Food - Drink
Fat-Wash Your Gin For A Better Martini
By KATIE HORST
Gin is a complex liquor with unique aromas and flavors that come from its botanical ingredients, and the many flavor notes of a good gin can sometimes clash with the briny olive juice in a dirty martini. Luckily, dirty martini lovers can savor that olive-y richness without covering up the flavors of the gin by fat-washing the alcohol first.
Fat-washing is when fat is added to alcohol and the two ingredients are steeped together; the alcohol is then chilled, causing the fat to solidify on top so it can be scraped off, leaving you with a flavorful infused alcohol base for your next drink. This is a great way to add the flavor of olives to your martini without the added salt.
Epicurious suggests adding 2 ounces of olive juice to 6 ounces of gin and letting the mixture sit in a sealed container at room temperature for up to one day. After the mixture has been chilled and the fat has been scooped out, strain the gin before serving for a dirty martini with a velvety texture and plenty of pure olive flavor.