Pickle Martini

A twist on the dirty martini, the pickle martini uses the tangy brine to create a sharp and savoury drink.

I think people sit within two distinct categories when it comes to pickles and pickle juice: love or hate. There is no in between. You either adore the tangy, sourness of the brine and sharp, crunchy pickle, or you simply don’t. I obviously fall into the former category. I love pickles. They are something I occasionally crave. I’ll eat them with cheese, terrines or on their own straight from the jar. Bliss.

Recently, I’ve seen a pickle martini doing the rounds on TikTok, and while not a new concept, it definitely deserves it’s time in the spotlight again. The pickle martini is the same recipe as a dirty martini, but substitutes the salty olive brine for pickle juice. You can use either gin or vodka. Typically I’m a gin girl, I like to make my dirty martinis with the Four Pillars Olive Leaf Gin. However, for this recipe, in order to really highlight the pickle flavour, I’ve opted for vodka. I strongly encourage you to choose a good quality vodka (or gin). Martinis only contain a few ingredients (two to three at most) and so you can really taste the quality of the alcohol you are putting in.

A hand holding a pickle martini with a gherkin as a garnish

Your pickle martini is best served ice cold. With that, many opt to shake rather than stir. I’m about stirred martinis, as shaking with ice dilutes the drink too much and changes the mouthfeel. That said, since a martini is all alcohol, perhaps you’d prefer to dilute it a little with water? Up to you. I keep the vodka and gin in the freezer, as well as chill my martini glass in preparation for this cocktail. Using pre-chilled ingredients and then stirring with ice will yield a very cold, very delicious beverage.

Watch the video for this recipe here. If you make the pickle martini, don’t forget to tag me! I love to see it!