What, Exactly, Is An Oklahoma Martini?

After people started getting vaccinated against COVID-19 back in 2021, bars were awash in a sort of post-pandemic glow. We were banished from any semblance of normal nightlife for more than a year, so when things finally got moving again, there was a desire for an opulence that was impossible to create at home. Martinis, naturally, were at the center of that opulence; they evoked half classiness and half debauchery, which seemed to be what everyone was going for at that time.

But after years of inflation and a sense of lingering political and economic dread, martinis have perhaps lost their cultural relevance. I’d argue that a viral almost-cocktail better captures the essence of this current moment in time, and that almost-cocktail is the Oklahoma martini.

What, exactly, is an Oklahoma martini, you ask? Well, it’s basically the economically depressed version of a dirty martini. It starts, simply, with a lager, which is then garnished with a lemon wedge and some olives. I think it’s safe to say that this beer-based “cocktail” is Michelada-adjacent, but perhaps with a more Sicilian-feeling twist. The bready blandness of the (preferably cheap) lager is the perfect backdrop for simple acidity from the lemon and savory brininess from the olives.

The Oklahoma martini just makes sense at this moment in time. We’ve all collectively developed, it seems, a taste for more savory drinks, and this one leans—albeit only slightly—in that direction. Dirty martinis are still at the height of popularity (at least in the bars I frequent), so I can’t imagine that the Oklahoma martini feels like much of a stretch. It’s also an answer to the trend in lower-ABV beverages we’ve been seeing over the last several years now.

Plus, it can be made with cheap lager, which is ideal for anyone who still wants to go out but is trying to watch their rapidly depreciating cash. Some of us still want something that feels a bit more exciting than a plain old beer, and the Oklahoma martini does the trick without yielding a panic attack-inducing bill at the end of the night. And, perhaps most importantly, it represents the economic downturn many Americans have felt since the heyday of post-pandemic life had us all spending our plague-era cash.

The best part? This drink is barely even a cocktail at all, which makes it incredibly easy to make at home if you don’t want to grab one at the bar. Keep some cheap beer (Miller High Life is my personal preference), a few lemons and a jar of olives in the fridge, and you can make yourself your very own Oklahoma martini every night of the week.

Sure, the Oklahoma martini may not be for everyone. If you hate olives, for example, or unpretentious fun, then it may be a drink trend you choose to skip. But for the inflation-afflicted brine lovers out there, this is an almost cocktail that may just become your new favorite bar order.

Samantha Maxwell is a food writer and editor based in Boston. Follow her on Twitter at @samseating.