ISLAY AND OLIVE

Islay and Olive image

Provided by Maggie Hoffman

Yield 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

8 pitted green olives
1 ½ cups vodka
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Islay Scotch (such as Laphroaig 10)
¾ cup dry vermouth (such as Dolin)
½ cup water
2 tablespoons olive brine
10 dashes orange bitters
Pinch fine sea salt
1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
12 lemon twists
12 to 24 green olives (optionally frozen)

Steps:

At least 2 hours and up to 4 hours before serving, make the batch. Place olives in a 1-liter swing-top bottle. Use a small funnel to pour in vodka, Scotch, vermouth, water, and olive brine. Add bitters and salt, then seal, turning gently end over end to mix, and chill in freezer. (If you'd prefer to batch further in advance, refrigerate filled bottle, then place in freezer 2 hours or so before serving.)
Meanwhile, freeze additional olives for garnish, if desired. I like to place one in each divot of an empty ice cube tray to keep them separated.
To serve, add olive oil to cocktail mixture. Reseal and turn bottle gently to mix. Pour cocktail into chilled martini or Nick and Nora glasses. Express oils from a lemon twist over each cocktail and use twist as a garnish, along with a frozen olive or two.