One of the hot trends in home cocktails at the moment might sound a bit baffling: the Pickle Margarita. But according to Patrick Pistolesi, master mixologist at NIO Cocktails, adding a pickle to your tequila drinks makes perfect sense.
“The reason pickle works so well with a Margarita is due to the complimentary flavors the tequila and pickle offer,” Pistolesi explains. “Whilst tequila provides a bitter kick to your Margarita, the saltiness of the pickle helps to soften this, leaving you with a delicious array of punchy flavors to cleanse your palette.”
Pistolesi also shares tips on three ways to add that pickle omph to your drink, so you can try out this trend for yourself.
Three ways to use pickle in Margaritas
Rim the glass with pickle juice
“Traditionally, Margarita glasses are rimmed with salt to help take the edge off the bitterness of the tequila. With pickles renowned for their salty, sour taste, it makes for the perfect ingredient for rimming a Margarita glass. Simply add a teaspoon of pickle juice to half a teaspoon of salt and rim the glass as usual. This will add a pickle kick to every sip, complimenting the bitter taste of the tequila for a tangy finish.”
Freeze pickles for ice cubes
“For an aesthetically playful way to add pickles to your Margarita, you can create pickle ice cubes. To do this, thinly slice your pickles and make sure to salt them before freezing. The salt helps to eliminate any excess water in the fresh pickles, which leads to better flavor and taste once frozen. Then, simply place the pickle slices into ice cube trays, pour over the pickle juice and place in the freezer overnight. When you’re ready to serve, place 1 to 2 pickle ice cubes into your Margarita glass and serve. As the pickle cubes begin to melt, the salty flavors will add a complimentary kick to your tequila-based cocktail.”
Add pickle juice and shake well
“Finally, an easy way to add pickle flavoring to your Margarita is to add 1 oz of pickle juice into your cocktail shaker with the rest of the ingredients for a single serving. This will help the pickle flavor to come through every sip without being too overpowering. Shake well and pour over a large ice cube, garnishing with a freshly sliced pickle for the finishing touch.”
