The Best Key Lime Martini Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What can I add to my martini to make it taste better? ›

Traditionally, a gin martini is garnished with a lemon twist or an olive. The lemon twist adds a citrusy aroma and a touch of zest to the drink, while the olive gives it a salty and savory flavor. If you're feeling adventurous, you can also try adding a pickled onion, a sprig of rosemary, or even a slice of cucumber.

A good martini should be cold, smooth, and have the perfect ratio of alcohol to vermouth. The key to a great martini is in the preparation. Be sure to use plenty of ice, and stir your drink until it is frosty. Then, add a touch of garnish to give it that classic martini look.

Try a dirty martini. This is a simple classic martini with olive brine added to taste. The non-alcoholic brine can help take the edge off the alcohol and can be a very quick, easy and culturally appropriate way to lessen the strength of a martini whilst still very much looking and sounding the part.

Once you have consumed two, you must move on to a soft drink, such as wine or a gin and tonic. The reasons for this are obvious and I try to adhere to this rule at home. The rule is defended most enduringly (and elegantly) at Duke's Bar in Central London, where years of experience … Continue reading.

The term 'dirty' means that olive brine, usually from a jar of co*cktail olives, has been added to the drink. An olive garnish is typically assumed, too. Most bars add equal parts vermouth and brine, though you can specify 'extra dirty' or 'filthy' if you prefer more brine.

A neat martini contains only gin or vodka and dry vermouth, while a dirty martini has some olive brine or olive juice added along with the other ingredients. The brine makes the co*cktail taste more umami and salty.

The Most Popular Martini Flavor in the U.S.

Pineapple martinis are sweet, delicious, and straightforward, making them a popular choice among patrons all over the nation. All you need to make one of these martinis for yourself is pineapple juice, vodka, and fresh-squeezed lime juice.

Tips for Shaken co*cktails

Don't over-shake, or you'll over dilute. With small ice cubes or “slushy” ones (a bit watery, not super frozen), cut your shake time down accordingly.

With an 80-proof vodka and the average vermouth in this recipe's ratio, it mixes up to about 28 percent ABV (56 proof). To put that into perspective, two martinis are stronger than a straight shot of vodka. Sip slowly and know your personal limit.

There is one other way to drink a martini without vermouth, and that's to just drop it entirely with no replacement. It's called the Churchill martini, which Drizly notes was named after Winston Churchill's purported preference for nothing but gin stirred with ice and an olive.

Why don't my dirty martinis taste good? ›

It's almost easier to make a bad dirty martini than it is to make a great one. Adding that touch of olive brine can make the co*cktail too salty or impart the stale, musty taste of olives bottled during the last century. Your dirty martini can also suffer from being the wrong temperature, too boozy, or out of balance.

Another customization option is ordering a “sweet” martini. This will get you sweet vermouth instead of dry vermouth. As the name implies, sweet vermouth is quite a bit sweeter than “dry” vermouth, and has a less bitter taste and aroma.

By most definitions, an extra-dry martini includes gin, a rinse of dry vermouth or no vermouth at all, and a garnish (lemon twist or olive). Some good recommendations for dry vermouth are Dolin Vermouth de Chambéry, Noilly Prat Extra-Dry Vermouth (formerly Noilly Prat French Dry Vermouth), and Carpano Dry Vermouth.