Islay and Olive
A sophisticated cocktail that combines the peaty notes of Islay Scotch with the briny complexity of olives. This batch-made martini variation perfectly balances vodka, scotch, and vermouth with savory olive elements.
Ingredients
- •8 whole pitted green olives
- •1½ cups vodka
- •1 cup Islay Scotch
- •¾ cup dry vermouth
- •½ cup water
- •2 tablespoons olive brine
- •10 dashes orange bitters
- •1 pinch fine sea salt
- •1½ teaspoons olive oil
- •12 whole lemon twists
- •12 whole green olives
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
At least 2 hours and up to 4 hours before serving, make the batch. Place olives in a 1-liter swing-top bottle. Use a small funnel to pour in vodka, Scotch, vermouth, water, and olive brine. Add bitters and salt, then seal, turning gently end over end to mix, and chill in freezer. (If you'd prefer to batch further in advance, refrigerate filled bottle, then place in freezer 2 hours or so before serving.)
240 min
- 2.
Meanwhile, freeze additional olives for garnish, if desired. I like to place one in each divot of an empty ice cube tray to keep them separated.
120 min
- 3.
To serve, add olive oil to cocktail mixture. Reseal and turn bottle gently to mix. Pour cocktail into chilled martini or Nick and Nora glasses. Express oils from a lemon twist over each cocktail and use twist as a garnish, along with a frozen olive or two.
5 min