The first time I ever ordered a martini, I had to call my Mom to ask how to do it. Dry? With a twist? Shaken or stirred? I was lost. 

The martini is an essential cocktail and actually very easy to make, once you know what you like. There are quite a few ways to make this classic American cocktail and I have had my try at many of them. Now that I'm more familiar, I've come to love mine spiked with brine...aka dirty. 

What makes a dirty martini dirty is the olive brine. It's used in vermouth's place or along with it. You can use either gin or vodka to make your dirty martini, but it's important to add the olive brine before the cocktail is shaken or stirred. Garnish with your choice of stuffed olives - they emphasize the flavor and complete the cocktail! 

For the olive brine, I use our Spanish Fly Dirty Martini Mix for that savory-salty perfection and for the garnish, our new Pimento Stuffed Olives that are stuffed with a sweet, juicy red pepper. Enjoy my favorite dirty martini recipe below and...Cheers!

The Perfect Dirty Martini

What you'll need

• 3 ounces vodka or gin
• 1 ounce vermouth
• 1 ounce Queen Creek Olive Mill Spanish Fly Dirty Martini Mix
• 2 Queen Creek Olive Mill Pimento Stuffed Olives

The Method

Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice; shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with your favorite stuffed olives (like our Pimento or Blue Cheese Americano stuffed olives).