"This was a fun, ironic cocktail that I was kinda surprised to get greenlit. I enjoy a pickled cocktail onions with a dirty martini since the rich fattines of the olive brine gets cut with the acidity of the pickle. This got me thinking of the elements of cooking—salt, heat, fat, acid—and that Gibsons essentially are the ultimate test of ‘cold cooking’ in cocktails. Figuring out how to balance all these variables in the singular drink and making it consistent all the time is what made me go with a Freezer Bar martini route in lieu of stirring it. The colder it is (heat) the more body and texture the cocktail will have; the sherry brings a crisp salinity (salt) and bright minerality that aided the vinegar; rice wine vinegar had a better taste and since it's not super acidic made for a refreshing way to not overwhelm your palate when enjoying the cocktail (acid). Honestly I can go on forever on this one since I got to nerd out and used the most from my culinary background on this cocktail." —ER