Tinned Fish Trend Hits Cocktails via Mermaid's Dirty Sartini

Mermaid, the Isle of Wight spirit brand, has launched the Dirty Sartini, a martini that puts tinned fish at the center of the drink. The cocktail uses brine and oil from conservas as a flavor base, then finishes with a whole fillet as a garnish. It is the brand's first product designed explicitly for the bar trade, not retail shelves.

The move taps into a consumer shift that has already reshaped grocery aisles and restaurant menus. Tinned fish – sardines, anchovies, mackerel, octopus – has shed its image as a budget pantry item. Social media platforms, especially TikTok, have turned Spanish and Portuguese conservas into a premium snacking category. Bars now stock tinned fish boards alongside charcuterie. Mermaid is betting the same audience will pay for a $22 cocktail built around the ingredient.

Mermaid is a small-batch producer best known for its pink gin and seaweed-infused spirits. The Dirty Sartini uses the brand's London dry gin as a base, with dry vermouth and a splash of tinned fish brine for salinity. The fish itself – a sardine or anchovy – is speared on a cocktail pick. The brand said it worked with bar consultants to develop the recipe over a year. The goal was to make the fish flavor complementary, not overwhelming.