A classic cocktail with a summer twist, this Dirty Smoked Olive Martini recipe features homemade smoky Castelvetrano olives as a garnish for a robust martini that’s perfect for summer sipping.

A Whole New Level for Martini Night

Is there anything better on a Friday or Saturday night than an extra cold dirty martini? We don’t think so… well except for maybe an extra dirty martini featuring applewood smoked Castelvetrano olives!

Homemade Smoked Olives

No need to settle for plain old olives in your martini when you can make your own applewood smoked garnish at home.

By simply grilling a skewer filled with Castelvetrano olives (or another olive of your choice) over a couple of applewood wood chips, you can create a gourmet smoky cocktail at home. You won’t want to go back to a traditional martini again after experiencing this robust and fun adult drink!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

Smoked Olives – Castelvetrano olives are smoked on the grill over applewood wood chips for an intense and robust smoky taste.
Vodka – Smooth and basically tasteless, vodka is the perfect base for this adult drink.
Olive Brine – a splash of olive brine revives the olive notes in the smoked olives.
Dry Vermouth – a spray of dry vermouth mellows this adult drink making the vodka undetectable.

FAQ & Dirty Smoked Olive Vodka Martini Tips:

Can the olives be smoked in advance?
- Yep! Once smoked, the olives can be stored in their original brine for an extended period. We like to smoke a decent amount of olives at once and keep them in the refrigerator during the summer months, so they are on hand when needed.

What olives are best in a dirty martini?
- It honestly depends on your preference. We recommend Castelvetrano olives because they have a mild flavor which is great for soaking up the complexities of the smoked wood. However, any type of olive can ultimately be used according to your personal preference.

What is the best brand of vodka for a dirty martini?
- Truly any brand of vodka will be okay for this cocktail. This martini has no shortage of flavor between the smokiness of the olives and the heavy dose of olive brine, so feel free to use any vodka of your choice and there is no need to use top shelf liquor for this one.

Can you use gin for this martini instead of vodka?
- Absolutely. We love the clean taste of vodka so the smoky olives shine but if you prefer a gin martini, feel free to go that route.
Serve Extra Cold
- We highly recommend either chilling your glasses in the freezer or adding ice water to the glasses for a few minutes prior to adding your shaken cocktail. The colder the martini, the better!

A Classic Cocktail with Extra Pizzazz

This is one adult drink you don’t want to miss. 🔥🍸 Cheers!

Finally, if you have made this smoked olive martini, we would love to hear what you think! Please comment down below and be sure to rate the recipe. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thanks so much!

Dirty Smoked Olive Vodka Martini

★★★★★ 5 from 1 review

Author: meatlessmakeovers
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 2 Drinks 1x
Category: Cocktail
Method: Smoke, Shake
Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

Description

A summer twist on a classic. a Smoked Olive Dirty Martini is an amazing combination of savory and bright olives and deep smoky flavors.

Ingredients

Scale

10 Castelvetrano Olives (Pitted)
2 Long Wooden Skewers
1 Handful Wood Chips
4 oz. Vodka
1/2 oz. Olive Brine
1/32 oz. Dry Vermouth

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Instructions

Soak the wood chips and wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before smoking.
Start your smoker or charcoal grill. If using a charcoal grill, make sure that the vent on the bottom of the grill is open. Arrange the charcoal on one side of the grill before lighting.
Place the olives onto the soaked skewers. On the empty side of the grill, carefully place the soaked wood chips and immediately top with the grill grate. The wood chips will start to heat up and smoke. Carefully place the skewers of olives onto the grill and cover with the lid. Make sure the vent on the grill lid is closed.
Allow the olives to smoke for 20-30 minutes. Carefully remove from the grill. Make your cocktail garnish by skewering the smoked olives onto small cocktail skewers or toothpicks or simply place them in the bottom of the glasses.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and proceed to add the vodka and olive brine. Cover and shake vigorously until very cold.
Place the smoked olive garnish into each glass and strain the cold cocktail into each glass.
Spray each glass with vermouth and serve very cold. Enjoy.