Fat-washing an olive oil martini
Olive brine is the typical combination of salt and water found in a jar of olives, which absorbs their flavor. In this case, however, you're using olive oil, which is extracted directly from freshly harvested olives. Instead of simply pouring olive oil into the martini—an action that would disrupt its texture—you'll need to "fat-wash" it. This process involves blending the spirit with the olive oil, allowing the mixture to sit so the spirit can absorb the oil's essence, and then chilling it in the refrigerator until the solidified oil and fat can be easily skimmed off.
You can also fat-wash other fats like coconut oil, duck fat, or even butter into spirits for unique cocktails. For Geoffrey Zakarian's martinis, strain the oil and gin before chilling and skimming later. The resulting olive oil martini offers a smoother taste compared to a saltier dirty martini, and using high-quality extra virgin olive oil imparts a rich flavor. When it comes to garnishing the martini, Zakarian believes that the flavor is sufficient on its own: "You didn't have to. It was enough." However, adding an olive wouldn’t be out of place.
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