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Dirty dill martini with charred skewer

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If that saline flavour you get from the olive in the martini is your favourite bit, then definitely give this cocktail a go. Fennel-infused gin meets vermouth and salty, tangy pickle brine for a beautifully refreshing take on the classic. Charring the olive and pickle garnish lightly adds just a touch of smoke, which really awakens the senses.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

  • 250ml of gin
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 30ml of dry vermouth
  • 1 sweet dill pickle, plus 30ml of its brine
  • 4 dashes celery bitters
  • 4 green olives
  • olive oil, to drizzle

Equipment

  • Blowtorch

Method

1

The day before, mix the gin and fennel seeds together and seal. Leave at room temperature overnight to infuse, then strain through a fine sieve. You’ll only need 120ml for these two drinks, but the gin will keep indefinitely

2

Add the 120ml gin, vermouth, pickle brine and bitters to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Stir or shake for 30 seconds until ice-cold, then strain into a martini glass

  • 30ml of dry vermouth
  • 30ml dill pickle brine
  • 4 dashes celery bitters
3

Prepare the garnish by putting the dill pickle and olives on a toothpick or small skewer, then run a blowtorch over them until they blister and char

4

Finish your martini with the skewer and a light drizzle of olive oil

  • olive oil, to drizzle
First published in 2026
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