Gin Martini Recipe (Dry, Dirty, & Filthy)

With its crisp botanicals, gentle bitterness, and salty brininess, the gin martini is many people’s go-to drink when hosting a soirée, which is a foreign word for “out on the town.” Beyond its great taste, this olive-toting cocktail also serves as a go to for the most distinguished of gentlemen and gentleladies.

Cultural icons such as Frank Sinatra, Ernest Hemingway, and Humphrey Bogart were all known to love tipping back a few martinis. Of course, on the fictional side, you have James Bond, who famously requested his martini “Shaken, not stirred,” Don Draper from Mad Men (better known for his Old-Fashioneds) who regularly indulged in lunchtime martinis, and if you watch as much Cheers as we do, you’ll already know of the sophisticated-to-a-fault Dr. Frasier Crane who often swapped out vermouth for sherry.

While the list of martini variants is longer than a CVS receipt, Before The Barrel recommends three core options:

1. Dry

2. Dirty

3. Filthy

Although the ingredients are the same for all three, the proportions differ significantly. Here’s Before The Barrel's gin martini recipe:

Dry Gin Martini Recipe (Crisp & Classic)

A dry martini showcases gin’s botanical complexity by using less vermouth, making the taste clean, crisp, and floral.

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ oz gin

• ½ oz dry vermouth

• 1 dash of bitters (optional)

• garnish: Lemon twist or olive

Instructions:

1. Fill a mixing glass or cocktail shaker with ice

2. Add gin and vermouth

3. Stir or shake until chilled (Scroll down to learn the flavor difference between stirred and shaken martinis)

4. Strain into a chilled martini glass

5. Garnish with a lemon or olive

Dry Dirty Martini Recipe (Salty & Savory)

A dirty martini introduces olive juice (or brine) to the classic dry recipe, adding a savory, salty profile that complements the drink’s botanicals.

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ oz gin

• ½ oz dry vermouth

• ½ oz olive juice

• garnish: 2-3 olives

  
  

Instructions:

1. Fill a mixing glass or cocktail shaker with ice

2. Add gin, vermouth, and olive juice

3. Stir or shake until chilled

4. Strain into a chilled martini glass

5. Garnish with 2 or 3 skewered olives

Bartender’s Tip: Use the juice from high-quality olives or specialty olive juice for a cleaner, more refined flavor.

Filthy Martini Recipe (Briny & Bold)

A filthy martini amplifies the olive juice, resulting in a cocktail with all of the olive flavor.

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ oz gin

• ½ oz dry vermouth

• 1 oz olive juice

• garnish: multiple olives or even stuffed olives

Instructions:

1. Fill a mixing glass or shaker with ice

2. Add the gin, vermouth, and olive juice

3. Stir or shake until chilled

4. Strain into a chilled martini glass

5. Garnish with olives until overflowing from glass

Bartender’s Tip: For all you filthy animals out there, you can muddle an olive or two for extra oliveness.

The Difference Between Shaken and Stirred Martinis

Shaken and stirred martinis have different textures, temperatures, dilutions, and flavors. Here’s a quick look at how the two are unique:

Feature	Stirred Martini	Shaken Martini
Texture	Silky, smooth, and velvety	Light, airy, and icy
Temperature	Chilled (28-30°F / -2°C)	Extra cold (20-23°F / -5°C)
Dilution	Minimal dilution; flavors remain more distinct.	Higher dilution, flavors become softer and more blended.
Flavor Impact	Botanicals are crisp and pronounced.	Botanicals muted; briny or citrusy notes become more prominent.
Appearance	Crystal-clear and elegant.	Cloudy at first, then semi-clear as it settles.
Mouthfeel	Silky and structured.	Brisk, lively, with a slight crunch from ice shards.
Aromatics	Preserves vermouth's aromatic qualities.	Disperses citrus oils and brine more evenly.

My Name is Blore, Bernie Blore

I’ll take my martini any way that contains Gin, and I opened Before the Barrel Distillery in August 2022 after nearly a decade of distilling experience. After 8 years in the chemical distillation industry, I moved back to Erie, Pennsylvania, to start my distilling business, which specializes in flavored moonshines and small-batch spirits.

If you’re in the Erie area, visit Before the Barrel at 8651 Wattsburg Rd, Wattsburg, PA, just a mile south of I-90. If you’re just dropping by for an exceptional cocktail recipe, that’s great, too. Join our newsletter below to keep in touch—no spam, just a recipe and update now and again.

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