Intissar Greene

Getting Dirty with a Vodka Martini                        

     The dirty vodka martini is the acme of cocktail beverages.  Properly made, this martini will resemble dirty water.  To create the drink, begin assembling the ingredients and supplies.  The ingredients are vodka, vermouth, ice, olives, and olive juice.  The supplies needed are a sixteen-ounce tumbler glass, long stirring spoon, strainer, four-ounce martini glass, and a toothpick.  A substitution of any stemmed glass that will hold four ounces is sufficient.  You will need a jigger.  A jigger is a liquid measuring device for measuring alcohol.  If no jigger is available, a one ounce shot glass works equally well for measuring the vodka.  Now that the supplies are gathered, it is time to begin making the drink.

     First, completely fill the large tumbler with ice cubes and add 1-½ ounce of vodka.  Gradually add six drops of vermouth while stirring the mixture with the stirring spoon.  Let the mixture sit.  Meanwhile, open the jar of olives.  Measure 1-½ ounces of the olive juice and add it to the large tumbler mixture.  At this time, remove three olives from the jar.  Skewer them on a toothpick; save them for later.  Next, gather the martini glass and strainer.  Pour the tumbler mixture through the strainer into the martini glass. 

     It is now time to garnish and enjoy the cocktail.  Place the skewered olives directly into the beverage, sip, and say, “Ahhhhhhh!”