Kevin Johnson, the chef behind The Grocery in Charleston, South Carolina, started using the brine from his pickled green tomatoes in a dirty martini when he opened the restaurant in 2011. The pickling liquid offers a great balance of salinity and savoriness from the onions and tomatoes, plus a hint of spice and a touch of sweetness. Dirty martinis also never seem to go out of style, and it was an excellent way to divert food waste, which was and continues to be a big part of The Grocery’s ethos. Fifteen years later, the mission has flipped: Now Johnson has to invent new uses for the pickled green tomatoes just to keep up with the demand for the cocktail.