Southwell Dirty Martini Mix
Southwell Dirty Martini Mix is pure savory olive brine — not a vermouth blend, not a shortcut cocktail, just the real thing: brine nurtured in aging barrels with Southwell's premium olives (Spanish green olives, per the brand's copy) and then triple-filtered for a pure, crisp taste. A splash is all it takes to turn a gin or vodka martini dirty, available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- Size: 500mL bottle (per Del Mesa tags; one retailer lists 375ml — bottle read recommended)
- Contents: pure savory olive brine — no vermouth, no alcohol
- Production: brine aged in barrels with premium olives, triple-filtered
- Origin: Southwell brand of Penna Family Farms, Sacramento Valley, California (olive growers since 1951)
- Use: a splash in a martini for a dirty martini; also Gibsons and savory cocktails
Real Brine, Not a Shortcut
A dirty martini is only as good as its brine, and most of the olive juice in home bars is an afterthought. Southwell's approach is deliberate: the savory brine is aged in barrels alongside the brand's own premium olives, then triple-filtered so it pours pure and crisp rather than cloudy. What you get is the actual flavor of the olive grove — savory, briny, clean — without having to fish it out of an olive jar. Note what it isn't: there's no vermouth and no alcohol in the bottle, so it seasons rather than dilutes. Complete the kit with Southwell garnishes — the martini olives for the pick, the garlic-stuffed olives for extra savor.
Tasting Notes
Pure olive essence — savory, briny, and clean, with none of the murkiness of jar dregs. The triple filtration shows: it reads as crisp olive flavor rather than salt water.
How to Enjoy
A splash (roughly a bar spoon to half an ounce, to taste) in a gin or vodka martini — stir, don't shake, if you want it to stay clear. Also seasons a Gibson or any savory cocktail that wants brine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it contain vermouth or alcohol?
No — it's pure olive brine. It flavors the martini; the gin or vodka provides the alcohol.
How much do I use?
A splash to taste — start with a bar spoon and add more. "Dirty" is a spectrum, from a whisper to filthy.
What size is the bottle?
Del Mesa lists 500mL, which this draft follows; one retailer lists 375ml, so check the bottle if size matters.
Is it just olive juice from a jar?
No — it's brine aged in barrels with Southwell's premium olives and triple-filtered for a pure, crisp taste.
The honest way to go dirty — order Southwell Dirty Martini Mix online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.