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She is dirty and funky in all the best ways. This Blue Cheese Dirty Martini adds a chunk of blue cheese into the shaker to make a briny, milky martini, garnished with blue cheese stuffed olives. My sister only tolerates blue cheese, and she was obsessed with this one.
Table of Contents
Gather Your Blue Cheese Dirty Martini Ingredients
Vermouth: This is optional but I love it. It rinses the glass with a botanical aroma and a hint of flavor that takes this closer to a restaurant cocktail.
Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives: These are easy. Take little chunks of your favorite blue cheese and stuff them into pitted castelvetrano olives. Spanish queen olives are a great choice too. Add them to a skewer and you’re done.
Vodka: I used Grey Goose, but any vodka you like works. You can swap it for gin if you want something more classic.
Olive Brine: This is the dirty in a dirty martini. It comes straight from the olive jar, and it is where the salt and savory backbone come from. I pour mine heavy because I like it extra dirty. Use less if you want it milder.
Blue Cheese Wedge: One small wedge does two jobs, stuffing the olives and the chunk that goes in the shaker. Use whatever blue cheese you like. A crumble runs milder if you’re easing in, a Roquefort or Stilton if you want more funk.
Shaken vs Stirred
Most martinis get stirred, which keeps them clear and smooth. For this one I shake instead…vigorously.
The blue cheese goes in with the vodka and brine, and it takes a hard shake to break it down so the drink turns milky. Shaking gets everything colder than a stir ever could.
Shake 60 to 90 seconds, non-negotiable. Go the full time so the cheese dissolves and the icicles form, and don’t push past 90 seconds.
Similar Recipes
Dirty Lemon Martini: This one is made with vodka infused with lemon zest for hours. The blue cheese stuffed olives also have lemon zest mixed in.
Frozen Extra Dirty Martini: Stirred, not shaken, with an amazing olive brine granita.
How to Serve
Start with my Dirty Martini Dip. If you love a dirty martini, this is the dip for you, blue cheese and olives that you scoop up with chips. For dinner, Steak with Peppercorn Sauce with crispy fries and an Arugula Fennel Salad with honey dijon. For dessert, Cherries Jubilee, warm cherries over cold ice cream with shaved chocolate.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Either one. It only rinses the glass and gets poured out, so it is there for a little aroma and to chill the glass fast. I used Dolin Dry. Use whatever you have.
Yes, crumbles work. The taste is milder than a wedge, so use a little more if you want the funk.
I use castelvetrano because they are big and easy to stuff with plenty of blue cheese. Any green olive works. For the brine, the liquid straight from the olive jar is all you need, and regular olive brine is fine.
Equipment
- martini glass
Ingredients
- 1 splash vermouth, for rinsing the glass
- 3 castelvetrano olives
- .5 oz blue cheese, divided, ½-inch piece for the shaker, the rest for the olives
- 2 ½ oz vodka
- 2 ½ oz olive brine
- ice, enough to fill the shaker
Instructions
- Chill the Glass: Add a splash of vermouth to a martini glass, swirl to coat, then discard or save. Place the glass in the freezer for 15 minutes.1 splash vermouth
- Stuff the Olives: Hand stuff each castelvetrano olive with blue cheese.3 castelvetrano olives, ⅖ oz blue cheese
- Shake: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the vodka, olive brine, and ½-inch piece of blue cheese. Shake for 60 to 90 seconds.2 ½ oz vodka, 2 ½ oz olive brine, ice, ⅛ oz blue cheese
- Serve: Strain into the chilled glass and add the olives.
Kitchen Cam
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can you use crumbled blue cheese?
Hey Diana, that works too!
I’m confused, when asked “what kind of vermouth do you use” you say dry but in the ingredient list you say sweet vermouth. So which one is it?
Hey Ariana, You can honestly use either. It’s just a rinse for your glass and it gets thrown out. You do it because the vermouth chills the glass quickly leaving the stem comfortable to hold.
I never comment on recipes – but this is amazing. I love a dirty martini and blue cheese. The combo is divine! Well balanced outcome.
Hi Kendall! Thank you so much for leaving this review! It was so sweet and I’m so glad you love it! 🫶
I made with regular olive brine and it was amazing !!
What type of olive oil is it regular olive oil or the anstelvetrano olive brine?
Hey Linda, So in this recipe I used the castelvetrano olive brine because that is what I had on hand. I like using those olives because they are bigger and you can stuff more blue cheese in them! But regular olive brine totally works too! I’m so glad you liked it! ♥️