Martini mania shows no sign of slowing down, with multiple variations on the menu of seemingly every bar and restaurant. Of those riffs, the dirty martini continues to enjoy its status as one of the most popular. It’s a standard combo of vodka or gin and vermouth, made salty and savory with a splash — or about a ½ ounce — of olive brine, plus those essential olive garnishes. But the martini seems to be all about reinvention these days, especially in the savory department with everything from Caesar salad martinis to roast-chicken ‘tinis. There are so many ways to make a savory martini without olives — in the dirty vein, but featuring any number of different flavor profiles. One of our favorites and certainly the most spring-inspired is a martini with spring onions. You’re still getting a classic, bracing martini with an additional boost of savory flavor, but this iteration also boasts some sweetness and, instead of salty brine, a green quality of herbaceousness.
There are two possible approaches: Fresh or pickled spring onion. For a fresh spring onion martini, you can simply garnish your vodka or gin martini with a spring onion, just as you would for the cocktail-onion martini, the Gibson. Making your own spring onion-infused vodka, however, provides a bolder flavor. For the pickled path, make it as you would a dirty martini. Mix in a ½ ounce of the brine and garnish with the pickled spring onions. If you can’t find them online, pickle your own.
Ways to prep and update the spring onion martini
Whether you use fresh or pickled spring onions, the results of your martini will be, well, fresh. That’s the difference between this drink and the well-known Gibson. The Gibson’s cocktail onions are small onions pickled in vinegar. Like all onions, they have a hint of sweetness, but are also pretty pungent, sharp, and tangy with a feeling of heat. Spring onions, meanwhile, are onions harvested when they’re younger, so they have more of a green, fresh quality with some sweetness. They’re also more intensely flavorful than green onions or scallions, making this vegetable the best choice for a truly reinvented martini.
While going the garnish route is quick and easy, making a spring onion-infused vodka gives you an entire bottle for multiple martinis. Simply let a pound of spring onions sit in 750 milliliters of vodka at room temperature for 12 hours and strain. Using pickled spring onions will split the difference between this sweet, herbaceous martini riff and the more familiar, briney dirty ‘tini. You could also make a charred spring onion Gibson by charring a bulb for garnishing, bringing in deeper savory notes as well as a caramelized effect. Any number of herbs and spices would pair well with the spring onion and boost its fresh-from-the-garden character. Make a simple syrup with rosemary, thyme, sage, basil, or dill, or use herbs as a garnish. A jalapeño simple syrup would punch the martini up with a bit of heat.
