I really wish life worked out more like the title of this blog post: simple ingredients, minimal effort, with complex results. Rarely does it ever turn out just like that, right? Lately, it’s been more like this: empty cupboards, requiring multiple hours to source the necessary ingredients with beyond maximum effort. Super-human effort. Effort that’s squeezed from the last remaining drop of life in my blood, with lots of carnage, unmet needs, unfulfilled requests, forgotten emails, and a few starved relationships left in the wake. And multiple martinis along the way. Let’s not forget those.

It’s not been a pretty scene.

There is, however, a warm, bright, beckoning light at the end of the tunnel. I cannot wait to share more about all of the exciting changes with you very soon. As soon as I get a little more sleep, tie up some flailing loose ends, and … finish packing up my life here in Denver. There’s a big move on the horizon. One that I’m not quite ready for, but I have wished to embark upon for a long time.

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If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.

— Nora Roberts

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There are copious examples of drinks out there that require contemplation and examination. The barrel-aged Negronis, the port barrel-seasoned stouts, the bourbon barrel-aged Cabernet Sauvignons, the late-harvest and slow-fermented orange wines. You know the like.

I’ve been craving and consuming more simple and straight-forward sips. Perhaps it’s a reflection of how I wish I were feeling: more centered, simple, and clean. Yes, I do take showers on the regular. That’s not what I mean by “clean.” I’ve been enjoying a classic, easy-to-drink Pilsner or a clean, crisp Champagne or an ounce or two of my favorite bourbon on the rocks. A drink that lets me wander toward my own thoughts, without having to dissect its complexities.

There’s magic in a well-made martini.

I’m not here to side with “team vodka” or “team gin” and fight about it. {I am on “team gin”, by the way, for the record, however.} This cocktail can be made with either spirit, but I do advocate using gin in this classic cocktail’s creation.

Gin is my jam, and I fully believe it yields a more complex and interesting martini. Even when mixed with olive juice for a dirty martini. If you’ve never given gin a go in a martini, now is the time. I recently received a bottle of premium dirty martini juice from the folks at Ancient Olive Trees and made a couple of iterations on the classic preparation. I hadn’t had a good, dirty martini in well over ten years. My friend, Angie, and I would hit up Darcy’s Irish Pub here in the DTC and enjoy a couple after a long double at work. Since then, we have both changed jobs and added to our families, and, over time, the martini dates have evolved into coffee dates.

I think we’re both due for a serious martini date sometime soon. Get back with me on that, Angie. 😉

You already know that quality spirits yield a better cocktail, so follow that same guideline with your garnishes. It’s never worth the shortcut. I love using fresh Cerignola, Kalamata, or Castelvetrano olives for my garnishes. Stuffing them with something delicious adds even more excitement to the cocktail.

For this post, I stuffed Castelvetrano olives with pickled garlic cloves, quick-pickled jalapeño pepper slices, and soft blue cheese. I picked up the pickled garlic cloves at Whole Foods and grabbed a few jalapeño peppers to quick-pickle at the house. I’ll share the recipe for the jalapeños in the notes for the cocktail recipe.

The same rule for quality applies to mixers, as well. I was seriously impressed with Ancient Olive Trees Dirty Martini Juice. The company sources its olives from California and applies a “tree-to-table” approach that you can taste. Their premium juice is barrel-aged and then triple-filtered, yielding a fresh, crisp, quality dirty martini juice.

I know I lot of bartenders opt out of the dry vermouth portion of a dirty gin martini. I recommend keeping it in the equation. This particular ratio of ingredients yields a complex and rich amalgam that’s incredibly smooth and satisfying. It’s the perfect, feisty match of salty, herbaceous, and aromatic.

Bottoms up!

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classic dirty martini

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• 2 1/2 ounces London dry gin {I used Boodles}
• 1/2 ounce dry vermouth {I used Dolin Blanc}
• 1/2 ounce olive juice {I used Ancient Olive Trees Dirty Martini Juice}

1. In a mixing glass, combine the gin, dry vermouth, and olive juice.
2. Add ice and stir for at least 30 seconds.
3. Strain into chilled martini glasses or coupes.
4. Garnish with a Castelvetrano olive, plain or stuffed with blue cheese, pickled jalapeño, or garlic clove.

• For a dirtier version, opt for 3/4 to 1 ounce olive juice. Play around with the ratios. I prefer the recipe above. It’s balanced, super smooth, complex, and easy to drink.
• Pair this cocktail with oysters and garnish with a simple squeeze of lemon or some freshly made Parmesan crisps.
• If you don’t have dry vermouth on hand, modify the recipe to include 3 ounces of gin and 3/4 ounce olive juice.
• To make the quick-pickled jalapeño peppers, mix 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar with a pinch of sea salt and 1/2 tablespoon cane sugar. Slice up two jalapeño peppers and toss them into the mixture, including the seeds. Let the mixture sit for two hours, tossing occasionally, and store in the refrigerator.

What are your thoughts on dirty martinis? Love them? Hate them? Are you a proponent of dry vermouth, or do you go with straight gin and {olive} juice? Do you shake or stir?

I recommend pairing a good dirty martini after a long day of garden cleanup. That’s what should have happened this afternoon, but I didn’t quite get around to it. I did put a good thought into cleaning up, however. I’ll champion the wise words of Derek Zoolander, “Sometimes just thinking about it was the most rewarding experience of my whole life.” 😜

We are madly fixing up our house here on Holly Street, so that we can put it on the market in early April. We’re getting ready for a big move over the mountains out to the western slope of Colorado in the next few weeks. I’ll write more about the next steps and the big vision over the next few years. It’s a crazy dream, but I’m up for it. I think. Until I have it figured out, I’ll have another one of these, please.

XO,

Jayme

A special thanks to Ancient Olive Trees for sponsoring this post and deliciously powering my move to the western slope of Colorado! As always, all opinions and thoughts are my own.

You can follow AOT on their website, ancientolivetrees.com, and via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.

An extra special thanks to my friend, Amanda Larson, who gifted me these beautiful cocktail glasses from C+B this past Christmas. They’re my new favorite, and you’ll always be an old favorite of mine, Amanda. XO!

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