- Muddling lemon slices with sugar extracts aromatic oils from the peel while blending with the juice, creating a more complex and floral lemonade base.
- Fresh dill pickle brine adds a bright, tangy salinity that enhances the citrus without overwhelming it.
Pickles are having a moment: Pickle juice mixed with Dr. Pepper, pickle wreaths, pickle fountains, pickle martinis… OK, the last one isn’t super original, but still—everything is getting pickle-ified. And while many of these viral concoctions feel like gimmicks, one combination made me stop and grab my pitcher: pickle lemonade.
It’s everything I want a dirty martini to be—salty, tangy, refreshing—but better: Instead of briny booze, the base is an aromatic and juicy lemonade. Dill pickle brine gives it a saline edge and accentuates its tang. On its own, it’s a supremely refreshing summer drink. But if you want to turn it into a cocktail, it plays beautifully with mezcal (or gin or tequila…more on that later). Add a splash of club soda for fizz, and you’ve got the ultimate backyard cooler—an adult Gatorade, if you will, though best enjoyed off the field.
How to Build a More Flavorful Lemonade
To make the lemonade base more aromatic, I use a trick employed in Serious Eats’ excellent lemonade and strawberry lemonade recipes: the classic oleo-saccharum method, in which citrus peels are macerated in sugar to release their fragrant oils. Instead of going through the whole process of zesting, I take a shortcut: thinly slice a whole lemon, mash it with sugar, and let it sit briefly.
This quick maceration extracts essential oils from the peel while also pressing sugar into the juicy flesh. The result is a floral, layered lemonade base that’s far brighter and more complex than the standard stuff without any harsh bitterness from the pith.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
Pick the Pickle Wisely
While it can be tempting to grab whatever pickle is in your fridge or pantry, not all pickle juice is created equal, and in a drink as simple as this, the wrong brine can throw everything off. Shelf-stable pickles often taste heavy, murky, or overly sweet, which muddies the brightness of the lemonade. Bread-and-butter pickles skew sugary, which makes the drink cloying instead of refreshing. And as for cornichon brine—don’t even think about it. I once tried using it for a pickleback, and the result was instant regret (and instant heartburn). It’s far too sharp and intense to play nicely here.
What you want is a brine that’s light, tangy, and clean, with a fresh dill backbone that complements the lemon instead of fighting it. The best place to find that—if you don’t leave near an artisan pickle shop—is in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. These pickles are usually fresh-packed and lightly fermented, which gives their brine a lively, slightly effervescent quality. My go-to brands are Claussen and Grillo’s. Both have a crisp acidity and subtle herbal notes that lift the lemonade without overwhelming it.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
Have Fun and Turn It Into a Cocktail
Pickle lemonade is excellent on its own, but it is also a natural mixer. Mezcal came to mind when developing this drink. Its smokiness and light vegetal edge complement the pickle brine’s savoriness. I like a 3:1 ratio of lemonade to alcohol to ensure the mezcal doesn’t overwhelm and muddy the bright lemonade.
If you’re not into mezcal, that’s OK: Pickle lemonade is friends with a variety of booze. Try it with a citrus-forward gin, such as Engine Oil, an Italian brand that’s light on the juniper and instead leans into fresh lemon. Vodka is a good standby if you don’t want to muddy the waters and just want a whiff of ethanol. I even tried mixing it with whiskey in a nod to a pickleback, and it was good: Think a whiskey sour with a bit of brine (leagues above my ill-fated cornichon brine pickleback). Or keep it nonalcoholic and top with soda water. However you pour it, don’t forget the pickle garnish.
Yes, Pickle Lemonade Is a Thing—and You’re Gonna Love It
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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 (optional, 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: If using, 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.
