Michelle’s Martini

I’m calling this “Michelle’s Martini”, not because I created the recipe, but because my husband has mastered making a martini the way I like them.

I have always been a wine or beer fan, not much of a “hard liquor” fan.  A couple of years ago, Bill started getting into vintage cocktails, at the time, I was thinking it was just a Mad Men inspired phase, he would snap out of it and we would happily go back to drink wine. He hasn’t snapped out of it and I can’t hardly open up a bottle of wine for myself on a Tuesday night when I just want a glass (well I could…but…).

I have never liked drinks mixed with soda, so those were out.  I occasionally like a Cosmopolitan, but can be too sweet.  I needed something that wasn’t sweet and didn’t really taste like alcohol….oh and was easy to make.

After tasting several alcohols over the last 6 months (bourbons to gins), I settled on vodka and I narrowed that down to Tito’s Handmade Vodka.  Made from corn in the USA, it is an affordable and readily available at most dining establishments…and to me frankly the smooth finish compliments the flavors of what you are mixing or infusing with.  I discovered I like a martini dirty, with a little extra salty olive brine (my favorite is from Santa Barbara Olive Oil Co).

I love to have blue cheese stuffed olives with my martini’s, my favorite is when I go to a restaurant and they have fresh stuffed…the ones from a jar just won’t do.  I stuff my own olives at home…easy and awesome.  I bought a jar of queen sized pimento stuffed olives, used a chopstick to push out the pimento and stuffed with crumbled blue cheese…that’s it!

Now off to enjoy my cocktail by the fireplace!