I love pickles in general, but I will CRUSH a sweet bread and butter pickle. It's been my favorite since eating my Mom's back on our family farm in Maine. And once I'm done nom-ing them, I like to add a shot of the pickle brine to a Bloody Mary made with our Bloody Brilliant mix.
The flavor of the pickling spices - especially cloves - help highlight the same baking spices in Worcestershire sauce, and the touch of sweetness makes the whole thing cravable.
Fortunately, in my life, pickles aren't hard to come by. Those of y'all who have visited us at the Richmond Big Market know that we're normally next-door neighbors with Matt's Dirty Pickles. For this recipe, we reached for a jar of his Bourbon Bread and Butter pickles then garnished with local feta cheese and roasted sweet potato.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Bourbon Bread and Butter pickle brine
- 1 oz vodka
- 4 oz Bloody Brilliant (order here!)
- Fresh lemon juice (optional)
- Pickle chips, feta cheese chunks, and roasted sweet potato cubes, for garnish
Method:
Fill a rocks glass halfway with ice. Add pickle brine, vodka, and Bloody Brilliant, and stir to combine. Taste, and if it's too sweet, add a splash of lemon juice. Gently fold pickle chips edge-to-edge and thread onto a cocktail pick to garnish. Do the same with the sweet potato cubes and feta chunks. It's sweet, salty, and savory all in one glass... enjoy!