Culinary culture has many trends, just like any other area of interest and industry, and a big trend these days is foods crossing over into drinks. In that spirit, the Caesar salad martini is the latest food to go cocktail. While it’s one that’s dividing the internet, the viral cocktail is an ambitious one that playfully challenges you to try it. Those up for the task will assemble the traditional gin or vodka, vermouth, and olive juice, then add Worcestershire sauce and their favorite Caesar dressing to the mix. The creative spin on an extra dirty or filthy martini is shaken together, then poured into a martini glass. To put the finishing touches on it, garnish with garlic-stuffed olives (or anchovy-stuffed) and a rim of grated parmesan cheese.
It may seem a little unorthodox, but the Caesar salad-tini actually brings more character to the classic drink. This is a likely hit for fans of the briny cocktail or the almost mythical fifth taste, umami. Whether it’s store-bought Caesar dressing or homemade, the olive juice combines with the tart, savory dressing and floral herbiness of the gin in a way that just makes perfect sense. Could it be argued that this is essentially spiked dressing that we’re drinking? Absolutely, but we like to think of this as taking the traditional dirty martini to an exciting new level.
Other interesting ways to upgrade a dirty martini
Fans feeling inspired by this salad-tini may also enjoy the Olive Garden-tini. This viral hit graced the world via TikTok and is quite similar to the Caesar-tini. It has a traditional base of gin or vodka and vermouth, but the other ingredients are where things level up: The recipe uses garlic olive brine and the famous Olive Garden Italian dressing as the final ingredients. Once poured into the glass, it can be garnished with those same garlic olives, Italian seasoning, and a crouton or two (bonus points for anyone opting for a breadstick garnish).
Another way to spice up a dirty martini is to make it hot and dirty, by adding hot sauce to the cocktail. Or, you can upgrade a dirty martini by tossing in olive ice cubes, keeping it cold and briny while it’s being sipped on. A combination of the two might just be perfect, with the hot sauce adding a kick of heat and the olive ice cubes cooling things back down.
