Dirty Crab Martini

By Mary Parks | 10 Minutes

This dirty crab martini could be considered an abomination by some, but it’s a surprisingly balanced cocktail that can easily be tweaked for personal preference.

Crab brine is the star: made with St. Ours’ dehydrated green crab broth. This bouillon-like powder can easily be transformed into a brine behind the bar (in as many steps as a simple syrup).

St. Ours removes all the crab fat before the dehydration process, which results in subtle and vegetal broth with a hint of umami (I tasted notes of toasted rice, jasmine, and kombu). For those who want to replicate the process at home with fresh green crabs, I recommend concentrating Youji Iwakura’s ramen stock minus the fish bones.

CRAB BRINE INGREDIENTS

Makes ~4 Martinis

  • 2 oz hot water

  • 1 packet of St. Ours Crab Broth Powder

  • 1 oz sea salt

COCKTAIL INGREDIENTS & MATERIALS

  • jigger/ shot glass

  • 2.5 oz gin of choice (we used Rhodium Forager’s Gin)

  • 0.5 oz crab St. Ours Broth crab brine

  • 2 dashes of celery bitters

  • shaker

  • lemon peel

  • frozen cocktail glass

  • Optional: green crab claw to garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. To make your crab brine, add hot water, salt, and broth powder to a heat-proof container and stir until dissolved. Use mixture within 2 days and refrigerate once the mixture is dissolved.

  2. Add measured spirit and crab brine to a shaker then add ice.

  3. Shake until the outside of your shaker is frosty (~20 seconds) then pour through a strainer into a chilled cocktail glass. Straining removes the ice chips and is an important step for a smooth, properly diluted martini.

    Tip: If you’re a slow martini drinker, try pouring half of your martini into a little glass or “sidecar” over ice so it stays cold.

  4. Express/ squeeze a lemon peel over the top of the martini. You should see a fine mist settle over the top.

  5. Garnish with the lemon peel or a cooked and frozen crab claw if you’re feeling fancy.

Note: This martini will be cloudy at first (like above) but become clear once the air bubbles settle.

MIX IT UP!

  • Extra Dirty: Use 1 oz of crab brine and 2 oz of spirit

  • Vermouth: Try adding a bar spoon of crab brine to a classic 2:1 spirit and dry vermouth martini. We recommend Dolin Dry.

  • Switch up your Gin: Some favorites for this recipe include Rhodium Forager’s Gin, Bluecoat, Bimini, and Dorothy Parker. I personally prefer an American-style gin for this martini but play around with your favorite!

  • Vodka: Not a gin fan? This dirty martini is also amazing with vodka.