dill pickle brine — strained
• 1 cup (about 150 g) ice cubes — for stirring
• 1 small cornichon or pickle spear — garnish
• 1 small sprig fresh dill — optional garnish

Method

1. Chill the glass in the freezer for at least 10 minutes. A martini warms quickly, and salty drinks taste flabby when they are not very cold.
2. Strain the pickle brine through a fine strainer to catch mustard seeds, garlic and dill bits.
3. Add the gin or vodka, dry vermouth and strained brine to the mixing glass. Fill it three-quarters with ice.
4. Stir for about 30 seconds, until the outside of the mixing glass is frosty. Stirring keeps the texture silky; brine will cloud the drink slightly either way.
5. Strain into the chilled glass in one smooth pour, leaving the ice behind in the mixing glass.
6. Spear a small cornichon or pickle spear on a pick and lay it across the rim or drop it in. Add a sprig of dill if you like.

Tips for success

• Taste the brine on its own first. Very salty or very garlicky brines are better at 10 ml.
• Keep a jar of good cornichons for garnish even if you take brine from a larger pickle jar; tiny pickles look cleaner in the glass.
• Many people prefer vodka here, since its neutrality lets the dill shine. Gin adds a herbal layer that some find busy and others love.

Substitutions

Dill pickle brine

Olive brine returns you to a classic dirty martini. Spicy pickle brine adds chile heat; start with 10 ml.

Dry vermouth

Leave it out for a very dry, spirit-forward drink, or use a blanc vermouth for a gently sweeter, rounder result.

Gin or vodka

Blanco tequila makes a briny, vegetal variation. Use the same 60 ml pour.

Variations

Pickleback martini

Use rye whiskey instead of gin or vodka, skip the vermouth and serve over one large cube, for a drink that echoes the bar shot.

Frozen batch

Combine 8 servings with 120 ml water in a bottle and freeze; pour straight into chilled glasses.

Troubleshooting

It is far too salty

The brine is very concentrated. Use 10 ml next time and keep stirring until the drink is fully diluted.

Bits float in the glass

The brine was not strained. Run it through a fine strainer before measuring.

It tastes harsh and hot

It was under-stirred. Keep going until the mixing glass is frosted; water softens both alcohol and salt.

Storage

Serve immediately. Keep opened dry vermouth in the refrigerator and use it within about a month. Keep the pickle jar refrigerated after opening and make sure the remaining pickles stay submerged in brine.

Safety notes

Contains 60 ml of 40% spirit plus 10 ml of dry vermouth, about 1.5 U.S. standard drinks (one standard drink is about 14 g of pure alcohol). For adults of legal drinking age only. Do not drink and drive.