Fire up the grill and toss on some burgers and dogs, because nothing screams backyard barbecue quite like this mocktail, made as a non-alcoholic ode to the classic Pickleback Shot. Our Pickleback Mocktail uses a simple recipe that mingles sweetness with the tang of a pickle. Plus, if you decide to use Pittsburgh Pickle Co Picklexir and Monday Zero-Alcohol Whiskey in your mix, you’ll receive the most naturally pickle-y mocktail you can dream of.
Where Did the Pickleback Come From?
The surprisingly popular Pickleback Shot, a potent combination of whiskey (usually Jameson) followed by a shot of pickle brine, has a relatively recent origin story. Its creation is by Reggie Cunningham, a bartender at the Bushwick Country Club, a dive bar in Brooklyn, New York City, around 2006. It’s said, a customer challenged Cunningham, who was snacking on pickles at the time to nurse his own hangover, to try a shot of Old Crow Bourbon Whiskey chased by the brine from McClure’s Pickles (which he allowed creator Bob McClure to store in the bar’s basement). He then introduced the unusual pairing to other patrons and bartenders, and it quickly gained traction. Originally it spread as a “bartender’s handshake” before continuing in popularity and finding its way onto menus across the United States and beyond.

Pickleback Mocktail for Memorial Day
Description
The famous pickleback shot gets the mocktail treatment!
Ingredients
- 2 oz Pittsburgh Pickle Co Picklexir
- 2 oz Monday Zero-Alcohol Whiskey
- 1 oz lime juice
- 1 oz simple syrup
Instructions
- Shake all ingredients together in a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Strain into lowball cocktail glass and garnish with pickle spear and kosher salt for the rim.
Recipe by Katrina Tomacchio of Loaded Food Group
Styling by Anna Franklin and Star Laliberte
Photography by Dave Bryce
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