EVER TRIED A “MIDWEST MARTINI” AKA “BEERTINI”?

If you’ve spent time in the Midwest, chances are you’ve run across the “Midwest Martini,” better known as the Beertini. At its simplest, it’s just a light beer with a few green olives dropped in — sometimes with a splash of brine or a salted rim for good measure. No gin, no vermouth, just beer, salt, and a little briny bite.

What started as a quirky regional order in states like North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Minnesota has grown into something bigger. “I’ve seen the Beertini evolve from a barroom oddity to a drink guests request at weddings and summer events,” says Karina Silvestre of Chicago’s Wee Mixed. Bartenders across the Midwest — and now beyond — are riffing on it, from classic lagers with olives to IPA-infused tropical twists in Miami.

Unpretentious, affordable, and refreshingly weird, the Beertini is proof that sometimes the best drinks are also the simplest.