The Half-Dirty Martini

Two half-dirty martinis on a white background.

Makes 2 Half-Dirty Martinis

Ingredients

4 1/2 oz London Dry gin, such as Bombay Sapphire or Beefeater
3/4 oz olive brine, such as from a jar of Mezzetta Martini Olves
3/4 oz dry vermouth, such as Noilly Prat

Directions

Combine ingredients in a shaker full of ice. Shake or stir until the outside gets frosty, around 30-60 seconds depending on your method.

Strain into two chilled cocktail glasses. Garnish with an olive.

The Lombardi: An Italian Mocktail

Last updated: February 18, 2026

There are days when you want a cocktail [they end in y], and other days when you need a break from The Sauce [the day after my birthday]. But what if you still want the ritual of making and sipping a refreshing beverage? Enter the Mocktail, which autocorrect always wants to correct to cocktail.

It knows me better than I think.

Ingredients

1/2 oz toasted fennel syrup (recipe follows)
1/2 oz orgeat (recipe follows)
1/2 fresh lemon juice (ALWAYS fresh squeezed; we're not cro-mags!)
6 oz club sode
fennel front for garnish

Directions

Build in a Collins glass (the tall ones) with ice and mix gently. Gently is the key word here. Don’t scare the bubbles away! I find that pushing the ice down over and over is better at mixing everything than stirring.

Toasted Fennel Simple Syrup

150 g granulated sugar
150 g water
15 g fennel seeds

Add the fennel seeds to a pan and set over medium-low heat. The pan should be large enough that the fennel seeds are in one layer. Toast the fennel seeds until they turn a medium brown. Gently stir or toss the seeds to prevent them from burning. This should take about 5 minutes, but use your nose. Do they smell toasted?

Orgeat

(based on The Aviary’s orgeat recipe*)

100 g blanched sliced almonds
250 g water
250 g sugar
1.5 g kosher salt
10 g orange peel, pith removed

Toast Almonds

Toast almonds in a 350˚F oven until toasted, stirring once or twice to prevent burning. It should take about 15 minutes, but use your nose. Do they smell toasted?

Make Simple Syrup

Add water, sugar, almonds, and salt to a small pan set over medium heat. Remove from heat once it boils. Blend with an immersion blender.

Reserve

Add orange peels, let cool to room temperature, then steep in fridge for 24 hours.

*The Aviary Cocktail Book is one of the most beautiful cookbooks I’ve ever seen. The photography is more art than filler photos. This would make a PERFECT gift for anyone in your life who likes cocktails.