Back in June, I was relentlessly being fed recipes for summer’s hottest beverage: pickled lemonade. I’ll admit, there are a handful of pickle-flavored foods that I’ll forever be skeptical of (I’m looking at you Pickle Candy Canes and Pickle Cotton Candy), but there’s something about pickle lemonade that just sounded — and felt — absolutely right. Tangy, herbaceous pickle brine paired with sweet yet tart lemonade is a summertime match made in heaven.
The beauty of pickle lemonade lies in its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. All you need is lemonade, store-bought or homemade, along with a jar of pickles. A NYT Cooking recipe for the beverage — which boasts perfect five-star reviews — calls for five simple ingredients: lemons, granulated sugar, dill pickle juice (along with a few spears for garnishing), ice and chilled, filtered water. The lemons aren’t just used for juicing; their peels are also muddled with sugar, allowing the essential oils of the lemon to come out and produce a more fragrant flavor. Once the lemon juice is combined with the macerated peels, water and pickle juice are stirred in before the entire mixture is strained using a fine-mesh strainer. The finished drink is then served over ice and topped with a pickle spear, which can be eaten in between sips of lemonade.
When it comes to choosing the right pickles, refrigerated is always best, said Ann Ziata, chef at the Institute of Culinary Education’s New York City campus. “They are usually fermented a little more naturally. They have a lighter flavor — almost a little effervescence too,” she explained. “They taste really fresh, and to me, it makes for a much better drink than something that’s canned or jarred, which sometimes can feel a little heavy or less appetizing, personally.”
The kind of pickles you use also matters, as some brines lean more sweeter, while others are saltier. Ziata recommended opting for a fresh dill pickle since its crisp, savory yet light flavors pair well with sweet lemonade. Bread & butter pickles aren’t an ideal choice, but they could work for a spicier lemonade that incorporates cayenne pepper and jalapeños. Cornichons, on the other hand, are quite vinegar-y in flavor, so adding their brine to lemonade would make for a pungent and acidic drink.
Pickle lemonade may have become a newfound trend, but the concept of incorporating pickle brine into commonplace beverages has existed for years. Take, for example, the Pickle 75 (a savory twist on the French 75) and the pickletini, or dirty pickle martini. Sonic Drive-In also hopped on the pickle craze with its Picklerita Slush, which is made with a blend of pickle juice and lime along with “Pickle Juice Flavor Bubbles” and a Grillo’s Pickle Chip on top. And Dua Lipa went viral last year for adding pickle juice to her Diet Coke.
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“I would say in the past decade or so, there’s definitely been a trend for more salty drinks,” said Ziata. “And I think this filtered into the trend of non alcoholic cocktails — of taking things that are more cocktail-inspired and making a non alcoholic version. It’s very inspired by these sort of salty, tart and refreshing drinks.”
Of course, pickle lemonade doesn’t have to — and shouldn’t — strictly consist of sugar, lemonade and pickle juice. There are plenty of ways to spruce up the drink with fun flavors and toppings. For a boozy rendition, try adding a shot (or two) of vodka, tequila or gin to your pickle lemonade. If you’re feeling spicy, try leveling some lemon peels with jalapeños and sugar along with adding a jalapeño garnish and a Tajin rim around the glass.
“You can also do different fruit juices. You can do half lemonade, half mango or pineapple. I think tropical fruits really work well with the pickles,” said Ziata. She also suggested making an Arnold Palmer by adding black tea for a hint of bitterness and aroma.
It was only a matter of time until lemonade had officially become pickle-fied. However, I’m not complaining — it’s a drink that I’ll be savoring till summer’s end.
