The Dirty Martini is a popular variation of the classic Martini cocktail that has been enjoyed by cocktail enthusiasts for over a century. Cocktail expert David Wondrich has traced the origins of this drink to John E. O'Connor, a bartender who worked at the Waldorf Astoria in New York in 1901. O'Connor is said to have created a Dry Martini with muddled olives, which he called the Dirty Martini. Despite O'Connor's creation, the first written reference to adding brine to a Martini-style cocktail didn't appear until 1930. In that year, G.H. Steele published ‘My New Cocktail Book’, which included a recipe for a ‘Dirty Martini’ that called for a teaspoon of olive brine to be added to a standard Martini. The Dirty Martini has since become a beloved cocktail and a staple of bar menus around the world. To make a Dirty Martini, bartenders typically start with a base of gin or vodka, along with a small amount of dry vermouth. They then add a splash of olive brine, which gives the drink its signature ‘dirty’ flavour. The cocktail is traditionally garnished with one or more olives.