Olive oil is arguably one of the most versatile ingredients in your kitchen. From frying to sauteing, salad dressing to toast topper, from meals to snacks, and even desserts like , you can almost never have too much of this dream ingredient on hand. But perhaps there is one area of your at-home food and beverage program that's underserved when it comes to olive oil.
When you get to the end of your day and head to the bar cart for a cocktail, you may reach for the jar of olives to add a garnish or even pour out a little of the brine to dirty up your drink, but the oil itself is probably still in the pantry. But martini drinkers, don't bypass that bottle. Because if you're not putting olive oil in your cocktail, you're missing an opportunity to significantly upgrade your drink's flavor and texture.
What is an olive oil martini? There's a cocktail technique referred to as "fat washing," and it describes a process of infusing your liquid with a lipid. Essentially, it's a way to transfer the flavor from your chosen fat to your cocktail. By combining your oil with your base spirit, shaking them together, and then freezing this mixture (for at least 24 hours, if possible), the oil rises to the top and firms up.
You can then remove this fat layer while leaving behind its flavorful essence. It is this cocktail alchemy that makes the olive oil martini possible. This method works for everything from bacon to butter (both of which are especially good with brown spirits like bourbon or ag.
