No. 46Whiskey, Bourbon & Shots
Spicy Pickleback
Same spirit. Different pickle. This one bites back.
A Spicy Pickleback is a shot of Irish whiskey chased with brine from a jar of hot dill pickles. The chaser brings chile heat on top of the usual salt and dill, so the finish lingers warm instead of cooling off. The spicy brine is what sets it apart from the classic.
21+Updated
Brine5/55 of 5
Heat3/53 of 5
StrengthHigh
- Glass
- shot glass
- Method
- Poured as shots
- Time
- 1 min
- Makes
- 1 shot + chaser
Ingredients
Make it for
Units
Amounts for 1, in ounces.
- 1½ oz Irish whiskey (such as Jameson)
- 1½ oz spicy dill pickle brine (chilled, from a jar of hot dills)
- 2 dashes hot sauce (if your brine is mild) optional
- 1 slice jalapeño (for garnish) optional
- Glass
- shot glass
- Garnish
- jalapeño
- On the side
- hot brine chaser
How to make it
- Pour the whiskey into a shot glass.
- Pour the chilled spicy brine into a second shot glass.
- Stir hot sauce into the brine if it needs more kick.
- Perch a jalapeño slice on the rim of the brine glass.
- Drink the whiskey, then follow right away with the brine.
Bar tips
- No hot dills? Drop sliced jalapeños and a pinch of chile flakes into regular dill brine and refrigerate it overnight.
- Taste the brine first: spice levels swing wildly from jar to jar.
Make it your own
- Use rye to play up the chile heat, or bourbon to soften it with a little sweetness.
- Use brine from pickled jalapeños for a greener, sharper burn.
- Rim the chaser glass with chili-lime seasoning for extra tang.
Drink responsibly. This one is for adults of legal drinking age. Want it without the booze? The zero-proof drinks are just as briny.
Full recipe: dillin.org/recipes/spicy-pickleback
