Squid Mixes: Dirty Martini

As noted in last week's post, I've been curious about Dirty Martinis for a while.  A Dirty Martini combines gin, dry vermouth and olive brine with an olive garnish.  My favorite part of a regular Martini is the dregs at the bottom, so it makes sense to include the brine as a more prominent feature. 

 I got my recipe from The Joy of Mixology by Gary Regan.  The author's blurb for the drink is funny:  "This is probably one of the world's worst drinks when made incorrectly, but when prepared properly, with not too much olive brine added, it can be a sterling potion."  I get the sense Regan's idea of "too much olive brine" is rather different from mine.  Bear in mind, I have been tempted more than once to drink pickle juice straight from the jar.

He suggests "olive brine to taste."  I could have added a lot more to mine.  My wife was surprised that I only included one olive - definitely could have done with more in that regard, too.  Regan suggests Dirty Sue's Olive Brine for those who want more exact measurements.  I may need to check it out.