By now, there must be hundreds of variations on the martini, a classic cocktail made with gin (or vodka), dry vermouth, and an optional garnish. On the sweet side, you have your appletinis, espresso martinis, and the like. On the more savory side, you find the dirty martini — deliciously enhanced with salty olive brine — the Gibson martini (a classic martini garnished with pickled onions), and their ilk.
Yes, bartenders around the globe have long been putting their own spin on the martini, resulting in an ever-lengthening list of tried-and-true variations. If you’re a fan of the dirty martini, why not mix it up yourself by swapping out the expected olive brine for something new and exciting?
“Brine” is essentially heavily salted water used for curing foods. The olives you put in a dirty martini have to be cured — often in brine — in order to make them edible. But other foods are commonly brined as well, including the banana pepper, a sweet and tangy yellow pepper often confused with pepperoncini. The light sweetness of a banana pepper brine added to your martini can give it a pleasant brightness, along with an ever-so-slightly spicy kick.
How to spice it up
Spicy martinis are nothing new, although they might not be the most common variant. For example, a Cajun martini is made with jalapeño-infused vodka; and some martini recipes have been known to include a dash of hot sauce.
The nice thing about the banana pepper alternative is that the brine is spicy enough to be noticeable, but not so spicy that you’re likely to have any regrets — at least, not in terms of feeling like your mouth is on fire. If you’re familiar with the Scoville scale of pepper spiciness, bell peppers come in at a zero on the scale, banana peppers at 500, and jalapeños at 4,000. So, they’re a far cry from the jalapeño, which have also found their way into a handful of martini recipes.
Now, when making your briny martini, whether you’re using olive brine, banana pepper brine, or even feta cheese brine, you’ll want to be conscious of your ratios. Make it “filthy” by adding more brine — at this point, some people forego the vermouth altogether, believing the brine overpowers it anyway. Or just add a splash if you want more subtlety. As far as the gin vs. vodka debate, banana pepper brine can be a pleasant addition no matter what you’re using, although vodka is known for being a more universal mixer due to its neutral flavor.
