The Progress Martini

Matthew Kelly / Supercall
Matthew Kelly / Supercall

Created by Bryan Hamman, the former bar manager at The Progress in San Francisco, this smoky take on a Dirty Martini is a salt-head’s dream come true. At The Progress, bartenders use a wooden smoker box to infuse meaty Castelvetrano olives and their brine with mesquite flavors and aromatics. This smoky mix forms the backbone of the Martini. Bartenders stir the BBQ-esque brine with vodka or gin (we prefer an ultra-clean, triple-distilled vodka) and garnish the cocktail with a smoked olive and a few drops of housemade rosemary oil from The Progress’s sister restaurant, State Bird Provisions. If you don’t have a smoker box of your own at home, you can use a cast-iron pan and a grill to infuse the olives.

The Progress Martini

FLAVOR PROFILE
Savory
STRENGTH
DIFFICULTY
intermediate

INGREDIENTS

  • 2.5 oz Gin
  • 0.75 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
  • 0.5 oz Smoked Olive Juice
  • Smoked Olive
  • Rosemary Infused Olive Oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Step one

Add all ingredients except for the garnishes to a mixing glass with large, cubed ice and stir.

Step two

Strain into a chilled coupe glass using a julep strainer.

Step three

Garnish with a few drops of rosemary olive oil and a smoked Castelvetrano olive.

Contributed by Bryan Hamman