No. 59Briny Without Booze
Spicy Pickle Spritz
Bitter, bubbly, briny, with a jalapeño kick.
The Spicy Pickle Spritz is a zero-proof aperitivo spritz made with a non-alcoholic bitter orange aperitif, dill pickle brine and fresh jalapeño, topped with non-alcoholic sparkling wine and soda. It tastes bittersweet up front, then salty, with a slow green-chile burn. It is the only bitter drink in this section and the hottest.
Zero proofUpdated
Brine2/52 of 5
Heat3/53 of 5
StrengthZero proof
- Glass
- wine glass
- Method
- Built in the glass
- Time
- 4 min
- Makes
- 1 drink
Ingredients
Make it for
Units
Amounts for 1, in ounces.
- 3 slices jalapeño (thin; leave the seeds and ribs in for more heat)
- ¾ oz dill pickle brine (chilled, from the jar)
- 2 oz non-alcoholic bitter aperitif (an orange, Aperol-style one)
- 3 oz non-alcoholic sparkling wine (chilled)
- 1 oz club soda (chilled)
- orange peel (for garnish)
- 1 slice dill pickle (for garnish) optional
- Glass
- wine glass
- Garnish
- orange peel, jalapeño and pickle chip
How to make it
- Put the jalapeño slices and pickle brine in a shaker tin or sturdy glass.
- Press the jalapeño gently with a muddler to release its heat.
- Fill a large wine glass with ice.
- Pour in the spicy brine, jalapeño slices and all.
- Add the non-alcoholic aperitif.
- Top with the sparkling wine, then the club soda.
- Give it one gentle stir.
- Garnish with the orange peel and a pickle chip.
Bar tips
- Drinks labeled non-alcoholic can still contain up to 0.5% ABV. Pick bottles marked 0.0% if you need no alcohol at all.
- For a crowd, steep one sliced jalapeño in a cup of pickle brine for 30 minutes, strain it, and use 0.75 oz of the spicy brine per spritz.
- Non-alcoholic aperitifs range from sharply bitter to quite sweet. Taste after the stir and add a squeeze of lemon if yours is on the sweet side.
Make it your own
- No non-alcoholic bubbly? Top with 4 oz of grapefruit soda instead of the sparkling wine and club soda.
- Use 2 dashes of green hot sauce instead of fresh jalapeño for steadier, milder heat.
Zero proof, full brine. No spirits, wine or beer in this one. If you need 0.0%, check the labels on any non-alcoholic bottles you use.
Full recipe: dillin.org/recipes/spicy-pickle-spritz
