Gin Martini

This drink is all about the gin and the olive. My favorite gin is the one distilled locally, 477 Gin, and the olive I think works best are the Santa Barbara martini olives that I think can be found is most grocery stores. In the US, at least. For the Vermouth, get the dryest that's available to you. I put bitters in this drink, but only a few drops. Just tilt the bottle slowly and have it drip instead of dash.

If you don't want a dirty martini, skip the olives and bitters, I guess.

This drink works best when you don't dilute it with ice and tastes better the colder it is. Keep your gin in the freezer and your Vermouth in the fridge, pour into a chilled glass. If you do this you won't have to shake over ice.

• Combine the gin, Vermouth, brine and bitters in a shaker full with ice.
• Shake until you've had enough shaking
• Put olives into the bottom of a clean mixing glass
• Strain into the glass with your olives
• Using a muddler, crush the olives. Crush gently for a prettier drink, firmly for a tastier, ugly drink.
• Pour into a short glass, wine glass, or martini glass