There is just something about a classic martini, swirling languidly in the conical bowl of an iced martini glass, sparkling with tiny beads of condensation, that conjures up the most glamorous of settings. Tuxedos, diamonds, red carpets, Aston Martins, and evenings spent dancing in chandeliered ballrooms are the stuff of martini dreams. Like a rose, one delicately balances the vessel’s crystal stem between the fingers, carefully raising the cocktail to the lips while inhaling the heady aroma as it blooms from the glass. Whether shaken or stirred, the martini is a sensory-rich experience from start to finish.
We have quite a few icons of pop culture to thank for the martini’s popularity. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was a fan of the Dirty Martini, and secret agent James Bond famously ordered his favorite cocktail “shaken, not stirred” (interchangeably opting for a base of gin, vodka, or both). Carrie Bradshaw, the lead character in “Sex In The City” and a highly stylized ambassador for the trendy New York City lifestyle, gave the martini a feminine twist with her beloved Cosmopolitan and helped drive the martini bar craze of the early 2000’s. The martini has thus become synonymous with power, intrigue, and well-heeled society.
About that Dirty Martini… Perhaps more appreciated for its artful presentation (who hasn’t seen a neon sign of a martini glass with a pimento-stuffed olive and thought, “hey, cocktails!!”) than for its briney flavor, the Dirty Martini is nonetheless a staple of cocktail culture. Traditionally composed of gin, dry vermouth, olive brine, and garnished with two or three green olives, the Dirty Martini is a bracing and complex blend of botanical, vegetal, and white wine flavors. Today’s variations might switch vodka for the gin, or do a 50/50 blend (called a Vesper), and many are now experimenting with premium vermouth and gourmet olives. This cocktail is an acquired taste that – once acquired – is hard not to love!
We love that bartenders are now crafting nonalcoholic options for the Dirty Martini, as the traditional cocktail is a pretty strong drink. The following Martini Mocktail takes a riff off of the original Dirty version, and while not an exact match, we have to admit it’s pretty innovative! Whoever thought to use potato juice as a substitute for gin or vodka was certainly digging deep into the creativity bin. Even if you’ve never had a Dirty Martini, this alcohol-free martini is sure to be a tasty experiment – and a great excuse to try those specialty olives you’ve been eying. Cheers!
Martini Mocktail
Ingredients
- 3 oz. non-alcoholic gin or potato juice (see recipe, below)
- 1.5 oz. green olive juice
- Ice
- 2 green olives
Instructions
- Pour 3 ounces of potato juice (or non-alcoholic gin) into a cocktail shaker half filled with ice.
- Add 1.5 ounces green olive juice.
- Add the lid and shake until the outside gets cold and frosted.
- Pour in a martini glass over 2 green olives.
Yield
1 serving
Potato Juice
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
Instructions
- Cut potatoes into 1” cubes (do not peel).
- Put the cubed potatoes in a pot and cover with water by about 1″ and boil until potatoes are fork tender.
- Drain the water into a glass container and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Store your potato juice in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Yield
3-4 cups
Try Natural Gin Flavor
Are you a beverage developer formulating an alcohol-free Martini or nonalcoholic gin cocktail? To create authentic gin taste without the alcohol, try our natural gin flavor.
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