Olive Recipe

Chill and rim

Place a coupe or Nick & Nora glass in the freezer or fill with ice water to chill for 3–5 minutes. Pour out ice water if used and set the glass aside.

Lightly crush the pinch of black pepper between your fingers or with the back of a spoon and rub a very thin damp ring (use a wet olive or a little brine) around the lip of the chilled glass. Dip the rim lightly into the crushed black pepper to impart a faint pepper note.

Smash olives with pepper

In a mixing glass, add the 3 pitted Castelvetrano olives and 4–6 fresh cracks of black pepper. Use a muddler to gently muddle the olives until they release some briny oil but not completely puréed (about 10–15 seconds). The goal is to free oil and brine for flavor without large olive chunks.

Add spirits and ice

Add 2 oz Ford's Gin and 0.75 oz dry blanc to the mixing glass with the muddled olives. Add a generous amount of ice (enough to fill the mixing glass about three-quarters full).

Stir

Stir the mixture for 25–30 seconds with a bar spoon until well chilled and slightly diluted (about 15–20 full turns). This integrates the olive oils and pepper into the spirit without over-aerating.

Rinse and fine strain

Discard any ice from the chilled cocktail glass. Pour 0.25 oz olive brine into the glass and swirl to coat the interior (quick rinse), then discard excess. Set a fine-mesh strainer over your serving glass and double-strain the stirred cocktail into the chilled, brine-rinsed glass to remove olive solids and pepper bits.

Skewer the reserved Castelvetrano olive onto a cocktail pick and place it in the drink as a garnish. Finish with a final very light crack of black pepper over the top to accent the aroma.

Serve immediately. Encourage the drinker to take a moment to smell the cracked black pepper and olive oil aromatics before sipping.