Manhattan Dirty Bloody Mary Martini

Didn't think a Bloody Mary could get any better? Make it a dirty! This cocktail includes olive juice to add a little kick to the classic Bloody Mary. Go wild with the garnish to really impress your guests. 

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why this recipe works
• 🗒 Ingredients
• 🍸 Recipe tips
• 🎉 How to make ahead of time
• 🍹 More vodka cocktail recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Riddle time! What do candy corn, Peeps, and Bloody Marys have in common? Are you stumped?? I bet you were about to yell out "holiday candy!" until I threw Bloody Marys at you, weren't you?

The answer? Candy Corn, Peeps, and Bloody Marys are all extremely polarizing food and beverage choices. People either LOVE them or HATE them.

I am in the camp that loves all three, but also tries to understand why others may not. To be honest, it's tough for me... Candy corn is basically pure sugar. Peeps are marshmallows covered in pure sugar. And Bloody Marys are alcoholic beverages that also help you get in a serving or two of vegetables. To cancel out all that sugar. How could any of that be bad?

But OK, I get it, you might not like tomato juice. But if you just *think* you don't like it because it sounds weird or creeps you out, I urge you to please try it again. With an open mind. And an open heart. And probably some vodka, too.

Wait, i just thought of another polarizing beverage... The dirty martini. And it's all because of that pesky little olive. You might be creeped out by olive juice, too. But please stop. I can't decide which I like more... The Bloody Mary or the dirty martini.

So, when I spotted this recipe that's basically a combination of them both (from the BLOODY MARY SOCIETY no less!!), I jumped right on it. And this Dirty Bloody Mary Martini is the stuff my dreams are made of. I hope it's not the stuff of your nightmares.

❤️ Why this recipe works

The flavors work together so well: you may have never considered making a Bloody Mary that's also "dirty," but it works so well! The lemon juice adds acidity, the tomato juice brings body and sweetness, and the olive brine and Worcestershire sauce layer in salty, umami-like depth. Perfection!

It uses vodka and vermouth: the vodka keeps things clean and neutral while the dry vermouth adds a little bit of herbal complexity to make it feel more like a cocktail than just a Bloody Mary.

It has a tiny bit of spice: the recipe calls for just a teaspoon of hot sauce as everyone knows a Bloody Mary has to have at least a little bit of spice to it. You can obviously leave this out if you want or add more for a bigger kick.

Shaken with ice: in true James Bond fashion, this drink is shaken with ice to chill the cocktail properly and dilute the acidity just a little bit.

Fun garnish options: I mean, check out the glass rim and garnish on this cocktail! For the spiced rim, I use onion powder, celery salt, black sesame seeds, and black pepper. And for the garnish, I use olives, pepperoncini, and marinated mushrooms. You can do whatever you want, but it's a fun opportunity to get a little wild.

🗒 Ingredients

Here's everything you need for this delicious vodka cocktail (be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):

• Tomato juice: use a high-quality juice that you like
• Vodka
• Dry vermouth
• Olive juice (I recommend pimento-stuffed olives)
• Hot sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• Lemon juice
• Celery salt
• Onion powder: optional for rim
• Black sesame seeds: optional for rim
• Black pepper: optional for rim
• Olives: optional for garnish
• Pepperocini: optional for garnish
• Marinated mushrooms: optional for garnish

I mean, it's basically like a meal. A meal that might make you a little tipsy.

I like to serve these drinks in coupe glasses.

🍸 Recipe tips

• Rim the glass in a little lemon juice before dipping into the spice mixture. And when coating the glass, don't mash it into the spice mix; swirl it gently.

• Have fun with the garnish! There are so many options for ingredient you can add here. Or you can just keep it simple and a full skewer of olives.

• Use a high-quality tomato juice that you already know you like since this will be one of the dominant flavors in the drink.

• Start with chilled ingredients, including tomato juice and vodka so the drink stays crisp and doesn't get overly diluted when you shake it.

• Give it a quick taste in the shaker before serving and tweak it to your tastes. Add more lemon for brightness, more olive brine for saltiness, or an extra dash of hot sauce if you want more heat.

• Chill the glasses before serving for an extra tasty drink.

And enjoy this dirty Bloody Mary along with your Sunday brunch. Or any time of day, any day of the week!

I think I'll probably be putting olive juice in all of my Bloody Marys from now on. Because why the heck not?

🎉 How to make ahead of time

If you're making these drinks to serve at a gathering, you can do most of the hard work ahead of time!

Just combine the tomato juice, vodka, vermouth, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, olive brine, lemon juice, and celery salt in a pitcher or airtight container; everything except the ice!

Refrigerate the mixture for at least 2-4 hours (or overnight).

You can prep the garnishes about 6 hours ahead of time and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. Rim the glasses no more than an hour before serving the drinks.

When ready to serve, give the drink a quick shake with ice and pour into glasses. If you don't want to bother with shaking, you can simply stir a little water into the cocktail mixture (to mimic dilution) and pour into glasses.

At least I can now sleep tight with the knowledge that my two favorite cocktails have now been combined into one glorious Dirty Bloody Mary Martini. And it's easy enough to make any time my little heart desires. Which is all the time.

🍹 More vodka cocktail recipes

If you're looking for more great vodka cocktails that are fun for serving to a crowd, here are some of my favorite recipes:

What side of the great Bloody Mary and dirty martini debate are you on? If I ask you nicely, will you give them both another try?

If you love Bloody Marys, you'll probably also love my Tomato Campari Cocktail. I also can't wait to try this Bloody Mary Gazpacho from The View from Great Island!

📖 Recipe