TikTok Finally Made the Right Cocktail Famous

• By WineBottleMag
• July 30, 2025
• Cocktail Famous Finally TikTok
• With 0 comments

At first, the Dirty Spritz seemed like another cursed TikTok cocktail, destined for thousands of shock-value views but with ultimately no staying power. Mixology is, of course, a field where creativity is key, and blending elements of the martini and the spritz seems like a forgone conclusion, but… combining sparkling wine and olive brine?

If that gives you pause, you aren’t alone. A top comment on TikTok creator @maclaneriley’s version of the cocktail, which has amassed over 600,000 views, quipped, “The council is deliberating, please hold.”

However, like the Negroni Sbagliato before it, the Dirty Spritz stuck, and curious drinkers are embracing its bright, bold, salty and chaotic nature. If you’re lucky enough to get looped into TikTok’s cocktail-algorithm, a.k.a. “DrinkTok,” you’ll see dozens of viral Dirty Spritz recipe videos from creators like @maclaneriley and @thespritzeffect, showcasing combinations of vodka, vermouth, olive juice, Prosecco and other ingredients.

It may be buzzy, but the idea of a “Dirty Spritz” is hardly new.

Nick Farrell, spirits director for Washington D.C.’s Neighborhood Restaurant Group, has been serving refined versions of the drink for years. “Part of the beauty of the Dirty Spritz is that there’s no set recipe, and many ways to interpret it,” he says.

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Farrell’s formula had gone through several iterations dating back to 2018, when, at the now-shuttered D.C. restaurant Hazel, the drink debuted as part of a Spritz cart with a rotating menu.

After lots of experimentation, Farrell determined that using Cardamaro, fino sherry, Castelvetrano olive brine, Champagne and club soda was the Dirty Spritz holy grail.

“Cardamaro has great savory and vegetal elements, while also being a vino-amaro with a naturally oxidized character,” he says. “[It] pairs perfectly with a briny fino sherry and a tiny bit of olive brine, which we frequently make in house.” The result is savory, herbaceous and unexpectedly elegant, garnished with olives, an orange twist and a spritz of olive oil.

“It’s something we bring back consistently at Neighborhood Restaurant Group’s restaurants and bars for short runs in the summer,” Farrell says, “… and it’s especially popular now that Dirty Spritzes have taken off in popularity nearly seven years later.”

The Spritz for Martini Lovers

That same culinary sensibility is also on display at The Corner Store, a bar and restaurant in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood with one of NYC’s most difficult reservations. Here, beverage director Lucas Robinson dreamt up a Dirty Spritz for guests torn between martinis and bubbly cocktails. 

His version features Dolin Blanc vermouth, fino sherry and a splash of mezcal for savory depth, as well as a housemade brine that Robinson says “takes two days to make, but is well worth the effort.” To top it off, the cocktail forgoes any addition of sparkling wine, and the batch is instead carbonated in-house every two hours and stored at exactly 40°F. “We were going for a complex drink that has layers of flavor,” Robinson says, “but at the same time is refreshing and crushable.”

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The Dirty Spritz is part of a bigger shift toward culinary-minded, savory cocktails that blur the line between bar and kitchen. Just recently, we’ve seen popular cocktails inspired by ingredients like Frosted Flakes, Pandan and Chicken Soup. “This trend isn’t going anywhere,” Robinson says.

Like it or not, the drink that once sparked vigorous debates in online comments sections now finds itself the star on menus at serious cocktail bars around the country.

The council has indeed deliberated, and it looks like the Dirty Spritz is here to stay.

To craft your own Dirty Spritz, check out this recipe (courtesy of Nick Farrell).

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The post TikTok Finally Made the Right Cocktail Famous appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.

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