Make a Streamlined Messy Cold Gin Martini in the Freezer
I love drinking martinis – all kinds of martinis, but the salty, icy dirty martini is my first gin based love. They are especially great when consumed in the inflatable hot tub , which I drink the most from right now.
However, I don’t like going out of the hot tub to mix one. Getting out of my Coleman for whatever reason is not my favorite, but getting out to measure and stir and strain? No thanks! This disdain for leaving warm water led to me creating a streamlined salty boy; it still requires some measurement, but it doesn’t stop us from stressing. This means I can return to the hot bath a few minutes earlier than if I mixed the traditional martini. This is valuable to me.
One thing that has always bothered me a little about this genre of martini is the dilution due to the addition of brine, which is mostly water. This can be mitigated somewhat by replacing some of the vermouth with brine , as it keeps the ratio of gin to other liquids the same, but it is still a more diluted drink than the classic 3: 1 or 5: 1.
So, instead of stirring the gin, vermouth, and brine with ice to cool and dilute, I chill the gin in the freezer, store the brine and vermouth in the refrigerator, and collect it all in a (also chilled) glass, letting the brine dilute. After much tasting, I settled on a ratio of 2 1/2 ounces of cold gin and 1/2 ounces of cold dry vermouth and brine.
Not all pickles have the same salinity (or acidity, for that matter), but I tried this recipe using a super aggressive gherkin pickle; A sweeter, fermented green tomato pickle and a few that fall somewhere in between, and I’m not disappointed yet. If the pickle in your refrigerator is very salty, try 1/3 oz and see how it works for you. (I have been known to eat Maldon flakes straight from a salt well, so my palate may be slightly more sodium chloride tolerant than yours.)
This martini requires you to remember to put your gin – and ideally a glass – in the freezer ahead of time, but it’s not very difficult and the other two ingredients should already be in your refrigerator. To make this salty, salty and rather tough treat, you’ll need:
- 2 1/2 oz cold gin, freezer
- 1/2 ounce refrigerated dry vermouth
- 1/2 ounce refrigerated brine
Pour everything into a chilled compartment or martini glass and stir gently to combine. Garnish with your favorite pickled product. Repeat as necessary.