Try Geoffrey Zakarian's Spin On Martinis For A Smoother Sip

A booze-forward classic, the martini is a cocktail for people who enjoy the taste of a great gin (or vodka, I suppose.) But even if you usually like the bite of a strong drink, sometimes it's nice to soften that alcohol burn. For a gin martini, celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian recommends adding olive oil to wrap your sips in a graceful smoothness.

Geoffrey Zakarian is an acclaimed chef and restaurateur, with best-selling cookbooks and successful restaurants all over the United States to his name. His culinary prowess won him the 2011 season of "The Next Iron Chef: Super Chef" and the title of Iron Chef, as well as a Food Network contract. Zakarian is a recurring judge on "Chopped," and a co-host of the daytime show "The Kitchen."

Olive oil might not be the first thing one thinks to add to a martini, but you're not adding a spritz of EVOO to the finished cocktail — you're infusing the liquor itself with olive oil beforehand.

For an olive oil martini, Geoffrey Zakarian recommends choosing a very high-quality extra virgin olive oil with a rich, peppery flavor profile to match the overall taste of a martini. Combine 750 milliliters of a dry gin, 4 ounces of olive oil, and 2 sprigs of fresh thyme in a large, tightly-sealed jar and shake vigorously. Store at room temperature for 12 hours, then freeze for another 12 hours.

You will find that the olive oil separates in the freezer — this is supposed to happen. This technique, known as "fat washing," infuses the still-liquid gin with all the flavor of the olive oil while the fat rises to the top and solidifies. Just skim it off and discard.

Strain the infused gin to remove any lingering fat or other sediments, and your olive oil gin is good for martinis for the next six months. Just be sure to keep it in the freezer — a martini is supposed to be ice cold, after all.