It may just be bad manners….. :) Actually those olives are tasty, both because they leach salt into the martini giving it some savoury flavor and because they soak a with alcohol. read more
Dedicated martini drinkers savor the olives at the end of the drink. Olives soak up some of the gin and vermouth, giving them a unique taste. When the drink comes with more than one olive, martini lovers typically eat one olive with the first sip, using a cocktail pick or just swallowing. read more
The olives will get you drunk if you eat enough of them, and you might accidentally choke on one of the toothpicks they skewer the olives with. Of course you would likely be done in by the gin before you had enough martini olives to harm you. read more
Martini claimed that after the French left Syria, his grandfather went to Paris and managed a bar and café to make a living. He says his contribution to the famous drink was to put an olive in the glass. He did so because the Idlib province in Syria — where he was from — was best known for its undeniably fresh and delicious olives. read more