Olive Brine Tonic (Non-alcoholic)
A savoury, alcohol-free take on the Dirty Martini: olive brine, tonic and lemon.
- Time
- 5 minutes
- Serves
- 1 glass
- Level
- Easy
- Cuisine
- Non-alcoholic
This recipe is a plain example of an idea that has taken hold in bars in recent years: turning what is thrown away into an ingredient. The liquid in an olive jar usually goes down the sink, yet it holds salt, lactic acid and fermentation aromas — precisely the salinity and acidity a drink needs, already made.
The result is a non-sweet, non-alcoholic drink. Most alcohol-free options are fruity and sugary; this one moves in a salty-sour direction, and that is exactly why it works alongside food.
Directions
- Fill the glass with ice.
- Add the olive brine and lemon juice and stir with a spoon.
- Pour the tonic slowly down the side of the glass so it keeps its fizz.
- Clap the thyme sprig once between your palms and drop it in.
- Set the olives on a pick across the rim.
Tips & storage
Brine varies widely in saltiness between brands. Start with 10 ml the first time and adjust to taste — the only real variable in this recipe.
Straining is essential. Jar liquid carries fragments of olive and sometimes pieces of stone. Use a fine sieve or a coffee filter.
Pour the tonic slowly, down the side. Poured into the middle it loses its gas within seconds. Down the side of a tilted glass.
Squeeze the thyme, don't muddle it. A single squeeze in the palm releases the volatile oils; muddling also draws out bitter green flavours.
Tonic or soda? Tonic contains quinine and sugar and gives a bittersweet base. Soda is neutral and leaves the salt of the brine more exposed. If you want it sugar-free, use soda.
Keep the leftover brine. Strained, it holds two weeks in a sealed bottle in the fridge, and is useful in salad dressings and marinades too.
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