Pickle Back

While staying in New York at the Ace Hotel, I asked the mustachioed hipster bartender to recommend a savory cocktail to compliment the shucked oysters and littleneck clams. 

He recommended the Breslin Bar's house cocktail, the Pickle Back. While he was forthcoming with the basic recipe, he was as secretive as Colonel Sanders about the secret spices.

After much research, trial and error, the recipe below is my take on the Breslin's version, although you may wish to play with some of the spices to suit your own palette.

YOU WILL NEED

(enough for a good party)

• 2 x 568 ml bottles of spirit vinegar
• 568 ml cold water
• 250g granulated sugar
• 5 tablespoons fine salt
• 1 tablespoon mustard seed
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 3 Indonesian long peppercorns
• Large bunch of dill
• 2 large cucumbers

TO MAKE THE PICKLE JUICE

Empty the 2 bottles of spirit vinegar into a saucepan, fill one empty vinegar bottle with cold water and add that as well. Add the salt, sugar, mustard seed, black pepper and long pepper and slowly bring up to a gentle boil.

While the ingredients are still warm, slice the cucumber into thin strips and layer with the dill in a sterilised Kilner jar (I just put mine through the dishwasher on a high temperature).

Once the pickling vinegar has reached a boil allow to cool a little and pour over the layered cucumber and dill until just shy of the rim. Seal the jar and allow to cool to room temperature before refrigerating.

The pickled cucumbers can be kept for up to 2 weeks, and either eaten or discarded before re-bottling the pickle juice. Add some fresh dill to enhance the flavor and store until needed.


TO SERVE

Serve each shot in separate glasses

• 1 shot of Bulleit Bourbon
• 1 shot Pickle juice

The original recipe was with Jameson's Irish Whiskey, but the barman suggested Bulleit Bourbon as a smoother alternative.


Without teaching you how to drink, take a sip of the bourbon followed by a sip of the pickle juice.

Chin chin! Merv