From conservas tasting boards to viral TikTok reviews, tinned fish has become one of the food world’s most talked-about trends. Once seen as a simple store-cupboard staple, premium seafood in a tin is now being celebrated by chefs, foodies and hosts alike.
Now, Isle of Wight spirit brand, Mermaid, is bringing the tinned fish to cocktails, with the Dirty Sartini – a martini bringing together the worlds of conservas and coastal ingredients.
Inspired by flavours of the sea, and Mermaid’s Island spirit, the Dirty Sartini is co-created with tinned fish aficionado and TV chef, Gizzi Erskine, and cocktail specialist Joe Brayford, and offers a fresh take on the classic martini serve.
Fat-washed with sardine oil, the cocktail brings subtle savoury depth, silky texture and coastal character to Mermaid Gin’s citrus and botanical notes. Balanced with French dry vermouth and preserved lemon brine, it delivers a bracingly cold, saline drinking experience, finished with a sardine-stuffed Gilda garnish.
The cocktail has been created as interest in tinned fish continues to surge, with Google searches for “tinned fish” rising 20% over the past month. Meanwhile, the trend is translating into real-world sales, with a major retailer recently reporting that demand for tinned fish has rocketed by nearly 18% over the past two years. Online, creators reviewing and ranking conservas are amassing millions of likes on TikTok as consumers seek out recommendations, pairings and recipe inspiration.
The serve draws inspiration from the concept of “merroir” – the influence that marine environments have on flavour – bringing together coastal ingredients in a martini designed to reflect the growing appetite for savoury, sea-inspired serves.
Gizzi Erskine comments: “Tinned fish has become one of those trends that seems to be absolutely everywhere online right now. It’s arguably one of the biggest food trends of 2026, dominating social feeds and influencing the way people think about eating, entertaining and flavour. From conversations around conservas to a renewed appreciation for the simple pleasure of a really good tin of fish, it’s become a cultural talking point in its own right.
“The Dirty Sartini feels like a natural extension of that conversation. Mermaid Gin already has a strong connection to the coast, which brings a real sense of place to the drink. What I love is that it captures so many of the flavours people are gravitating towards right now – savoury, salty and fresh – while still feeling elegant, modern and easy to recreate at home.”
The new cocktail arrives as UK drinkers continue to embrace more adventurous serves, with savoury cocktails having a real moment. According to research from Mermaid, one in five Brits (21%) are keen to explore savoury and salty flavours in their glass, while almost two-thirds (62%) are tempted by drinks inspired by the great outdoors. Coastal ingredients are also making waves, with a quarter (25%) saying they’d happily try cocktails featuring ingredients such as rock samphire, seaweed and wild coastal herbs.
Cocktail specialist, Joe Brayford, adds: “One of the most exciting things happening in drinks right now is the growing appreciation for savoury and saline flavours. Consumers are increasingly looking for complexity, texture and a stronger connection to ingredients, rather than simply sweetness, and that’s driving interest in flavours that feel more nuanced, layered and reflective of where they come from. In the same way wine has terroir, there’s a growing fascination with merroir – the influence of the coast on flavour.
“That’s what inspired the Dirty Sartini. The crossover between martinis and tinned fish felt natural because both are experiences defined as much by texture as flavour. Mermaid Gin was the perfect starting point, with its bright citrus, juniper and coastal botanicals already bringing maritime character to the glass. By building on those saline, oceanic notes with subtle savoury touches, we’ve created a martini that feels contemporary while staying true to the simplicity and elegance that make the drink such an enduring classic.”
Inspired to bring the trend from tin to martini glass? Discover Mermaid’s Dirty Sartini recipe below.
Recipe
Ingredients
For the sardine oil-washed gin
200ml Mermaid Gin
30ml olive oil from a tin of sardines
For one cocktail
60ml sardine oil-washed Mermaid Gin
20ml dry vermouth
1 bar spoon (3–5ml) preserved lemon brine
Small sprig of rock samphire (if available)
Gilda garnish
Skewered olives stuffed with sardine
Guindilla chilli
Sliver of preserved lemon peel
Top tip: For the coldest serve, place your martini glass in the freezer overnight before making the cocktail – a properly frozen glass helps maintain the Martini’s texture and temperature from first sip to last.
Method
Prepare the sardine oil-washed gin. Combine the gin and sardine-infused olive oil in a container and mix briefly.
Place in the freezer for approximately 2 hours, until the oil has solidified.
Strain through a coffee filter or muslin cloth to remove the fat. The resulting spirit is your sardine oil-washed gin.
Add 60ml of the oil-washed gin, the dry vermouth, preserved lemon brine, and the rock samphire to a mixing glass filled with ice.
Stir until thoroughly chilled and diluted.
Fine strain into the frozen martini glass.
Garnish with a skewer of olive stuffed with sardine, guindilla chilli, and a sliver of preserved lemon peel.
Notes
The rock samphire contributes a subtle coastal salinity when stirred with the drink. If unavailable, the cocktail still works beautifully with the preserved lemon brine and sardine-washed gin carrying the maritime character.
