They’re really shaking up the martini. Some of the buzziest drinks in New York City are savory riffs on the classic cocktail and taste like garlic bread or caprese salad. By comparison, the standard dirty martini seems tame.
“There’s definitely an interest in savory flavors, more so than I’ve ever seen in my years in the bar industry. People are, in general, much more willing to take risks with their orders,” said Bryan Schneider, the creative director for the Quality Branded group, whose restaurants include Quality Italian and San Sabino . The latter, an Italian-American seafood spot that opened in the West Village this past March, has taken the trend to a pungent extreme.
The restaurant’s “Scottie’s Martini” ($19) is better known as the “garlic bread martini” and it uses the process known as fat-washing to infuse vodka with all of the flavors of the beloved carb. Garlic, sourdough bread scraps, dried oregano and chilies are sauteed in olive oil and butter. The flavor-infused butter and oil is then blended with vodka and the mixture is frozen.
The fat components are then easily separated and removed, leaving behind a garlic bread-flavored vodka used to make the martini. The unique drink, which is garnished with olives stuffed with feta and chopped cherry peppers, is one of the most popular cocktails on the menu. “It’s definitely striking a chord,” said Schneider.
“It’s a unique approach to the dirty martini.” But not everyone is a fan. Angie.
