Growing up in the Midwest, pickling and canning were a huge part of the late-summer landscape and likely where my love of all things pickles first began.
As I got older and became more interested in martinis versus pickling, I’ve been searching for a dill pickle-based martini vibe over the classic dirty martini one, so imagine my delight last summer when, while wandering around Charleston, a wonderful bartender named Trey (who creates magical cocktails at the Thoroughbred Club inside the Charleston Place Hotel) made my dill pickle martini dreams come true. It did not disappoint, not even a little bit.
So I thought it would be nice to share a couple of pickle-based items for my fellow dill lovers to enjoy.
Note: Do not let anyone try to fool you by using bread & butter pickles for these drinks. No. Just, no.
Trey’s Thoroughbred Club dill pickle martini
Ingredients
- 3 oz vodka
- ½ oz dry vermouth
- 1 oz pickle juice
- 2 cornichons or dill pickle slices for garnish
Directions
Start chilling your martini glass.
Add all ingredients and ice to a shaker.
Shake liberally & strain into chilled martini glass.
Garnish with a skewered pickle of your choosing (my personal favorites are Maille Cornichons — expensive, but oh so good.)
Spicy dill pickle margarita
Ingredients
- Tajin, for the rim
- 2 oz tequila
- 1 oz dill pickle brine
- 1 oz Cointreau
- ½ oz lime juice
- 1 Tbsp hot honey or regular honey, depending on the level of spice desired
- mini dill pickles, to garnish
Directions
- First, rim your cocktail glass with Tajin seasoning by brushing the rim with honey. Then, pour 1-2 tablespoons of Tajin onto a shallow plate. Dip and roll the glass’ rim into the seasoning, shaking off excess.
- In a shaker, combine the tequila, pickle brine, Cointreau, lime juice and hot honey. Add ice and shake until cold. Pour into the rimmed glass and garnish with a sprig of dill and a few spicy Wickles dirty dill cocktail cornichons.
Pickle dip
Ingredients
- 1 (8 oz) container sour cream
- 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup finely chopped dill pickles
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon dill weed
- ¼ cup dill pickle juice, or to taste
Directions
- Mix sour cream, cream cheese, pickles, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and dill together in a bowl until well combined.
- Stir in dill pickle juice to taste.
- Serve with potato chips and enjoy.
