This is my husband's favorite cocktail. It is very simple to make, and the jalapeño olives give it a little kick that really makes it stand out from traditional martinis.

Ingredients:

To stir or not to stir; that is the question. There are different schools of thought on how to make a martini, and many will say not to shake it to avoid "bruising" the spirits. I have made both shaken and stirred martinis for my husband, and he generally prefers them a la James Bond: "Shaken, not stirred."

These are for a shaken martini, but go ahead and give either method a try!

Directions:

  • Gather all the ingredients
  • Place your martini glass into the freezer/ice tray to pre-chill
  • Fill a cocktail shaker with ice
  • Using a jigger, pour 4oz of Gin over the ice
  • Using the same jigger, pour 3/4oz of Dry Vermouth over the ice.
  • Add a dash of Jalapeño olive juice (to taste). For my husband, it's only "slightly dirty," meaning that if your martini has a tint from the olive juice, you have added too much.
  • Shake until your hands can't stand the cold anymore (obviously do this safely and don't give yourself freezer burn or frostbite).
  • Get your martini glass from the freezer/ice tray and strain the cocktail shaker into the pre-chilled martini glass
  • Garnish with 2-4 jalapeño olives on a cocktail pick.
  • Enjoy!