You Should Put Pickles In Your Beer. Here's Why
You've heard of pickleback shots: Those cringe-y shots of Jameson chased with a hearty gulp of pickle juice. People swear by the pickleback. Something about that combination of sweet whiskey with sharp, acidic pickle juice just works — allegedly.
In that same, pickle-centric school of thought, a new cocktail has emerged over the years. It's simple, salty, and equally cringe-worthy, but apparently, it works. It's the simple act of dunking a pickle spear into a glass of light, cheap beer.
Before you roll your eyes, hear us out. Adding a pickle to one's frothy cup of Bud Lite is a tried and true practice, according to Esquire. The trend has been present in the Midwest for a while, so somebody must like it. The pickle brings acidity, salt, and frankly, some drama. "It complements the lager because of the slight vinegar and salt notes that get picked up," according to Joe McClure, co-owner of the Brooklyn- and Detroit-based McClure's Pickles.
And amid a hot summer, the trend seems to be catching on. Pabst Blue Ribbon, the king of light, cheap beers, teamed up with Grillo's Pickles to recommend what they referred to as one of the greatest combinations of 2020, according to its Instagram. That's right: There's an ad campaign telling you to try pickles in your beer. And guess what? They're not wrong.
The magic of the brine
Some people are trying the hack, and so far, they're pretty satisfied. When writer Kaitlin Gates added a Claussen spear to her cold Miller Lite, she noted that the pickle cut the beer's bitterness and aftertaste, according to SimpleMost. When pickle-passionate news editor Kristin Salaky dropped the fateful pickle spear into her PBR, she was pleasantly surprised, according to Delish. The taste was comparable to that of a freshly squeezed lime, though Salaky noted it was saltier.
And while we're on the subject of limes, we'd like to point out that this isn't so crazy. In Mexico, beer is commonly sipped with a combination of fresh lime and salt — and the resulting drink, a chelada, manages to bring complexity to what would have otherwise been a simple, light, somewhat watery beer (via Serious Eats).
And let's not forget that the greasy, salty fried pickle has become a ubiquitous bar snack (via Eater). What's the difference if a raw, cold one makes its way into your lager? Is a briny pickle really so wrong?