Here's the tea: Dolly Parton's Dirt Road Martini is a tasty take on a classic dirty martini.
I Made Dolly Parton’s Dirt Road Martini, and Tea Drinkers Are Going to Love It
Published on Apr. 18, 2025
Singer, songwriter, actress and author are just a few titles that legendary country musician Dolly Parton can claim. In 2024, Billboard named Dolly the greatest country musician of all time, and it’s hard to disagree with that. She’s even a renowned philanthropist, known for her Imagination Library foundation that distributes more than 270 million books to children worldwide. At Taste Recipes, though, we love her for her recipes!
She’s written recipes for plenty of home-style dishes, including buttermilk biscuits, butterscotch pie and her famous chicken and dumplings. But it wasn’t until 2024 that Dolly added “cookbook author” to her long list of achievements. The country queen co-authored the cookbook Good Lookin’ Cookin’: A Year of Meals, with her sister Rachel Parton George. This New York Times bestselling cookbook contains a year’s worth of recipes and entertaining tips.
What’s in Dolly Parton’s Dirt Road Martini?
This Southern twist on a classic dirty martini appears in the September section of the book, which is inspired by meals shared on the road. Their version combines vodka, unsweetened tea and a little brine from a jar of giardiniera. Dolly and Rachel assert that the colorful pickled vegetables in the giardiniera, which are used as a garnish, “make this martini especially good lookin’.”
- Vodka: Use your favorite vodka brand or check out our Test Kitchen’s list of the best vodka brands for whatever it is you’re making. For this particular cocktail, a straightforward, flavorless vodka is your best bet.
- Unsweetened tea: Iced tea adds a little southern flavor to this martini. You can make unsweetened tea from scratch or buy a quality store-bought iced tea. Combine any leftover iced tea with an equal portion of lemonade to make a refreshing Arnold Palmer for guests who aren’t drinking alcohol.
- Mezzetta Italian Mix Giardiniera: The second secret to the Parton sisters’ Dirt Road Martini is a little brine from a jar of giardiniera. The pickled vegetables—which commonly include carrots, cauliflower, red peppers, celery, onion and pickles—are also used for a garnish. The sisters recommend a store-bought variety, but you can also use homemade giardiniera if you have it on hand.
- Spanish Queen martini olives: This classic martini olive is used as a garnish. Choose from stuffed or pitted varieties.
To make Dolly Parton’s Dirt Road Martini, fill a mixing glass with ice. Add 2 ounces of vodka, 2 ounces of unsweetened tea and 1-1/2 teaspoons of giardiniera brine. Stir well. Strain the chilled cocktail into a lowball glass filled with ice. Garnish it with a skewer of giardiniera pieces and olives.
How does Dolly Parton’s martini taste?
With equal amounts of vodka and unsweetened tea, this martini has a very pronounced iced tea flavor. The acidity of the zesty giardiniera brine complements the bitterness of the tea, adding complexity to this unique martini’s flavor. If you love the flavor of unsweetened iced tea and pickled vegetables, there’s a good chance the Parton sisters’ Dirt Road Martini might become your new favorite summertime cocktail.
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