It’s possible that you just read that first line and you’re already tired of hearing about this fad. I mean- the New York Times ruined it in March by writing about it in the magazine. But seriously. Hear us out. You should read this and go out and try one... if you haven’t yet.
I would like to start out with a warning. When trying the pickleback you have to be open to the idea of pickles and whiskey. I know it sounds like a weird and possibly disgusting combination- but open your mind. I’m lucky. I love pickles- I mean- real pickles- not the kind my mom used to put in my lunches or the kind that restaurants put on my veggie burgers. I also enjoy whiskey. I enjoy all kinds of whiskey. I love cheap whiskey- I love Jameson. I’m sure I’d love that $500 a shot bottle your grandfather has hidden in his closet, too. It’s my liquor of choice. But one doesn’t have to be obsessed with either of these components to like the pickleback. But it doesn’t hurt.
I’m trying to think back to my first pickleback (the fact that I can’t remember might hint at the number I’ve consumed in my time). I think it was in May- possibly early June at the Bushwick Country Club on Grand Street. I had just moved here and I was on a quest to find a “home bar”. I had read about the Bushwick Country Club on various blogs and decided to drag Jessica along to experience it. The legend is that BCC is where the pickleback may have originated... At the very least, it was popularized there. Obviously- it’s the perfect place to try one.
So Karl and I were at BCC and the owner, John Roberts, happened to be bartending that afternoon. We were making small talk about picklebacks and trying to summon the courage. He explained how and why it worked. Karl and I had just become members of the Country Club… so why not celebrate it with one of BCC’s signature drinks? So Mr. Roberts set two up for us and explained the steps:
- Hold the pickle juice in whatever hand you favor. This is because you want to be able to move fast after you shoot the whiskey. The whiskey, obviously, goes in the other hand.
- Shoot the whiskey.
- Immediately (and I cannot stress this enough) after you swallow the whiskey shoot the pickle juice. There should be a two second gap- at most- between whiskey and pickle juice.
- Place both glasses on the bar and verbalize the following: “What shot?”
If you do it right you get the warmth, not the burn, of the whiskey. If you have the right kind of whiskey/pickle juice combination the subtle tastes of the whiskey come out. There’s a rumor that the first pickleback was with Jameson- the NYT article kind of covers this. But my theory is that no one in his or her right mind should want to cover the taste of Jameson- so why not just drink well whiskey? My favorite is Old Crow, but I think it all works on some level. In my opinion, the pickleback works best with well whiskeys. Don’t waste your money on expensive, good whiskey- if you want a good whiskey, don’t insult it with pickle juice- drink it straight.
You can now find picklebacks in most bars around Brooklyn (more specifically Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and Bushwick). We have a few tips and explanations for pickleback consumption after the jump.
Pickleback Departures/Alternatives and Home Science Experiments
My first piece of advice is a preference more than a rule. When you’re drinking picklebacks with your friends- and you go to clink glasses- do the toast with only the whiskey. It’s not really sensible to do it twice. The pickle juice is not the drink- it’s the chaser. When you take a shot with a beer chaser you don’t clink your beer bottle sitting on the bar, do you? No. Only the whiskey.
But I digress.
It’s always a good idea to try out the original before you branch out into the spin offs. But there are pickleback alternatives. These include the spicy pickleback and the Whiskey Sour Pickle.
One can get a spicy pickleback at BCC; another good place is Whiskey Brooklyn (44 Berry St). I’ve heard two ways of making these: Add hot sauce (Tabasco or what have you) or pickled jalapeño juice. Spicy picklebacks are nice alternative from the regular picklebacks. They kill the whiskey even more- but introduce another kind of burn. I suggest it if you like the hot food.
The Whiskey Sour Pickle is another variation on the pickleback that I would like to perfect or at least have again. On a particularly busy night in August, a very stressed out and confused bartender made me a whiskey sour using pickle juice. It’s possible that I had been ordering picklebacks all night and she had just gotten confused when I ordered a whiskey sour. It’s also possible that she grabbed the wrong bottle- sour mix and pickle juice look similar. Either way- what I dubbed “The Whiskey Sour Pickle” satisfied both my craving for pickle juice and a whiskey sour. The flavors mix well. But it’s not like the two separate shots. It’s a cocktail. I think the trick is more pickle juice than whiskey. It’s worth a try.
Lady Jay’s on Grand Street has something called the Picklerita. It’s a margarita using pickle instead of lemon or lime. I had it. The tequila doesn’t work as well with the pickle as the whiskey does. I wouldn’t suggest it. But if you’re feeling brave- go for it.
Jessica works at a restaurant / bar called Back Forty in the East Village. It’s nice and the food is great. It’s lovely when we want to get out of Brooklyn. Also- one can get a pickleback there. I’ve also heard rumors of a place in Alphabet City where one can get a pickleback with a piece of bacon in it. Manhattan picklebacks are fine. I know that everyone doesn’t agree with me on this subject matter- but I only want Brooklyn picklebacks. I don’t know what it is- I just don’t feel right having a pickleback anywhere else but in Brooklyn- and hopefully on Grand Street, if I can help it. I’m not a jerk about it. I just think it’s a Brooklyn drink.
Karl and I have attempted homemade picklebacks many times. The kind of pickle juice and the kind of whiskey really does affect the outcome of the pickleback. Your run of the mill Vlasic or creepy green pickle juice from Mt. Olive or any other major pickle company will not do. This is why the pickleback makes sense in New York- a veritable pickle capital! We have a pickle festival and a pickle wing in our Food Museum!
The first time we tried it we used Jack Daniels and the juice from the jar a local pickle company. It was ok. Later we made a special trip to the LES to the Pickle Guys and bought a jar of pickles just for the juice. For some reason- though the pickles themselves were delicious- the pickle juice wasn’t vinegary enough. Don’t get half sour. Don’t get any sort of other pickle flavor (no bread and butter pickles, no garlic pickles, and no pickles in individual bags). You can always buy a jar of McClure’s Pickles from BCC. It’s what they use. I’ve also seen, but not attempted, pickle juice being made via blending pickles. It’s thick and a very satisfying green.
I would stay away from Irish whiskey or scotch. The best picklebacks are from bourbon/sour mash. Old Grand-Dad, Old Crow, and Ten High are great. I know- they are all cheap-ass whiskey. But Old Grand-Dad and Old Crow are the left over Jim Beam. Like I said before- don’t waste expensive whiskey.
Disclaimers: High Blood Pressure & The Last Pickleback
We recently found out the one of our own here at EbD has the blood pressure of a sixty-year-old obese man- despite (or in spite) of being a 20-something-year old fit woman. She was told that eating pickles (and, we assume, drinking pickle juice) as well as drinking alcohol does not help in these matters. If you have high blood pressure we do not recommend the pickleback… or consuming a lot of them in any case. Please be healthy.
I would like to warn you of one more thing. This may be the most important part of this blog article. Pay attention. In your adventures in Picklebacking you will encounter what we here at Excited by Drinking call The Last Pickleback. It’s always The Last Pickleback that sends you into an exceptionally intense drunk. Picklebacks are to be taken in moderation. The allure and danger of them is that you forget that you’ve had six of them because the pickle juice kills the normal effects of a shot of whiskey. Many football teams (both professional and collegiate) have used pickle juice as a miracle elixir. It has more electrolytes than any of the “ade” drinks and helps with settling one’s stomach and preventing cramps. But this can only go so far. The truth is, after so many, the whiskey will take over the effects of the pickle juice and you will realize that you have consumed an entire bottle of whiskey… and you still have to walk home.
If you’ve been drinking them all night and you think to yourself “oh, I feel fine. I could have just one more…” you probably shouldn’t. It’s always The Last Pickleback that does you in.
Lastly, you will speed toward The Last Pickleback if you do a shot of whiskey without the pickle juice. Like I said, the pickle juice calms the whiskey and off-sets the drunk. Be careful when you are consuming multiple drinks.
Conclusion
Try the pickleback. Just try it. Don’t try it because it’s cool. Don’t try it because you want to be quirky. Try it because it’s a Brooklyn drink. Try it because it’s fun.
Raise a glass- or in this case, two (but don’t toast with the second one)- to the pickleback because that unmarked bottle of green goodness won’t be available in your local watering hole forever.
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