Freeze This Liquid To Add An Icy Flavor Bomb To Your Savory Cocktails

It can seem that the world of mixology centers around the sweet cocktail. Drink menus are replete with flowery drinks: Pink, watermelon palomas and French 75s decorated with delicate violet blooms are all the rage. However, in recent years, trends have tipped towards the savory, briny, and downright dirty. From anchovy martinis to fully stacked bloody marys, some cocktail sippers have started a salty, savory sipping revolution. However, for the brine-curious, introducing saltiness to a drink might seem intimidating. Not to fret; there is one easy way to add a kick to your next drink: Make some pickle ice cubes.

To make, simply pour pickle juice into an ice cube tray and freeze. Once completely frozen, pop it into your cocktail of choice et voilà! You've got a brine-infused drink. Of course, there are a few other ways to go about this hack if you want to get creative (or are short an ice cube tray). For a minimal pickle approach, freeze your pickles directly. All you need to do is remove your pickles from the jar, place on a plate or baking sheet, and pop in the freezer. This method gives your cocktail a fun, funky visual appeal as well as a sour kick. If you want to combine these two approaches, pour brine into your ice cube tray and add a pickle to each cube before freezing. Smaller pickles, such as cornichons or gherkins, work best since you can fit a whole pickle in each cube. You can also slice a larger pickle and add chunks.

Now that you have your pickle ice, you may be wondering how to use said cubes. While the possibilities aren't endless — we don't recommend using pickle ice in an appletini — there are still plenty of tasty applications to try. Let's start with the most obvious of choices: the bloody mary. Adding pickle ice to the savory, spicy cocktail helps keep it cool while maintaining its flavor. Since pickles are a common addition to the drink already, it fits right in with no recipe adjustments needed.

Another cocktail that could do well with a zingy addition is the martini. While martinis do not typically include ice, you could always add frozen gherkins to your martini directly. If you do add the ice, try adding it to a regular martini or a pickle martini, which uses pickle juice instead of olive brine. You can also add a pickle juice ice cube to your cocktail shaker for a more subtle infusion.

If you want something a bit more spare, plop your pickle ice into a glass of whiskey for a 2-in-1 pickleback cocktail. The traditional pickleback, a shot of whiskey chased by a shot of pickle juice, is a classic for a reason. Then again, you can also use your cubes to perk up traditionally sweet cocktails, including the margarita (pickle juice goes great with the zing of lime juice) or the aforementioned lemony French 75. Let your heart and your tastebuds be your guide to pickling up your bar top.