A dirty martini is a refreshing drink using gin or vodka, dry vermouth, and olive brine. It is a beverage that has been enjoyed worldwide for many years.
In this article, we will look at the best olives for a dirty martini to will help you work out which to choose next time you make this cocktail.
at a glance: Our Top 5 Olives for a Dirty Martini
What to Consider Before Buying Olives for a Dirty Martini
How to choose olives for a dirty martini
The best olive for a dirty martini is green olives that are preserved in brine. You are going to need to use the brine for the martini, so it is best to buy olives in brine so that the flavors remain the same. You can also decide whether you would prefer pitted or stuffed olives for a martini as these elements will affect the flavor.
Another aspect that is important when choosing olives for a dirty martini is ensuring they are durable. You will be skewering the olives on a martini pick for the garnish so an olive that will not fall apart or break will improve the visual aspect of the drink.
Things to look for in olives
There are several considerations to make when buying olives for a martini. You want to ensure that there are no additives like corn syrup or coloring and preservatives in the jar of olives as these elements may affect the taste of the martini and can be unhealthy if you consume too much.
What’s the best way to make a dirty martini
A dirty martini is a simple drink that can be made in under three minutes. You can make a dirty martini using either gin or vodka and three other ingredients.
First, fill a mixing glass with ice and add 2,5 ounces of your choice of gin or vodka. Add ½ an ounce of dry vermouth and ½ an ounce of olive brine and stir until the mixture is well chilled.
Strain the mixture into a chilled cocktail glass. Skewer 2 to 4 olives on a skewer stick and place it in the cocktail glass to garnish your drink. Then, enjoy.
Top 5 Best Olives for a Dirty Martini
Quick Overview: Our Top Picks for Olives for a Dirty Martini
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | DETAILS | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Jack Rudy Cocktail Co Vermouth Marinated Green Pitted Olives |
| CHECK CURRENT PRICESee Customer Reviews |
 | Divina Castelvetrano Pitted Olives |
| CHECK CURRENT PRICESee Customer Reviews |
 | Filthy Pickle Stuffed Olives |
| CHECK CURRENT PRICESee Customer Reviews |
 | Whole Sicilian Green Olives from Castelvetrano |
| CHECK CURRENT PRICESee Customer Reviews |
 | Dirty Sue Stuffed Olives |
| CHECK CURRENT PRICESee Customer Reviews |
1. Jack Rudy Cocktail Co Vermouth Marinated Green Pitted Olives
Jack Rudy has created these olives to be the ideal option for a dirty martini. This has been done by flavoring the olive brine with dry vermouth which is an ingredient in the martini, with additional flavoring coming from juniper and coriander. These olives are grown in California and are unstuffed to keep the focus on the drink.
Features
- Price: You can buy a jar of these olives for approximately $19, making it an affordable option. As you usually only need 2 to 4 olives per dirty martini, this is an affordable option that will last a long time.
- Style: These olives are pitted and are a good option if you prefer unstuffed olives in your dirty martini. The brined olives are flavored lightly with dry vermouth, which is the main ingredient in a dirty martini, enhancing that element of the drink.
- Other: These olives are lightly flavored with coriander and juniper which adds deeper elements to the dirty martini, creating an enjoyable and flavorful drink. They are an ideal option for a dirty martini and can also be used in Bloody Marys or other cocktails and make a good feature for a charcuterie board.
2. Divina Castelvetrano Pitted Olives
Divina is a company that produces and distributes olives and antipasti which keep the authentic taste of Mediterranean foods. Their growers are based across the Mediterranean and the brand includes offerings of Greek Kalamata, Italian Castelvetrano, and Green olives from multiple countries and territories.
Features
- Price: For approximately $10 you can get a 300-gram bottle of these pitted olives for your next dirty martini. Given the high quality of Castelvetrano olives, this is a good price and is an affordable option for someone looking for pitted olives.
- Style: These pitted olives are cured without fermenting them, ensuring that the olives remain a bright emerald green. They have a sweet and mild flavor and can be a good option for a snacking plate with brie cheese, as well as in martinis. There are light notes of artichoke that can be tasted which gives the overall martini a deeper and richer taste.
- Other: The olives produced and distributed by Divina are harvested and cured using traditional methods. This maintains the integrity of the practice and is the main point of interest for the brand. They believe that by maintaining these traditional methods, the quality of their products is ensured and maintained.
3. Filthy Pickle Stuffed Olives
Filthy Pickle is a brand that offers multiple food options, including these Filthy Pickle Stuffed Olives. They are naturally cured, and hand stuffed to ensure the high quality that the brand prides itself on is maintained.
Features
- Price: the price of these olives is approximately $13, making it an affordable option for someone looking for stuffed olives for their next dirty martini. They are non-GMO, vegan, and gluten-free which alleviates the concern if any of those aspects are a problem for you.
- Style: These stuffed olives are filled with gherkin making them a good option for a dirty martini or a Bloody Mary. They are preserved in oil-free olive brine which is all-natural and enhances the flavors of the olives and the mini gherkins within the olives.
- Other: The one downside to these olives is that there are only 12 in the jar given their size of them. They are bigger olives due to the stuffing, taking up more space in the jar. However, if you are going to be using the olive brine in these jars then that should not be too much of an issue as the olives will remain in the brine until they have been finished.
4. Whole Sicilian Green Olives from Castelvetrano
Castelvetrano olives are an olive type that originates from Sicily. They are well known for their green color and their crisp texture of them. These olives are of this variety, making them ideal to be skewered for a dirty martini or on a cheese or charcuterie board as a snack.
Features
- Price: For approximately $14, Whole Sicilian Green Olives from Castelvetrano are an ideal pitted option for your next dirty martini or cheese board. They are imported from Sicily and are a firm and durable olive that will stand up to being skewered as a garnish for a dirty martini.
- Style: These pitted olives are an ideal option for someone who does not like stuffed olives in their dirty martini. They have an understated taste that will not add extra flavor to a dirty martini, keeping the taste of the drink true to the alcohol added to it and the olive brine used.
- Other: The brand has whole options as well which still have the seeds inside, making for another option for a cheese board to snacking plate. The bright green color of the olives easily identifies their origin and will make the visual appearance of the drink more appealing.
5. Dirty Sue Stuffed Olives
Dirty Sue is a Dirty Sue Stuffed Olives that was created by Eric “ET” Tecosky who is a renowned barman. He decided to sell this product after years of making dirty martinis. This option allows you to use olive juice to make the dirty martini without needing to dilute the olives remaining in the jar which would occur if you used the olive brine from the jar.
Features
- Price: For $28, these olives are the most expensive olives on this list. However, the price reflects the benefit you get from this set. Included in this set is a bottle of Dirty Sue olive juice which can be used for dirty martinis, as well as a jar of stuffed olives to garnish.
- Style: These are stuffed olives that are made using jalapeno and garlic. This combination will add extra flavoring to your dirty martini and a slight heat from the jalapenos. The brine used to maintain these olives is double-filtered to ensure it is ideal for a martini and does not contain anything that would affect the taste.
- Other: There are other options available from Dirty Sue including olives stuffed with blue cheese, feta cheese, and pepperoncini as well as two options for cocktail onions. However, the onions would not be ideal for a dirty martini, so the olives are a better option to explore.
Final Thoughts
The best olives for a dirty martini are dependent on the drinker and maker of the drink. There is a choice between whether you prefer pitted or stuffed olives and as such we have looked at some of both.
For someone who prefers stuffed olives, Dirty Sue has stuffed olives with jalapeno and garlic to add extra flavors to the martini. Otherwise, Filthy Pickle has stuffed olives which are stuffed with gherkin which is a non-GMO, vegan, and gluten-free option.
In comparison, if you prefer to have pitted olives in your drink there are several options. Castelvetrano has Sicilian green olives which are ideal for a martini. Similarly, Divina and Jack Rudy have pitted options for you to choose from.
Any of these olives would work well in a dirty martini and there should be an ideal option for you on this list. Hopefully, this article has helped you work out which olives you will be trying the next time you decide to make a dirty martini.
