The Dirt Road Mocktini for Mocktail Monday.

An N/A take on the Dirt Road Martini from Dolly Parton's cookbook

For the past week or so, I have been hunting for a drink that was tied to Dolly Parton that we could riff into a mocktail. The only drink I could find that is actually associated with Dolly, and not just a tribute, was the "Dirt Road Martini," which is from her cookbook Good Lookin’ Cookin’, co-authored with her sister, Rachel Parton George.

Given that Dolly was reportedly not a big drinker, turning this into a mocktail just seems to make sense. It also helps that the recipe is really easily converted by simply replacing the vodka with some additional unsweet tea, since the vodka isn't adding much in the flavor department, aside from just the flavor of alcohol.

Tasting notes at the bottom.

Recipe: Dirt Road Mocktini

Ingredients:

• 4 oz unsweetened iced tea

• 0.25 oz giardiniera brine

• Giardiniera pickles for garnish

Build:

1. Add tea and brine to a shaker with ice.

2. Shake and strain into a coupe or martini glass.

3. Garnish with a skewer of giardiniera pickles, and serve.

Tasting notes. Full disclosure this was the first time making this, and I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. The tanins in the tea play really well against the salty, vinegary brine. Its a great "savory" mocktail option. Like it is, it is really quite good, but I might try it with just a splash of lime next time. All in all, would make again!