6 Over-The-Top Garnishes To Try On Your Next Dirty Martini

Martinis aren't the most casual of cocktails, nor are they particularly showy. Far removed from stacked bloody marys and fruit laden hurricanes, martinis are presented plainly: a glass filled with clear or cloudy liquid, pierced only by a cocktail skewer with olives or an onion. The image of a martini is iconic in the purest sense; it has been emblazoned on tops, pants, tote bags, and home decor for decades. So clearly that skewer of olives has something going for it, and if you're a martini purist, we respect that. But have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, martini garnish can be improved upon or, at the very least, expanded to reach new levels of tastiness? 

After all, not everyone is a fan of those tiny onions or olives. Better yet, some may simply want to pursue the full potential of their martini garnish. In honor of that pursuit, we've gathered six of the most ridiculous (and ridiculously delicious) martini toppers that are sure to whet your appetite and, in a similar vein, wet your whistle as well. So sit back and take a sip of what martini toppers we have to offer.

Okay, we might be trying to egg you on here. At the very least, we're trying to egg on your martini. At first glance, topping a martini with a deviled egg might not seem like the most intuitive choice. Deviled eggs tend to be picnic fare, while martinis conjure images of late nights in dimly lit jazz clubs and are taken with the kind of spare simplicity that stands in contrast with the playful reputation of deviled eggs. But there might be something beautiful to be found when these two delights meet in the middle, or rather, at the top of the glass. After all, deviled eggs have a tangy, savory taste that goes particularly well with a dirty, extra briny martini. To make, simply pierce your deviled eggs with two cocktail skewers and place on top of your glass, a la the above cocktail. 

Now, you can always use your go-to basic deviled eggs for this purpose. But you can also give your eggs a martini twist to make them a more suitable cocktail accompaniment. For example, you can mix olive brine with your yolk mixture for a tangy twist. Topping your egg with an olive is also a great choice, and stuffing those olives with blue cheese might just take this garnish to a new level. Now, if you're making a pickle martini (pickled foods pair beautifully with vodka, after all) you can add pickles to your deviled egg skewer.

Along with the long derided dirty martini, tinned fish is also finally having a moment. While all things tinned and briny were once considered a bit lowbrow, there is more appreciation for them now. So why not combine the deliciously savory dirty martini with the super salty anchovy? The flavor combination will certainly not be everyone's cup of tea, but for those with a salty tooth, anchovies might be the garnish your next martini needs. To top your 'tini with these teeny tiny fishies, simply pat dry your tinned anchovies, then fold and skewer. You can add a few other garnishes to complement the intense taste of anchovies. Peppers and olives work beautifully. Add a twist of lemon peel for a bright accompaniment or try feta for an added cheesy kick.

If you want to tailor your martini to your seafaring garnish, you can add clam juice in place of olive brine to your martini. You can also make a Caesar salad inspired martini by infusing your vodka with parmesan and topping with anchovies and lemon for the full flavor profile. You can even drizzle quality olive oil and some cracked black pepper on top to give your salad-inspired drink an added punch of verisimilitude. 

Do you want a whole salad on top of your martini? Don't be so quick to decline. Okay, while topping a drink with, say, a whole Cobb salad might be extreme, garnishing your martini with a Caprese salad might just be the key to amping up your next sip. A Caprese salad typically consists of mozzarella, tomato, basil, olive oil, and sometimes balsamic vinegar. All of the ingredients (with the exception of balsamic vinegar) can easily be added to your next martini. Simply skewer cherry tomatoes and mozzarella pearls and set over or in your martini. You can add a single basil leaf to float in your glass and drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top. Et voila! You have a delicious Caprese salad on top of your martini.

To further infuse your martini with Caprese flavor, you can muddle your basil and tomatoes, then mix with the other ingredients in a cocktail shaker before straining into your glass. You can also crush some basil in your palm and then press against the rim of your glass to get a hint of delicious basil in each sip. The resulting drink will be a combination of both dirty and refreshing, a contradiction that will tantalize your tastebuds to no end. Just be prepared to make this take on the 'tini a regular in your rotation.

Martinis are not typically seen as a brunch-worthy cocktail, but they really ought to be. After all, why should bloody marys and mimosas have all the fun when you can turn your martini into a bagel-tini? This can be done one of many ways. For starters, you can rim your martini glass with cream cheese and then dip it into everything bagel seasoning mix and top with a skewer of smoky lox. You could also, if you're feeling more intricate, top your martini with a bagel-themed garnish, featuring a rye chip (or bagel chip) topped with cream cheese (or crème fraîche) and salmon roe (or lox). This topper can be added to your usual dirty martini alongside a rim of everything bagel seasoning and served as is. 

You can also tailor your martini recipe to be more in line with its bagel topper. For starters, you can infuse your gin or vodka with dill (which goes great with salmon and cream cheese) to give it a green, fresh twist. You could also replace the olive brine in your dirty martini with pickled red onion juice to give it a colorful, tangy zip that will work wonders with the bagel-themed garnish. However, you'll want to be careful not to infuse too many different flavors into your drink, choosing one flavorful addition to your martini should be enough to make your drink stand out without being overwhelming. 

By ingredient count, this next entry might not seem so "over-the-top." It's just one simple addition, after all. However, it certainly packs a punch in terms of both flavor and price. Of course, we're talking about caviar, the eggs (roe) of sturgeon that are often considered extravagant thanks to the elevated price point. While other martini toppers on this list are tailored to make the drink more daytime friendly, this entry is strictly formal. To serve, fold a tiny blini over a skewer and layer it with crème fraîche. Scoop your roe with a spoon (be careful what material you choose because the worst caviar mistake starts with the spoon) and pop it over the blini. Finally, place the skewer on top of your dirty martini. 

The scoop of caviar can be consumed either before your drink as a briny primer or afterward as a chaser. Either way, it makes a perfect addition to the classic cocktail, pairing well with the briny flavor of olive juice and packing enough punch to cut through the taste of gin or vodka. That way, your drink comes perfectly paired with its very own appetizer. This upscale twist on the martini also makes a great choice for your New Year's Eve gathering, given the rich history of eating caviar for New Year celebrations.

Now that we've covered the finer things, let's take a hard left turn into some more casual fare: pizza. No, pizza and martinis are not exactly an iconic duo. But maybe it's time to reconsider. After all, ingredients such as pepperoncini peppers, tomatoes, and olives are welcome additions to both dishes. So why not add a skewer of pizza-worthy toppings to your martini? You can add any number of pizza-appropriate toppings to your martini garnish, including pepperoni, peppers, olives, anchovies, onions (cocktail or otherwise), and mozzarella. 

There are a few ways to fix up a pizza martini topper. One option is to replicate a pizza's flavor profile and assemble various ingredients on a skewer (think a small piece of toast, mozzarella, tomato, and pepperoni). You can also be a bit more literal in your pizza-tini making and skewer a small piece of pizza along with your toppings, as pictured above. If you're throwing a cocktail party, you can even set up a martini garnish bar filled with pizza toppings where guests can design their own toppers to decorate and personalize their drink. However, be wary of adding pineapple to the bar: the combination of tropical fruit and dirty martini might be a bridge too far.