Dirty Vodka Martini

Arguably the world’s most famous cocktail, gracefully lacing the hands of the inimitable Agent 007 aka James Bond, the Dirty Martini is often regarded as the most coveted of the lot. Famously mentioned in Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale as the deadly ‘Vesper’, the cocktail is supposed to be “shaken, not stirred.” With the literary behemoth that the James Bond franchise ultimately became, Martinis gained centre stage.

Popularity aside, this is not the official account of the Martini. As per the books, the cocktail’s mention was first made by a German musician named Johann Paul Aegius Schwartzendorf, who promptly changed his name to Jean Paul Aegide Martini after he migrated to France in 1758. Martini’s biography mentions his favourite cocktail, a heady mix of gin and wine. The book also claimed that the mixture became so popular among Martini’s friends and associates, that they would just use his name to order the beverage, a possible reason why the drink became eponymous.

Another theory mentions Jerry Thomas, a renowned bartender in the 19th century, as the inventor of the cocktail. Thomas was an employee of the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco. One day, a prospector, on his way to Martinez, asked Thomas to conjure “something special”.

Thomas was believed to have then come up with the cocktail comprising Old Tom gin, maraschino, vermouth and bitters. The name of the drink automatically fell after the prospector’s destination.

Today, the Dirty Martini has variations that cater to the wide range of the cocktail’s clientele. The olives used in the beverage are often stuffed with blue cheese, which helps undercut the acidic nature of the alcohol used. The spicy version of the drink uses olives stuffed with jalapeños. Other varieties of stuffings that are generally coupled with the olives include ingredients like garlic, anchovies, onions or sometimes, even almonds. The brine-soaked olives add an extra layer of flavour to the drink. Typically three in number, the olives that accompany the Dirty Martini are the perfect cherry on the icing. They often soak up the potent drink and are the perfect mouthfuls at the end of the cocktail.

Sometimes bartenders use cocktail onions in their beverages, and that is often considered similar to the Martini. This variant, in fact, could not be farther away from the famed drink. This particular variant is known as the Gisbon.