Smoked Rosemary Oil Dirty Martini

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.

Recipe Author: Joanna at Jojotastic
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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.

Smoked Rosemary Oil Dirty Martini Ingredients
Gin, dry vermouth, rosemary, extra virgin olive oil, and green olives

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.

Making the smoked rosemary olive oil
Making the smoked rosemary olive oil

So how was it?

Clear & Accurate Directions
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Taste
I discovered something unexpected: I prefer gin over vodka in my martinis (I made it with both, and the gin version was so much better!). The drink was very smooth, with the gin being the stand-out taste. The vermouth and olive brine was next, followed by the olive oil and a very subtle taste of rosemary. The oil did add an interesting texture to the cocktail, but it wasn't unpleasant. I would like to remake the smoked rosemary oil and use regular olive oil and slightly drier rosemary sprigs. I'd like to decrease the taste of the olive oil and increase the smoked rosemary flavor.
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I'm Candice, and I'm The Hungry Pinner. I created this blog to share my love for cooking and my experiences with the MANY recipes I've found on Pinterest over the years. Join me as I blog my way through those recipes to find out if they are worth trying yourself.

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I discovered something unexpected: I prefer gin over vodka in my martinis (I made it with both, and the gin version was so much better!). The drink was very smooth, with the gin being the stand-out taste. The vermouth and olive brine was next, followed by the olive oil and a very subtle taste of rosemary. The oil did add an interesting texture to the cocktail, but it wasn't unpleasant. I would like to remake the smoked rosemary oil and use regular olive oil and slightly drier rosemary sprigs. I'd like to decrease the taste of the olive oil and increase the smoked rosemary flavor.Smoked Rosemary Oil Dirty Martini