The Boozy Pickle Appetizer Guaranteed To Get Your Party Started

What could be more perfectly chaotic and yet absolutely delicious than serving booze-soaked pickles as a snack at your next get-together. They're briny, cold, crunchy, and everything you love about pickles combined with the warmth of whatever spirit you choose, making them an excellent party appetizer. They'll get the conversation flowing because of how unique they are, but they'll also disappear fast.

The idea may sound familiar if you've ever had a mouthwatering whiskey pickle, but clearer spirits like vodka and gin deserve just as much attention. Their lighter flavor makes them easier to pair with different spices and seasonings. Because they're more neutral than whiskey (though gin does have a herbal character), they tend to slot into pickle brine without taking over. Vodka is incredibly neutral but has a real sharpness that could carry flavor without overpowering the pickles themselves, whereas gin is more piney and floral, and those herbal notes would go very well with other herbs you naturally add to pickling brines, like coriander.

Once you understand the science of pickling, it makes much more sense. The alcohol isn't there to fully replace the vinegar and the salt, but rather be mixed into it. The cucumbers will still need the vinegar to pickle, but these clear spirits can mingle with the rest of the brine to create something that is both new and exciting yet totally familiar. 

So whatever you enjoy, vodka or gin, the brine is where the flavor will be made (or will fail). You can simple pour the spirit into a storebought pickle jar and let the pickles soak in the spiked brine for sometime before you call it a day. However, you can also make this boozy appetizer from scratch, and doing so gives you more control over the ultimate flavor. 

If you're new to the world of boozy infusions, vodka is probably the easiest place to start because it doesn't push back a lot. You can make your pickle brine and load it up with the likes of garlic, jalapeños, dill, peppercorns, mustard seed, and chilli flakes — anything strong, pungent, and pickle-y will still all come through even with vodka in the mix too. If you like a sweeter element to your pickles, a touch extra of sugar or honey still won't throw off the balance of vodka.

Gin is a little different. As we said, it already carries some big herbal notes so it'll do best if it's there to echo what's in the bottle instead of trying to get it to stand up against it. Think floral for this one; coriander seed, nutmeg, some citrus peel, and bay leaves would all do nicely balanced against gin.

And then finally, when it comes to achieving good crispy homemade pickles, a short soak in icy water before being added to the boozy brine will keep them crunchy and fresh. Once people have arrived, just drain off the brine. Keep the pickles cold, then put them out in bowls with cocktail picks and let everyone help themselves.