It’s crisp, cold, and unapologetically adult. Gin or vodka, a splash of vermouth, and the essential pour of olive brine—how dirty is up to you. It’s the drink of Bond and dinner party veterans, the one that arrives with a chill and a side of quiet authority. Served straight up with olives. No citrus, no fuss. Simplicity at it’s finest.

A good one is icy and bone dry, with just enough brine to keep things interesting. There’s no garnish more honest than a pair of olives—it’s a cocktail that knows what it is and doesn’t need to explain itself. You either get it, or you don’t.

Recipe

• 2½ oz vodka or gin
  
  

• ½ oz dry vermouth
  
  

• ½ oz olive brine
   

Stir until icy, strain into a chilled martini glass, and garnish with two olives. Three if it’s been that kind of week.

A note: The martini has dozens of variations, but the dirty version holds its own—briny, bold, and unapologetic. First appearing in print in the early 1900s, it gained traction mid-century and never left. Vodka or gin, wet or dry, extra olives or not—it’s a drink that adapts without ever softening.

When we serve it: Dinner parties, cocktail hours, or anytime the dress code leans black and the night calls for something cold, clean, and a little upscale.