A pickleback is a type of shot wherein a shot of whiskey is chased by a shot of pickle brine; the term “pickleback” may also refer only to the shot of pickle brine itself. Alternatively, the shot of whiskey can be chased by a bite of a pickle (generally, a whole dill pickle). The pickle brine works to neutralize both the taste of the whiskey and the burn of the ethyl alcohol.
Contents
History
The term "pickleback" was coined by Reggie Cunningham in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in 2006. He was introduced to the pairing by a Southern patron, and the pairing has some history in the Southern United States, notably Texas, along with similar pairings globally (vodka and pickles in Russia, tequila and pickle brine in Mexico). The original pairing was Old Crow bourbon and brine from McClure's spicy pickle spears, which remains the house speciality at the Bushwick Country Club:
"Reggie poured me a pickleback, which he described as the house specialty: a shot of Old Crow bourbon and an accompanying shot of brine from a jar of McClure’s spicy dills."
I first had a pickle back with Kessler chased by pickle juice at a dive bar in San Bernardino, CA before 2006. …
Some sources offer an alternative origination for the pickleback, highlighting that the drink started in Philadelphia but became popular through its introduction in Brooklyn.
International spread
The "pickleback" has spread internationally, particularly in the English-speaking world, with many bars now offering picklebacks on their menus. The drink has had significant success in Aberdeen, Scotland, thanks to their reputed popularity among staff of the craft brewer BrewDog whose flagship bar is in the city. This has resulted in city establishment "The Tippling House" having to increase their nightly supply of pickle brine to ensure that the drink can stay available.
British visitors returning to the United Kingdom from New York City introduced the recipe to bars in both London (as early as 2011), and Devon. In 2012, UK bartender Byron Knight created a bottled Pickleback using his own homegrown dill pickles and a flavour profile of ginger, mustard seeds, dill, garlic and dark sugar. At The Burlington Hotel, in Sheringham, England, the Pickleback is available with 10 varieties of pickle chaser, including pickled Strawberry, Radish and Garlic.
The drink has also spread to Canada and Shanghai.
In Berlin, the pickleback is available in a few of its best bars for several years now. Most notably in Keith where the owner, a Texan, makes his own pickles and uses the juice to back a shot of Bulleit Bourbon. Geist im Glas, another Berlin bar, does a pickleback using the brine from house made pickled onions.
Paraguay adopted the drink to a tropical version called "Pickle-Back-Rum". The paraguayan "Jules Verne - Rum" is used instead of Whisky. It is currently popping up in the most trendy bars in downtown Asuncion. The trendy hot spot "El Poniente" was the first to serve it.