{"id":242504,"date":"2026-04-22T23:13:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T23:13:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/242504\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T23:13:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T23:13:17","slug":"like-it-dirty-martinis-classic-and-otherwise-are-staging-a-comeback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/242504\/","title":{"rendered":"Like it dirty? Martinis, classic and otherwise, are staging a comeback"},"content":{"rendered":"

At d.b.a. in Mills 50, the dirty martini edges out both the margarita, a close second, and the old-fashioned, a somewhat distant third, as the most popular cocktail on the menu.<\/p>\n

Bartenders and brothers Leo and Zack Rees found it surprising at first, because neither of them favors the drink.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo see how people lose their minds over blue cheese olives,\u201d Zack chuckles.<\/p>\n

Though even moreso that these, it\u2019s likely the housemade brine that sells it hardest.<\/p>\n

\"LeoLeo Rees shows off their housemade brine at d.b.a., a Mills 50 bar. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda\/ Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve always enjoyed a nice martini, but in the last couple of months, after an oddly life-changing pour at the Corner Chophouse \u2014 dirty bordering on filthy, shaken to that special place where shards of ice melt on your tongue post-sip \u2014 I\u2019ve been ordering them all over town.<\/p>\n

And when a query on social media for people\u2019s favorites yielded a response about dba\u2019s from a trusted connoisseur whose No. 1 outside her own home was dba\u2019s \u2014 \u201cmy favorite in town!\u201d she said \u2014 my interest was piqued.<\/p>\n

\"d.b.a.'sd.b.a.’s classic martini, the most popular cocktail at this Mills 50 hangout. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda\/ Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Here, you\u2019ll get one olive during happy hour, two outside those margins, all while in very good company.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy order of magnitude,\u201d Zack says, \u201cit\u2019s the dirty martini that people are ordering.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"BrothersBrothers and bartenders Leo and Zack Rees pose for photos with their drinks at d.b.a. Located next to The Strand, this two-prong family operation is a popular one. And a former Restaurant of the Year in the Orlando Sentinel Foodie Awards. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda\/ Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very personal cocktail,\u201d Leo adds. \u201cEverybody likes theirs a certain way.\u201d<\/p>\n

More info: 809 N. Mills Ave. in Orlando, strandorlando.com\/d-b-a<\/a><\/p>\n

Here are a few others around the city you might want to sample, shaken, stirred or otherwise.<\/p>\n

\"$10$10 during Social Hour (4-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 2:30-4 -p.m. Sunday), this cocktail will forever be the starter moment of what will one day be called my Martini Phase. That’s if it ever ends. (Amy Drew Thompson\/Orlando Sentinel)
\nCorner Chophouse<\/p>\n

\u201cTell them to \u2018make it skate\u2019,\u201d Michelin-awarded bartender Benjamin Coutts tells me. This, after noting my affinity for those delicate, gorgeous ice shards present in a shaken martini. The way they melt on the tongue? Heaven.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what you say when you order it,\u201d he advises.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a new one on me, but luckily, at the Corner Chophouse<\/a>, it\u2019s just how the barkeep made mine. Also \u201cdirty bordering on filthy,\u201d which is the way I *did* order it.<\/p>\n

Theirs is the martini (just $10 during their Social Hour) that started my new phase in Rat Pack potables. Fat olives. Great cheese. Fantastic. Hit \u2019em up.<\/p>\n

More info: 558 W. New England Ave. in Winter Park, 321-972-2383: cornerchophouse.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"BartenderBartender Greg preps a martini at Norman’s Orlando. (Courtesy Norman’s Orlando)
\nNorman\u2019s<\/p>\n

\u201cMartinis and discussing them is up there with conversations on barbecue when seeking to incite an (often enjoyable) argument,\u201d says Norman Van Aken, the legendary namesake of this legendary restaurant.<\/p>\n

\u201cMartinis are a drink to respect for several reasons: potency obviously is a respect aspect. For this reason, I prefer them before a meal, not with. And there will be those that argue!\u201d<\/p>\n

And what of the gin vs. vodka debate?<\/p>\n

\u201cThough vodka has vastly overtaken the original spirit \u2026 the lively botanicals of gin make the vermouth less necessary. Some would say that regardless of whether it is gin or vodka. Vodka comes from the Russian language, which translates into English roughly as \u201clittle water\u201d. The ideal of vodka is an absence of flavors. Ergo, I go with gin.\u201d<\/p>\n

More info: 7924 Via Dellagio Way in Orlando, 321-754-1025; normans.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DirtyDirty and Flirty: the Cacio E Pepe martini at Osteria Ester. (Amy Drew Thompson\/Orlando Sentinel)
\nOsteria Ester<\/p>\n

Good Salt Restaurant Group\u2019s Beverage Director, Lorena Castro, loves a good dirty martini. And their latest and greatest, Osteria Ester\u2019s Cacio e Pepe offering, is a unique take that fans of the dirty will almost certainly adore.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s following that whole savory trend,\u201d says Castro.<\/p>\n

Here, clean, clear vodka is the base.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really wanted the nuttiness of the Parmesan and the floral notes of the black pepper to come through. I didn\u2019t want too many botanicals clashing with everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also notable, she tells me (and I\u2019m ready to investigate!): \u201c\u2026the Chimichurri, please at The Osprey. Hunter, our bar lead, did a phenomenal job and it tastes just like a grilled cheese. It\u2019s amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just another reason to hit up oyster happy hour in Baldwin Park<\/p>\n

More info: 629 E. Central Blvd. in Orlando, 407-203-3577;\u00a0osteriaester.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DespiteDespite its renown as a Cuban-influenced restaurant, the martini remains one of the most popular cocktails on a menu curated by Michelin-awarded bartender Justin Levaughn and his team at Otto’s High Dive in Orlando’s Milk District. (Courtesy Otto’s High Dive)
\nOtto\u2019s High Dive<\/p>\n

Otto\u2019s High Dive<\/a> doesn\u2019t seem like a martini kinda place. Tropical and Cuban with a focus on rum, you might think it\u2019s all mojitos, all the time.<\/p>\n

But, says Justin Levaughn, owner and beverage director, they sell a ton of \u2019em.<\/p>\n

This Michelin Guide-awarded bartender leans toward gin for his own martini and has good reasons for it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI prefer spirits that lend flavor,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd while I appreciate what vodka does, the higher quality you go with vodka, the less flavor it has. And it\u2019s the opposite with every other spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n

When the topic turns dirty, however, different rules apply.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe dirty martini was made popular by steakhouse culture,\u201d he explains. \u201cIt\u2019s still a classic, but one that came later, and when I make one, I choose vodka. Some brines go well with juniper, but most do not, and a dirty martini is all about the brine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a cocktail that breaks all the rules,\u201d he chuckles. \u201cBut, it works.\u201d<\/p>\n

More info: 2304 E. Robinson St. in Orlando; ottoshd.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"ThoughThough the pear martinis are the signature pours at Pilars Martini & Loft in Winter Garden, their menu is extensive and includes the classics, as well. (Courtesy Pilars Martini & Loft)
\nPilars Martini & Loft<\/p>\n

Becky Roper opened this Winter Garden outpost in 2013, and when she did, her high school nickname, Pilar, ended up on the sign.\u00a0 A gift from her Spanish teacher, Mrs. Vernon, it stuck.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had friends who called me that,\u201d she chuckles. \u201cPilar was John Wayne\u2019s wife\u2019s name, and John Wayne was her favorite actor at the time. That\u2019s the origin story.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s another one, too: her first pear martini, enjoyed on a visit to New York City, where her daughter was living at the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came across this drink, and I thought it was lovely, and it became my signature.\u201d<\/p>\n

The same went at Pilars, where there is double-entendre for days.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s the Perky Pear,\u201d she tells me, \u201cand the Posh Pear, because they paid great money for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

She chuckles.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a sense of humor, which I think you need to open a place like this \u2026 and I believe a martini should be fun, something wonderful in a glass. I do not hold strong to the idea that a martini is only gin or vodka and vermouth.\u201d<\/p>\n

That said, Pilars has classic offerings, not to mention a host of house-made bitters in flavors from orange (the most popular) to walnut, pecan and raisin.<\/p>\n

If you were there right now, you could be \u201craisin\u201d a glass.<\/p>\n

And with that, I will see myself out.<\/p>\n

More info: 146 W. Plant St. in Winter Garden, 407-369-8900; pilarsmartini.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"AA killer martini was in the plans early on, says Sparrow owner Jason Chin. This house brine-infused beauty comes complete on its own silver tray with edible “bird seeds.” (Amy Drew Thompson\/Orlando Sentinel)
\nSparrow<\/p>\n

Back before what became the 2025 Critic\u2019s Pick for Best New Restaurant in the Orlando Sentinel Foodie Awards opened its little nest in the North Quarter, Sparrow owner Jason Chin told me that having a place with a great martini was on his to-do list.<\/p>\n

Enter Beverage Director Lorena Castro, who crafted one of the most sipped (and photo-snapped) cocktails of the year.<\/p>\n

\u201cA couple of years back, it was the espresso martini growing in popularity,\u201d she says. \u201cPeople love them, but for me, it\u2019s the classics. And these are definitely making a comeback because it\u2019s something that pairs so well with food. It\u2019s not going to overpower your meal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not much of a concern for me. I love a martini with oysters, but mostly, I employ it as an appetizer.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur take is definitely dirty, fat-washed with olive oil and sticking Spanish roots,\u201d Castro says. \u201cI prefer dirty martinis. I love the brine in them, though our 50-50 is also a favorite, so easy to drink and a little on the lighter side with equal parts gin and vermouth.\u201d<\/p>\n

I mention blue cheese-stuffed olives, and as the Rees brothers may have predicted, the energy of the conversation goes up a notch.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it wrong to love that last sip, where it\u2019s swirling around in the bottom of my glass?\u201d I ask.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot at all,\u201d says the pro. \u201cThat\u2019s what makes the martini so special. You can build it to your own liking.\u201d<\/p>\n

More info: 807 N. Orange Ave. in Orlando, 407-203-8524; sparroworlando.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Want to reach out? Find me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram\u00a0@amydroo<\/a>\u00a0or on the OSFoodie Instagram account\u00a0@orlando.foodie<\/a>. Email:\u00a0amthompson@orlandosentinel.com<\/a>. For more fun, join the\u00a0Let\u2019s Eat, Orlando Facebook group<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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