Why It Works
- Muddling lemon slices with sugar extracts aromatic oils from the peel.
- Fresh dill pickle brine adds a bright, tangy salinity that enhances the citrus.
- Smoky mezcal pairs beautifully with the lemon and briny pickle (though other spirits can work too).
My colleague Grace Kelly recently published her recipe for pickle lemonade, and in the headnote, she mentioned how well it pairs with mezcal (or gin, vodka, or whiskey). At the time, I read it as a friendly aside. Fast forward to the day of the photo shoot in the Serious Eats test kitchen—already a long one that had included a couple of pretty gross product taste tests—and suddenly that little aside sounded less like a casual suggestion and more like a clear directive.
After mixing, pouring, and photographing the virgin version, we decided it was time to follow Grace’s lead. We poured a couple of cups of mezcal into the pitcher and took a sip. The smoky edge of the mezcal meshed perfectly with the briny-sour lemonade—much like a lime and salt chaser complements agave spirits like mezcal and tequila. The result is a quirky refresher that’s layered and surprisingly complex.
Grace suggests a 3:1 ratio of lemonade to alcohol, which produces a strong but balanced drink that still shines bright with lemony tartness, a briny punch of salty pickle, and just enough sweetness to prevent you from wincing with each sip.
Does the pickle lemonade need the booze? No, of course not—it’s excellent as a refreshing, alcohol-free drink. But did I enjoy the addition? I’d be lying—heavily—if I said no. On that particular afternoon, it was exactly what we needed.
Editor’s Note
The recipe is written by Grace Kelly; the headnote by Daniel Gritzer
Think Margaritas Are Refreshing? Wait Until You Try This Pickle Hard Lemonade
Cook Mode
(Keep screen awake)
For the Pickle Lemonade:
8 lemons, juiced (2 cups of lemon juice), plus 1 lemon at room temperature, thinly sliced
1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces; 200 g)
24 ounces water (3 cups)
8 ounces chilled pickle brine, strained (1 cup)
For Serving:
2 cups mezcal (see notes)
Dill pickles, thinly sliced lengthwise for serving (optional)
Lemon slices for serving (optional)
Soda water for serving (optional)
For the Pickle Lemonade: In a serving pitcher, place lemon slices. Add 1 cup sugar and use a muddler (or a wooden spoon) to mash sugar into lemon slices until all sugar is moistened. Let sit for 10 minutes at room temperature.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
Add lemon juice, water, and pickle brine to serving pitcher, and whisk thoroughly until sugar has dissolved. Refrigerate until serving.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
For Serving: Add mezcal to lemonade and stir to combine. Serve over ice, garnish with a pickle slice and a lemon round, if desired.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
Special Equipment
Serving pitcher, muddler or wooden spatula, fine mesh strainer
Notes
While I love the smoky flavor mezcal gives this lemonade, vodka, gin, tequila blanco, and even whiskey also work well if you want to spike the drink.
This recipe reflects my preferred balance of pickle brine, lemonade, and water for a sweet-tart drink. You can adjust the proportions with additional water, lemon juice, or pickle brine to suit your own taste, keeping in mind that the lemonade will dilute further when served over ice.
Make-Ahead and Storage
The lemonade can be refrigerated in an airtight container for a week, though I’d remove the lemon rounds after a day, as they can make the drink bitter.
