In an episode of “Quarantine shutdown“Alton Brown observes that many people may think that adding olive brine is all there is to a dirty martini. However, more can be done. When he makes a dirty martini, he likes switching from gin to vodka for the simple reason that you don’t taste the alcohol like you would in a classic martini.The vodka he recommends in the episode is of the Greek variety and is called Kástra Elión. website, it’s actually made from “hand-picked Greek olives”. According Soak magazine, a bartender said that this vodka “makes the best dirty martinis ever”, noting that it “just has a slight saltiness to it, which goes well with the brine”. But that’s not all Brown is doing for his upgrade.
The Iron Chef strays from traditional olive brine and instead riffs on this key ingredient, creating its own “superior brine.” What exactly does Brown use to create this dirty concoction? In the video, he pulls out his blender to mix together olives, brine, water, salt, a piece of anchovy, and hot pepper to make what he calls a “longer-lasting brine” that can make more cocktails. This super brine ends up green in color, so don’t panic because your dirty martini looks swampy. It is by design.
