Love Diet Coke? Love pickles? Dua Lipa has only gone and combined the two in a mouth-puckering recipe she posted on TikTok.
While out for dinner, the Dance The Night singer, 29, shared her slightly divisive recipe – first filling a glass of ice with Diet Coke, then topping it with pickle juice and sliced pickles, before adding jalapeno juice and a few hot jalapenos for good measure.
Admittedly, it doesn’t instantly sound delicious. Gordon Ramsay has already panned the concoction (he made it then spat it out). But it does have some really tasty stuff involved – it’s spicy, briny, sweet – it could work, couldn’t it? Lipa’s already wowed people by recommending olive oil on vanilla ice cream, so she might be onto something here too..
Whether you’re tempted to try the star’s new drink or not, pickle juice in cocktails and mocktails has long been a thing. Not only does it have zing, pickle juice is packed with electrolytes and it’s good for gut health. Ease into the flavour profile with a tangy swig of these…
Pickleback shot
For pure pickle pleasure, the pickleback shot is the one – and a doddle compared to making most cocktails. Simply knock back a shot of Irish whiskey (Jameson is the go-to), and chase it with a shot of brine from a jar of bread and butter pickles. Done.
Pickleback cocktail
Not into shots? Smarten things up by mixing your whisky with pickle juice first, then pour over ice. Sip and feel sophisticated.
The Pickled Surfer
Building further on the Pickleback, the Pickled Surfer is a blend of Irish whiskey, bread and butter or gherkin (dill to the Americans) pickle juice, and lime juice, with Old Bay seasoning around the rim of your glass.
Old Bay is an American spice blend that usually has a mix of paprika, mustard flour, celery seed, black pepper, cayenne, cloves, coriander seed, nutmeg and allspice in it. You want five parts whiskey to three parts pickle juice and 1.5 parts lime juice – pour over ice. They make for a great pre-dinner drink if you want to be fancy.
Dirty Pickle Martini
Make a classic dirty martini (usually: 150ml gin, 25ml dry vermouth, 25ml olive brine plus a garnish of olives), but instead of using olives and olive brine, swap in gherkins and brine from the bottle. You want this VERY cold – keep your gin and vermouth in the freezer if possible.
Homemade Dill Pickle Vodka
You’ll feel like the ultimate homesteader with this one. Grab a sterilised jar and fill it with four parts vodka, two parts pickle brine and add a few pickles for good measure. Keep in the fridge for a few days until it’s pickle-y enough for your tastebuds.
Bloody Mary
Zhuzh up a classic Bloody Mary (boozy or not) with a refreshing shot of pickle juice. It’ll help clear a hangover, give you a vitamin boost and wake up your senses. Replace the usual celery garnish with a spear of gherkin, or a few cornichons, instead.
Pickle Spritz
Want a change from lime and soda? Try a Pickle Spritz – it’s just fizzy water and pickle juice.
Spicy Pickle Margarita
This will perk you up – mix 50ml tequila (alcoholic, or a non-alcoholic alternative), 25ml triple sec or Cointreau, 20ml pickle juice, 20ml lime juice. Garnish with chilli salt on the rim of the glass.
In A Pickle
The Pickle House London, who make a range of pickles, have a cocktail called In A Pickle that you can whip up swiftly at home. Just mix vodka and pickle juice with ginger ale and a squeeze of lime – they garnish it with a sprig of rosemary and a chilli for heat.
