The Lello Dirty Martini

At the Lello table

A dirty martini should taste of the spirit first, then vermouth, then a clean olive salinity that lengthens the finish rather than overwhelming it. Chill the glass properly and stir longer than instinct suggests.

Method

1. Fill a mixing glass generously with ice. Add the spirit, vermouth and Dirty Martini Juice.
2. Stir steadily for 20 to 30 seconds, until the outside of the mixing glass is thoroughly cold.
3. Strain into the chilled glasses and garnish each with one olive. Serve immediately.

Cook’s notes

• For a cleaner martini, start with three-quarters of the listed brine and increase to taste.
• A freezer-cold glass changes the drink more than an extra splash of brine ever will.

Substitutions

• Vodka gives a quieter, silkier drink; gin gives more aromatic structure. Neither is a true substitute for the other in flavor, only in role.
• If you omit vermouth, the drink becomes a different, much sharper style of dirty martini.

To serve

Serve before dinner with salted almonds, good potato chips, or a small plate of olives.

Storage & make-ahead

Mix only what you plan to serve. The components keep separately according to their own storage instructions.