Vodka martinis used to be my go-to drink, but I haven’t had one in ages. This recipe jumped out at me since I have been cooking with rosemary all week. Then I realized it called for gin. I’m not sure if I have ever had a gin martini. Well, I just happened to have a bottle of gin leftover from my July gin cocktail posts… I took that as a sign that I needed to try it in a martini.
This post was originally published on August 18, 2017. The text and photos were updated on July 14, 2021. The review and rating have not been changed.
My little twist on the classic cocktail is the smoked rosemary olive oil. It may sound peculiar to dash in some oil to a cocktail, but trust me it works here! Oil and water may not mix, but alcohol and oil sure do! It enhances the olive flavor and adds a great texture to the drink.
The Ingredients
This is a pretty simple recipe, or should I say pair of recipes since you have to make the smoked rosemary oil and the martini. The first time I made it, I used Prairie Organic Gin. It’s not too dry for me and it’s very smooth. I went with the classic Martini & Rossi extra dry vermouth.
I couldn’t find the Castelvetrano olives, so I used Sable & Rosenfeld Tipsy Olives, along with their brine. They were a little pricey at $6.99 but worth it–they’re nice big olives stuffed with pimento.
When I redid the photos of this recipe, I switched things up to St. George Botanivore Gin, Noily Pratt Vermouth, and the green olives in my refrigerator (I think they were queen olives, but I can’t be sure). You can’t go wrong with either combo.
The Process
Getting the rosemary to burn was tricky. I ran a long lighter along the stems several times and was only able to get them to char a little. Then I left them in the olive oil for 3 days so it could absorb the flavor.
The actual martini took 2:30 to make and garnish. I was a bit surprised that the oil didn’t mix into the alcohol. Like not even a little. The blog post and pictures sure made it sound and look like it would.
