Close up of a vodka martini just poured, with ice cubes and green olives on a cocktail stick
Food - Drink
The Ingredient Swap That Will Instantly Upgrade Your Next Martini
By NATASHA BAILEY
Whether you like it dirty, on the rocks, or shaken, not stirred like fiction’s greatest spy, martinis are a classic cocktail. This cocktail has evolved since its creation in the mid-to-late 19th century, and while today’s martini is quite simple, there are a few ways you can upgrade your next martini.
Made with gin (or vodka), vermouth, and olives, martinis can quickly be upgraded by swapping out the olives for caper berries and olive juice with caper berry brine. Caper berries are a salty and earthy fruit that is essentially a caper that has been allowed to mature into a larger, stemmed but not fully ripe berry.
Whether on salmon, a lox bagel, or chicken piccata, you’ve probably had capers before, so imagine that — just larger — in your martini. The brine of the caper berry adds a naturally salty flavor that is less harsh than the traditional olive juice, and the caper berry garnish makes for a crunchy and boozy snack between sips.