Three Olives Day

October 14th is the birthday of Sir Roger Moore, of James Bond fame. While the man might not be with us anymore, his legacy lives on. So, to celebrate his memory, and his excellent taste in Dry Martinis, October 14 is Three Olives Day.

Thanks to numerous interviews during his lifetime, we know how Sir Roger Moore preferred his Dry Martini.

  1. Chill your glass in the freezer beforehand, if possible.
  2. Fill the glass with ice.
  3. Pour a dash of dry vermouth into the glass.
  4. Swirl the ice and vermouth, then throw it all away.
  5. Pour the desired amount of dry London Gin into the glass.
  6. Add three green olives, and enjoy.

It’s an excellent Dry Martini, but it does raise some questions.

What vermouth should I use? There are plenty of dry vermouths out there. Noilly Pratt is a decent choice that doesn’t break the bank, while adding the desired touch to the drink. Don’t overthink the vermouth part, it’s only with us for a little bit.
What gin should I use? The rule is, dry London Gin. There are plenty to choose from, with different flavor profiles. You won’t go wrong with Beefeater or Bombay Sapphire, but my pick is Tanqueray.
Why three olives? Sir Roger Moore said, in an interview late in life, that his doctors said he wasn’t allowed Dry Martinis anymore. He did, however, encourage everyone else that enjoyed the drink to add three olives. Why? Well, olives soaked in gin is tasty, so you should have one, and one’s not enough, so it should be two. The third one is for Sir Roger Moore, should he be present. His doctor didn’t say anything about olives.

Life's tricky and it's hard to remember things. Don't miss another Three Olives Day, subscribe to the free newsletter notification service, and we'll remind you. Should there be any developments on this very site, we'll let you know about that too.