Dill Pickle Martini

5 from 1 vote

Pucker up for this tasty Dill Pickle Martini! This bold cocktail is the stuff of a pickle lover’s dreams. To make a quick Pickletini, you only need four ingredients and five minutes of your time.

A glass of pickled martini juice garnished with dill and pickles, with a jar of pickles nearby.

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If you’re ever feeling sad because you ran out of olives and are craving a martini, this pickled martini is the perfect backup option! Instead of using olive juice, you’ll use pickle juice. It’s the perfect martini recipe for those who hate olives… or just really love pickles!

There are many different kinds of martinis that you can make — they’re all here in Martinis 101. But this Pickletini is a pretty similar to the classic recipe since you just change out one ingredient.

For the best snack and cocktail pairing, serve some fried pickles with your dill pickle martini! If you love the sour bite of these crunchy little treats, then this combo will definitely be a hit!

Try this unique twist on a classic recipe when you just want to shake things up a little. It’s like the pickle lovers version of the best dirty martini! You’re going to love this sour little sidekick.

More martini recipes: Espresso MartiniSugar Cookie MartiniStrawberry Martini

Elegant Pickled Martini garnished with a dill sprig and a pickle on a skewer.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Say cheers with that pickle juice that’s just sitting in your fridge. It’s got a new lease on life now:

  • It only takes 5 minutes to make this delicious cocktail! It’s got the most unique flavor with plenty of sour dill pickle juice.
  • You can use leftover pickle brine to make this easy recipe. It’s a wonderful way to reduce food waste and ensure that you get the most bang for your buck!
  • This basic recipe can be used with lots of different pickled items. It’s one of those fabulous cocktail recipes that is useful to keep in your back pocket for whenever you need it.
A bowl of pickle soup garnished with dill, accompanied by a jar of pickled martini.

Tools & glassware 

To make a stirred martini, you’ll need a cocktail shaker and a bar spoon. Make sure you’ve got martini glasses as well! And you’ll also need a jigger to measure out the liquor.

Two glasses of pickled martinis garnished with dill and pickles, on a white surface surrounded by dill sprigs.

Shaken vs. stirred

You’ve probably heard that some martinis are shaken and some are stirred, but what does that mean exactly?

The stirred martini is is the most proper way to prepare a martini. The ingredients are stirred in a cocktail shaker or mixing glass filled with ice, then strained into a cocktail glass.

Then there’s the shaken martini. It’s mixed in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and then strained into a cocktail glass. Good old James Bond famously orders his martinis this way in the movies, but he was technically wrong…

His method has too much friction, over-mixing the ingredients and diluting them with ice faster than a gentle stir. For a perfect pickle martini, use the stirred method!

A glass of clear liquid, garnished with dill and a pickle, on a white background, known as a Pickled Martini.

Ingredients

Change up the classic martini with these basic ingredients. Here’s everything you’ll need:

  • London dry gin or vodka: If you don’t know what kind of gin or vodka to purhcase, then check out my gin 101 and vodka 101 posts.
  • dry vermouth: Don’t know what brand of vermouth to buy? Then check out my vermouth 101 post! I like to use an extra dry vermouth in this recipe.
  • pickle brine: I recommend using high-quality pickle juice for the best results. Save the juice from that jar of dill pickle spears or slices and you can use it in this recipe! I do not recommend using brine from any kind of sweet pickles like bread and butter pickles. However, you can use the brine from other pickled vegetables. Pickled peppers, pickled okra, pickled onions — the list goes on! Feel free to get adventurous.
  • cornichon pickle or small pickle slices: Cornichons are made by pickling Gherkin cucumbers, which are small cucumbers. They are often called cocktail pickles too! You’ll need a small pickle or some slices to garnish your martini. You can even make your own pickles: Use the brine in the recipe and the pickles as a garnish.

How to make a Pickle Martini

This quick and easy recipe will have you feeling like a pro in your home bar. Just grab your favorite gin, favorite pickles, and some vermouth and let’s get started:

Pouring water into a clear Martini pitcher.
Pickled Martini being poured into a clear glass on a white surface.

Chill a cocktail glass in your freezer for 5-10 minutes before you make the cocktail.

Then add ice cubes to a mixing glass and add gin, dry vermouth and olive brine as well.

Pouring green Pickled Martini liquid into a glass on a white surface with a spoon resting nearby.
A person stirring a glass of Pickled Martini with a metal stirrer.

Stir together gently with a bar spoon until the mixture is chilled.

Pouring a Pickled Martini through a strainer into a glass.
A hand placing two pickles on a skewer over a glass of Pickled Martini.

Then strain it into a martini glass. Garnish with a cornichon or pickle slices and serve!

Tips & tricks

There are a few tips to making martinis extra delicious. Check out a few of them:

  • Stir your martini ingredients together, don’t shake. Stirring will keep the drink from getting diluted with the ice, but still chills the drink perfectly!
  • If you are making this recipe for a party, then feel free to make a large pitcher of martinis. Then store in the fridge until you’re ready to serve!
  • Feel free to play with the ratio of gin to dry vermouth to make it dryer or wetter and perfect your pickle martini.
A glass of pickled martini garnished with dill and a pickled cucumber.

What to serve with a Pickle Martini

Serve this cocktail with delicious appetizers like spinach and artichoke dip and charcuterie boards. It’s a great drink to kick back with some crispy air fryer mozzarella sticks too!

Pair your pickley drink with apps like popcorn shrimp, and bar snacks like Chex mix or blue cheese olives. It pairs well with so many savory favorites!

FAQ

Can you use pickles instead of olives in martinis?

Yes! Not only can you simply swap out the olive garnish for a pickle, but you can also use pickle brine instead of olive brine.

What liquor is good with pickle juice?

Pickle brine pairs best with liquor like vodka and gin. That’s why a pickle martini is so tasty!

A Pickled Martini garnished with dill and a pickled gherkin.

More Martini Recipes

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Please leave a ★★★★★ review or comment below.

A glass of pickled martini juice garnished with dill and pickles, with a jar of pickles nearby.

Pickle Martini

Yield: 1 cocktail
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
This twist on the classic dirty martini uses pickles and pickle brine instead of olives.
5 from 1 vote
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ingredients

instructions

  • Chill cocktail glass in freezer for 5-10 minutes.
  • Add ice cubes to a mixing glass.
  • Add the gin, dry vermouth and olive brine.
  • Stir together gently with a bar spoon until the mixture is chilled.
  • Strain the drink into a martini glass. Garnish with a cornichon or pickle slices.

notes

This recipe is more similar to a dirty martini, which usually use olive brine. We are just using pickle brine instead.
You can use gin or vodka here! Feel free to play with the ratio of gin/vodka to dry vermouth. 
Play around with this recipe and use whatever kind of pickles you want: pickled peppers, pickled okra, pickled asparagus, pickled carrots, pickled radishes — you could even go crazy and use all these as garnishes! However, I wouldn’t make this with bread & butter pickles or any kind of sweet pickles.

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nutrition information

Yield: 1 cocktail

amount per serving:

Serving: 3.5ounces Calories: 158kcal Carbohydrates: 2g Protein: 0.03g Sodium: 237mg Potassium: 2mg Fiber: 0.02g Sugar: 0.02g Vitamin A: 4IU Vitamin C: 0.02mg Iron: 0.03mg
did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #feastandwestrecipes!
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