Several years in and America’s appetite for pickles shows no sign of slowing. In addition to standalone enjoyment, the punchy combo of sweet and sour flavors continues to appear in the most innovative applications. There’s the delicious potential of a pickle salsa condiment or the ingenious use of leftover pickle brine in tasty soups. Yet, not enough recipes focus on imbuing creative flavors into store-bought pickles themselves; so why not lend the foodstuff a boozy twist with whiskey?
The assembly is easy-peasy: Take your jar of pickles, remove a bit of brine, and pour the whiskey in. Shake the contents and place the jar right back in the fridge; a day later, new mouth-watering spears emerge. The combo is endlessly versatile and relatively forgiving, subsequently positioning it for creative experimentation. The amount and type of booze incorporated is up to you, but consider starting light, with a two-ounce pour per quart of pickles.
Tasty candidates include rye whiskey — it brings a multi-dimensional kick to the mix — or wheat whiskey for a sweeter, less intense palate. You can always throw in additional ingredients, too, crafting tasty pairings like bourbon with maple syrup or adding hot sauce alongside the whiskey for even spicier notes. And reach for a bottle that’s tasty but won’t break the bank: bottom-shelf bourbons worth buying are the ideal pick.
A pour of whiskey into a pickle jar opens up versatile possibilities
Once you’ve combined the whiskey and pickles, there are a myriad of ways to enjoy the creation. Of course, the boozy pickles are delicious standalone: Simply snack on the chilled spears or add as a unique pickled food to enjoy on a burger, hot dog, or sandwich. Don’t forget the power of chopped pickles either: The boozy tasting notes will creatively enhance a salad or craft a relish with a twist.
There’s also lots of power in the booze-infused brine: The creation does recall a pickleback shot, after all. You can surprise drinkers by following their whiskey sip with a chaser of whiskey-flavored pickle brine. Furthermore, incorporate the leftover liquid into a bloody mary or martini, or into a stirred whiskey cocktail built in a glass with lime juice and simple syrup. So reserve the pickles for snacking and the brine for bartending, lending twofold uses from the hack. And since the creation will last for the same duration as a typical jar — up to four months or so — you can really just use the whiskey pickles at a moment’s notice. You can even keep an unflavored jar alongside and save the tasty whiskey pickles for when the boozy mood strikes.
