At Mills 50 dba, the Dirty Martini is the most popular cocktail on the menu, beating out both the Margarita in a close second place and the Old Fashioned in a distant third place.
The bartenders, brothers Leo and Zach Reese, were initially surprised by this, as neither of them liked the drink.
“Just to see how people lose their minds over blue cheese olives,” Zach laughs.
Even more important than these, but probably the best seller, is homemade brine.
I’ve always enjoyed a good martini, but after a strangely life-altering drink at the Corner Chop House – a dirty martini that bordered on filth over the past few months – I’ve been shaken to a special place where ice shards melt on my tongue – ordering martinis around town.
And when I asked people on social media about their favorites, I got a response from a trusted appraiser about dba, and that appraiser’s favorite thing to do outside of home is dba. “My favorite place in town!” she said – and my interest was piqued.
Here you can get one olive during happy hour and two outside of that margin, with very good company.
“By an order of magnitude, people are ordering dirty martinis,” Zach says.
“This is a very personal cocktail,” Leo added. “Everyone likes themselves a certain way.”
More information: 809 N. Mills Ave., Orlando, structorlando.com/dba
Here are some other beers in the city you might want to try shaken or stirred.
corner chop house
“Tell them, ‘Try it on skates,'” Michelin award-winning bartender Benjamin Coutts told me. This was after discovering my affinity for the delicate, gorgeous ice shards in a shaken martini. How does it melt on your tongue? heaven.
“That’s what you say when you order,” he advises.
It’s a first for me, but luckily the bartender at Corner Chophouse made it for me. Also, “filthy bordering on filthy”, which is how I *actually* ordered it.
Theirs is the Martini (only $10 during social hours), which started a new phase in Rat Pack beverages. Fat olive. Great cheese. wonderful. Please hit me.
More information: 558 W. New England Ave., in Winter Park, 321-972-2383: Cornerchophouse.com
Norman’s
“When you’re trying to spark an (often fun) discussion, discussing it over a martini is like having a conversation about barbecue,” says Norman Van Aken, the legendary namesake of this legendary restaurant.
“The martini is a respectable drink for several reasons. Potency is clearly an aspect of respectability. For this reason, I prefer a martini before a meal rather than with it. And some would argue!”
What happens to the gin vs. vodka debate?
“While vodka vastly outperformed the original spirit…gin’s lively botanicals reduced the need for vermouth, some say, regardless of whether it’s gin or vodka. Vodka is of Russian origin and roughly translates into English as ‘Little Water.’ The ideal vodka is to have no flavor. Therefore, I choose gin. ”
More information: 7924 Via Dellagio Way in Orlando, 321-754-1025; Normans.com
Osteria Estelle
Lorena Castro, Beverage Director at Good Salt Restaurant Group, loves a good dirty martini. And their latest and greatest osteria ester, cacio e pepe, is a unique take that Dirty fans will almost certainly love.
“We’re following this whole delicious trend,” Castro said.
Here, clean, clear vodka is the base.
“I really wanted to bring out the nutty flavor of Parmesan and the floral notes of black pepper. I didn’t want too many botanicals to clash with everything.”
Also of note, she told me this (and I’m ready to investigate!): “…I’d like the chimichurri with the Osprey. Our bar leader Hunter did a phenomenal job, and it tastes like grilled cheese. Amazing.”
Another reason to enjoy Oyster Happy Hour at Baldwin Park
For more information: 629 E. Central Blvd. In Orlando, 407-203-3577;osteriaester.com
Otto’s High Dive
Otto’s High Dive doesn’t feel like a place to drink martinis. Tropical and Cuban cuisine with a focus on rum, you might think it’s always a mojito.
But owner and beverage director Justin LeVaughn says they sell them in bulk.
This Michelin Guide-winning bartender prefers gin in his martinis, and for good reason.
“I prefer spirits that give flavor,” he says. “We appreciate the potency of vodka, but the higher the quality of the vodka, the less flavor it has. And with other spirits, the opposite is true.”
However, when the topic turns dirty, different rules apply.
“Dirty martinis were made popular by steakhouse culture,” he explains. “It’s still a classic, but it came later, and when I make it, I choose vodka. Some brines go well with juniper, but most don’t. A dirty martini is all about the brine.”
“This is a cocktail that breaks all the rules,” he laughed. “But it works.”
More information: 2304 E. Robinson St. in Orlando. ottoshd.com
Piras Martini & Loft
Becky Roper opened this Winter Garden outpost in 2013. At that time, her high school nickname, Pilar, was painted on the sign. A gift from my Spanish teacher, Mrs. Vernon, stuck with me.
“Some of my friends called me that,” she laughs. “Pilar was the name of John Wayne’s wife, who was her favorite actor at the time, so that’s where it came from.”
There are others. Her first pear martini was enjoyed on a visit to New York City, where her daughter lived at the time.
“I came across this drink, thought it was cool, and it became my signature.”
The same thing happened with Pilar, and the feelings continued for several days.
“There’s a Perky pair and a Posh pair, because they paid a lot of money,” she told me.
she laughs.
“I have a sense of humor, and I think it takes a sense of humor to open a place like this…and I believe that a martini should be fun and great in a glass. I’m not big on the idea that a martini is just gin or vodka and vermouth.”
That said, Pilar has a traditional offering, not to mention a number of house-made bitters in flavors ranging from orange (the most popular) to walnut, pecan, and raisin.
If you were there right now, you could be the “raisin” in the glass.
And with that, I reveal myself.
More information: 146 W. Plant St. in Winter Garden, 407-369-8900; pirasmartini.com
sparrow
Before the restaurant, named 2025 Critics’ Choice Best New Restaurant at the Orlando Sentinel Foodie Awards, opened its little nest in the North Quarter, Sparrow owner Jason Chin said having a place that served great martinis was on his to-do list.
Enter Lorena Castro, the beverage director who created one of the most drunk (and photographed) cocktails of the year.
“A few years ago, espresso martinis were becoming more popular,” she says. “People love them, and to me, that’s the classic. And they’re definitely making a comeback because they’re something that pairs really well with food. It doesn’t take away from the meal.”
Not too much of a worry for me. I love martinis with oysters, but I mostly use them as an appetizer.
“Our idea is definitely dirty, olive oil-greasy, and stuck with our Spanish roots,” Castro says. “I prefer the Dirty Martini. I love that it has brine, but I also like our 50-50, which is very easy to drink and has a bit of a lighter feel with equal parts gin and vermouth.”
When I mention olives with blue cheese, the energy of the conversation goes up a notch, just as the Reese brothers expected.
“Is it wrong to love that last sip that swirls at the bottom of the glass?” you ask.
“Absolutely not,” says the professional. “That’s what’s special about a martini: You can make it to your liking.”
More information: 807 N. Orange Ave. in Orlando, 407-203-8524; sparrowland.com
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