Some cocktails are trendy. Others are timeless.
The dry gin martini firmly belongs in the second category—and this version comes straight from Ree Drummond’s The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes, our Cookbook Club Pick of the Month on The Foyer.
Simple, elegant, and unapologetically classic, this martini proves that you don’t need complicated ingredients or bar tools to make a great cocktail. Just gin, dry vermouth, ice, and good olives.
If you’re cooking along with this month’s Cookbook Club pick, this martini is the perfect place to start. It’s easy to make, beautifully balanced, and ideal for everything from dinner parties to a quiet evening at home.
Why We Love This Martini Recipe
A great martini is all about simplicity.
Ree Drummond writes that a good martini is “sooooooo easy to drink,” which is exactly why this recipe sticks to the essentials. No flavored liqueurs. No unnecessary extras. Just the smooth sophistication of a classic gin martini.
And if you prefer yours a little brinier, she includes instructions for turning it into a dirty martini as well.
Whether you’re a longtime martini drinker or trying one for the first time, this recipe is a perfect introduction.
Dry Gin Martini Recipe
From The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes
Makes: 1 cocktail
Ingredients:
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Ice cubes
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2½ ounces gin
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½ ounce dry vermouth, plus more to taste
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1–2 pimento-stuffed Spanish Queen olives
Optional (For a Dirty Martini)
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½ ounce olive brine
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2 blue cheese–stuffed olives
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3 pimento-stuffed Spanish Queen olives
Instructions:
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice.
2. Measure the gin and add it to the shaker.
3. Add the dry vermouth.
4. Shake vigorously for about 20 seconds.
5. Strain the drink into a martini glass or coupe glass.
6. Add one or two olives on a cocktail pick.
Make it Dirty (Optional)
If you prefer a dirty martini, add ½ ounce olive brine to the shaker before mixing.
Ree also suggests pouring a little cold olive brine directly into the glass before straining the cocktail for extra flavor.
Then garnish with blue cheese–stuffed olives and pimento-stuffed olives on a cocktail pick.
The Foyer Cookbook Club Pick
This recipe comes from our Cookbook Club Pick of the Month: The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes.
The book is packed with comfort food classics, approachable techniques, and timeless recipes—from cozy dinners to simple cocktails like this one.
Each month, The Foyer Cookbook Club highlights a cookbook worth cooking through together, and this one is full of recipes you’ll return to again and again.