There's nothing quite as special as a classic dry martini. Whether you're looking for a gin martini or a vodka martini, these easy martini recipes are sure to deliver.
When you're looking for the best dry martini recipes for easy classic cocktails, this collection has you covered. From the traditional gin martini to a vodka martini, and from a dirty martini to a vesper martini, you'll find a range of ways to mix this popular cocktail for your next happy hour.
A dry martini needs just a few ingredients, namely gin and dry vermouth, along with a well-chosen garnish to turn it into a sophisticated and classic cocktail. You'll find ways to use olives, cocktail onions, lemon peel, brines, bitters, and more with these easy and tasty recipes.
(If you're looking for a sweet martini, try my espresso martini recipe or this easy chocolate martini.)
Best Dry Martini Cocktail Recipes
From aromatic gin and dry vermouth to versions with vodka, you'll be able to mix a delightful cocktail that's worthy of its longevity (the original martini dates from the 1880s).
The martini has stood the test of time, even with its sometimes subtle and sometimes striking ingredient variations. Explore the tasty iterations within this collection of the best dry martini cocktail recipes.
Classic Gin Martini
You can't go wrong by offering a classic gin martini at your next cocktail gathering. It's an elegant mix of gin, dry vermouth and a dash of orange bitters, all shaken over ice and strained into a martini glass. Add a lemon twist for a garnish and present this cocktail that's always in style.
Recipe by A Lush Life Manual
Classic Martini With Blue Cheese
The clean appeal of a classic martini can only be elevated with the right garnish. If your palette tends toward a tart and savory nature, then a garnish of olives stuffed with blue cheese might be for you. Pair extra dry vermouth with gin and shake or stir over ice before straining into a chilled glass.
Stuff your own large green olives with blue cheese before threading on a skewer. Place it in your martini glass so you can enjoy a nibble of this deliciousness between sips.
Recipe by Sip And Feast
Dirty Vodka Martini
Olive lovers will always appreciate a dirty martini, which is just a label for adding the tart vinegar brine of olive juice to the vodka and dry vermouth mix. But don't stop there! No dirty martini is complete with a skewer of olives for flavor and munching.
Spanish green olives are traditional, but there's no reason you can't vary the skewer with a colorful array of black and green. Give it a try.
Recipe by This Mess Is Ours
Vesper Martini
Recreate James Bond's cocktail of choice from the book and movie, Casino Royale. The original cocktail was made with gin, vodka and Kina Lillet. Interestingly, Kina Lillet is no longer made. However, the drink is now made with Lillet Blanc, which is a fortified wine with citrus notes.
Decide on whether you want your drink shaken or stirred, but do garnish it with a lemon twist.
Recipe by The Kitchen Magpie
Gibson Cocktail
It doesn't get more classic than a Gibson cocktail which requires just two ingredients: gin and vermouth. Add them to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass, for a slight twist on the traditional martini glass.
Thread cocktail onions on a skewer for the perfect garnish.
Recipe by Beaming Baker
Smoky Martini
The addition of whisky in this gin and dry vermouth martini adds a bold and smoky flavor to the drink. Add on to the profile with a nutty note of amaretto liqueur.
It's all stirred with ice in a mixing glass before being strained into a martini glass and garnished with a twist of lemon.
Recipe by Sips From Scripts
Irish Martini
The riff on the classic gin and vermouth martini adds a splash of Irish whisky to the mix. It's strongly suggested to chill your martini glass first, then proceed with filling a cocktail shaker with ice and adding the liquor.
Vodka, whiskey and dry vermouth are shaken and strained into the chilled glass. Garnish with a lemon or lime peel for this twist on a classic.
Recipe by The Irish Road Trip
Grapefruit Gin Martini
This tart martini is a tasty mix of gin, dry vermouth, grapefruit juice, orange curacao and a splash of grapefruit bitters. Stick with a good quality gin, such as Beefeater gin, which is a versatile gin that lets the flavors of the other cocktail ingredients shine through.
Stir, with ice, in a mixing glass before straining into your serving glass. Garnish with a wedge of grapefruit
Recipe by A Worthey Read
50/50 Martini
Change the alcohol by volume with this wet martini recipe that pairs equal parts gin (or vodka) and vermouth. This ratio can be a more palatable combo for those who enjoy martinis but prefer less alcohol.
The traditional rules apply of shaking it over ice and straining into a chilled glass. Choose your favorite garnish of a lemon twist, an olive or a cocktail onion
Recipe by Simply Recipes
Pickle Martini
Go savory with this vodka martini that pairs dry vermouth with a side of tart dill pickle juice. The juice adds the savory and salty component from the pickle brine. If you prefer the classic gin instead of vodka, use that instead.
Shake it all over ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Add a crunchy garnish of a small dill pickle, of course!
Recipe by Sugar And Cloth
BVD Cocktail
This cocktail packs a tasty punch with just three ingredients. Add ice to a mixing glass and pour in equal parts of brandy, dry vermouth, and Dubonnet, which is a fortified wine made from red grapes.
Stir until combined and chilled and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Simple, elegant and classic.
Recipe by Make Me A Cocktail
Vodka Martini
If you prefer a vodka-based cocktail, you'll want to refer to this handy guide on the perfect ratio of vodka and dry vermouth to please your palette. The more vodka to vermouth will yield a stronger drink. Adjust according to your tolerance.
Decide on shaken or stirred, but do use ice to chill the cocktail before straining into a martini glass or even an old fashioned glass, especially if you like your vodka martini on the rocks. Garnish with a lemon twist or an olive.
Recipe by Delishably
Extra Dirty Martini
Keep your happy hour tasty with this dirty martini bar full of a variety of olives, skewers, olive brine, cheeses, hot peppers and almonds, all available to garnish the martinis. Choose your glassware for the bar, but make sure they're all chilled. Of course, have gin and dry vermouth on hand. You can splurge on top shelf gin or go with the cheap stuff.
Have plenty of ice and cocktail shakers on hand so your friends can make their own martini, and make it as dirty as they please.
Recipe by How Sweet Eats
Tuxedo No 2 Cocktail
Up-level this martini cocktail with to black tie status with the addition of absinthe and maraschino liqueur to the gin and vermouth mix. A little botanical flavor is added with the absinthe while the maraschino adds a note of cherry.
Orange bitters and a lemon twist complete this tuxedo martini.
Recipe by Sips From Scripts
Rosemary Martini
Keep it classy with a holiday martini that adds an herbal infused simple syrup to a dry vermouth and dry gin cocktail. A homemade fresh rosemary syrup adds a fragrant and delicious touch to the martini that's stirred together in a mixing vessel before being poured and served in a chilled martini glass.
Recipe by New Deal Distillery
Martinez Cocktail
This cocktail is a mashup of a martini and a Manhattan, resulting in a tasty mix of gin, luxardo, and sweet vermouth with a dash of orange bitters. It results in ab amber-colored martini that's a nod to the Manhattan.
Stir it, with ice, in a mixing glass and strain it into a coupe serving glass. Garnish with a twist of orange.
Recipe by Unami Girl
Perfect Martini
With equal parts sweet and dry vermouth, this martini includes gin that's poured in an ice-filled mixing glass and stirred to combine. It's less of a gin-forward cocktail and leans toward an apéritif.
Strain into a well-chilled martini glass. A simple orange peel is all that's needed to complete this martini.
Recipe by Epicurious
Barrel Aged Martini
If you're willing to wait for an aged martini, try this recipe that pairs gin, dry vermouth and citrus bitters in a glass vessel along with charred wooden staves. The idea is to let the concoction age over a few months to infuse it with a woodsy finish.
Serve well-chilled in a frosty martini glass.
Recipe by Oh So Beautiful Paper
Elderflower Martini
Swirl your martini glass with dry vermouth and discard, leaving just a hint for the remaining cocktail ingredients to mingle with. Add elderflower liqueur, gin and lime juice to an ice-filled mixing glass and shake to combine.
Strain into the vermouth-swirled glass and garnish with a lime peel.
Recipe by Mix That Drink
This classic cocktail has been made in many different ways by bartenders over the years. And with these dry martini recipes, you can change it up to suit your taste.
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