Ah, a perfectly made martini. When in the right mood, is there anything better than its bracing crispness? Then there’s the saline hit of the brine, should you take yours dirty, and the yield of an olive’s flesh between one’s teeth while your dining or drinking companion commiserates, flirts, or reveals gossip as juicy as your vodka- or gin-soaked Castelvetrano. (If you’re a twist person, respect, but we’re different.)
Sipping on an icy martini really conveys a feeling of glamour and mystery— there’s really no other cocktail that quite embodies elegance and timelessness that same way, nor that hits quite the same (did I mention they’re very strong?). No wonder a martini is the drink of choice for everyone from James Bond to Jay Gatsby to Brian Griffin from Family Guy (yeah, the dog). In fact, the martini is the second most popular drink in America after the margarita, with some bars in New York making more than 1,000 martinis each night.
Once considered an old man drink by Gen Xers and millennials, the martini’s popularity has been majorly revived in recent years, and being a martini-lover has become something of a personality trait. In my early 20s, when I discovered the appeal of the dirty martini, it quickly became my go-to drink at the San Francisco dive bars that occupied that time of my life in the late aughts — I was fine with well vodka as long as the martini was extra, extra dirty (some drinkers, as you’ve likely noticed, revel in saying “filthy” to their bartender). Nowadays, my taste is a bit more dignified and I’ll call my spirit (Tito’s, Belvedere, or Ketel One, depending on my mood) and ask for my drink with only a whisper of brine and, instead, a couple of extra olives. This is the thing about becoming a martini person: This simple drink suddenly becomes a blank slate for your micro-preferences, in the same way espresso does for coffee snobs.
Martinis are having a reawakening, no doubt, and there’s an unprecedented array of martini-centric bar gear, accoutrements, and even merch out there, from jewelry to martini-specific insulated tumblers to high-end olive brine. If you’re hunting for the best gifts for martini lovers, look no further — I’ve skipped the corny stuff and reached straight for the top shelf.
A proper setup for making martinis at home — shaken or stirred
The gear you need to make a perfect homemade martini depends on that (frankly worn out) adage: shaken or stirred? The truth is that most bartenders will recommend stirred, but most people in casual bar settings are fine with shaken, and may even prefer it if they like each sip icy. If you’re making martinis at home (or know someone who likes to), a great cocktail kit sets the stage for a better drink.
This classic Williams Sonoma set is top of the line; yes, it includes everything you need for a Ritz-caliber martini, but will also come in handy for any other cocktail your recipient wishes to whip up.
For something a bit more affordable but still luxe-feeling, this stirred martini cocktail kit from Barfly comes with an etched 24-ounce mixing glass as well as copper tools that make handsome additions to a bar cart.
On the more whimsical side, this best-selling set from Mark & Graham nests into a cute boat, so it’s ornamental even when not in use. If you know anyone with a yacht, well, perfect gift for them.. and we’re not jealous at all, but maybe they should extend an invitation for us to all drink martinis on the deck.
The perfect dirty martini brine and olives
There is an argument to be (convincingly) made that “soggy, splintered, deflated” “bottom-shelf bulk olives”actually make the best brine — the cheapo Manzanilla and Queen olives that culturally preceded the now ubiquitously trendy Castelvetrano. To be real with you, I adore all olives — the fancy newcomers and artisanal beauties but also the Mezzettas that have been living in the door of my parents’ fridge for my entire life. That being said, this is a story about gifts, and the thing about gifts is that a good one should feel a little bit special, curated, lesser-seen, harder-to-acquire, thoughtful, more premium than what you’d typically buy for yourself.
I recently became a big fan of Quincy olives; the olive-to-brine ratio is specifically formulated to make 14 dirty martinis with no waste (of fruit or liquid). The brine itself is just the right level of salty and umami; I’ve made a few friends dirty martinis with it recently and they all commented on how excellent their drinks came out. The recipe is right on the label, so it’s foolproof.
Another great brand for both brine and olives is Filthy; a friend of mine who works at a high-end Hollywood cocktail bar said that Filthy brine is the fave of both staff and customers. Filthy also makes standalone brine as well as a variety of stuffed olives; some dirty-martini-drinkers really love a blue-cheese-stuffed olive for a more creamy, complex experience, and they are a smart offering for a host gift or housewarming present.
Forever-solid gift idea: nice glassware
Cocktail glasses have never been more personality-forward than in the present, with elegance, eccentricity, and whimsy all equally playing into the current renaissance of Very Interesting Glassware. Half the fun of drinking a martini is doing so from a smart, snazzy glass, whether minimalist or over-the-top decorative. I am addicted to collecting cocktail glasses and so have a half-dozen different options at home, should a guest arrive or the need for a martini strike. In recent years, restaurants and bars have begun thinking outside the box in terms of how to serve a martini; the only hard rule in my book (and that of many others) is that the glass should have a stem or at least a foot to help it stay cool as long as possible.
Here are a few special-looking martini glasses that have caught my eye recently…
Martini-centric jazz and pizzazz
Cocktail napkins and picks are truly underrated gifts — they’re small, easy to transport and store, and in that category of home goods that feels a little frivolous to buy for yourself but that is well-appreciated in ownership. I like these jeweled Joanna Buchanan cocktail picks for the martini-sipping diva in your life or the Archer stainless steel picks for a more Don Draper type.
World Market Silver Metal Multicolor Gemstone Cocktail Picks (6 Pack)
Where to Buy:
Plutonia Blue is a New York City-based artist and jewelry designer whose sterling silver cocktail picks are dripping with iridescent keshi pearls. According to the designer, the string of pearls was first envisioned as the “the tresses of a woman dining alone (one of my favorite pastimes, how scandalous!).”
Founded by New York-based caterer Stephanie Nass, the brand Chefanie is behind these entertaining-ready olive napkins.
Another cocktail napkin I’m a bit obsessed with right now: this set of Polo Bear napkins from Ralph Lauren Home — they’re preppy (which I am decidedly not) but I appreciate that they seem self-aware. No, they aren’t emblazoned with any martini-specific imagery, but something about them does feel perfect for being the resting surface for an ice-cold Belvedere martini.
Martini-drinker pride merch
Being a martini drinker is now akin to being a huge fan of the Philadelphia Eagles or something; it no longer seems to be enough to just really like martinis. One must make it known that martinis are one’s thing. The market is abundant with ways to do so, from jewelry to hats to phone cases to sweaters.
Above and beyond
Attention: true martini lunatics only! This section is for you.
A tumbler designed to keep a martini cold for 12 hours
Brümate is known for its functional, colorful water bottles, coolers, and other vessels — and for a martini-lover who needs to take one on the go (perhaps to the beach, a picnic, or the upcoming Wicker movie) and keep it chilled, there’s the MargTini, a tumbler made specifically for transporting cocktails. It has a splash-proof lid and slip-proof base, is made of double-walled steel so it doesn’t get condensation on the outside, and it keeps your drink cold for 12 hours. As one gin-drinking reviewer notes, “It even fits in the cupholder on the golf cart.”
An insanely realistic martini candle
I did a double take at the sight of this wildly lifelike handcrafted candle that uses gel wax for its doppelgänger of a frosty ‘tini, complete with extra olives. A fun accent piece that you’ll probably want to keep around instead of burn — but should you want to light it, its made with premium unscented wax.
Martini-themed designer bag charms
I’m not advocating spending $565 on what’s essentially jewelry for your handbag, but I will note that if you’re, as noted above, a true martini freak, you should probably be made aware of the popular Loewe olive bag charm.
A slightly more reasonably priced option would be Chloe’s martini bag charm, although purists like myself may raise an eyebrow at the lime wheel on the side of the glass. Not a classic martini garnish; just saying!
A candle that is actually scented in homage to the dirty martini
If the trompe l’oeil candle above didn’t do it for ya because it’s unscented, I present this alternative: a candle from Rewined that “captures [a dirty martini’s] essence with the crisp, briny hint of olive and the fresh, piney aroma of juniper pays homage to the gin at the heart of this storied drink — rounded out with a touch of amber, evoking the luxurious ambiance of a high-end cocktail lounge.” Alluring! It has an 80-hour burn time for many evenings spent in the aura of a dirty martini right in your very living room.
A martini to call your own
For the martini-drinker who has it all — the cocktail picks, the carefully selected olive — we must ask: Do they have their very own signature cocktail? If not, another great gift option remains. Wonderbly will customize and print a cocktail book for your recipient of choice that includes 29 recipes for both classic and newfangled cocktails, but most importantly, its main attraction is a drink named for your friend and formulated specifically with their tastes in mind. Might we suggested a drink that includes gin or vodka, a touch of vermouth, and perhaps some olive juice? Just an idea.
Cheers.