This cocktail at Tempus, a restaurant in St. Louis by chef Ben Grupe that has been open for takeout for a while but just opened for indoor dining last month, is actually just called “Vodka Cocktail,” but restaurant manager and beverage director Drew Lucido drew inspiration from the Dirty Martini.
“I wanted to create a drink that brought the savory elements of a Dirty Martini without using olive brine, which I find can overpower the other elements of the cocktail,” He said.
So instead he uses olive oil to fat wash Boyd & Blair Potato Vodka, which is pot-distilled, giving it a richer and silkier texture.
He uses 1.5 ounces of that, along with ¾ ounce Noilly Pratt dry vermouth and ¼ ounce fino sherry, along with a teaspoon of white verjus and two dashes of orange bitters. He stirs all of that over ice until it’s well chilled and then pours it into a Nick & Nora glass with a lemon twist and a single olive for garnish.
Lucido said the sherry gives the drink “a touch of salinity” and the vermouth balances it out.
“The white verjus adds just enough brightness to prevent the drink from becoming too flat and the orange bitters ties it all together.”
Price: $15