The secret of martinis

I enjoy cold, dirty, dry gin martinis, and recently discovered the secret to getting the balance right: Treat the vermouth as bitters.

That's it.

Here's how I like mine:

• 5 Queen olives stuffed with pimentos
• 1.5oz Olive brine
• 4.5oz Bombay sapphire gin, kept frozen
• A few dashes of dry vermouth

Spear some of the olives and use them to stir the brine and gin together, then cover the vermouth bottle with your thumb and squirt a few drops over the top.