We Tried Pickle Margaritas Four Ways

Pickles are the ultimate summertime food. From topping grilled burgers and simple sandwiches to just eating them as a snack on the side, we can't get enough of the flavorful cukes. But after the pickles are gone and we're left with just the brine, the last thing we want to do is throw that delicious juice away.

While there are some awesome ways to use leftover pickle juice, we think we found our new favorite use: in a margarita.

Pickle juice is great in Bloody Marys and even martinis, so why wouldn't you add a splash to your tequila-based marg? Plus, who doesn't love sipping an ice-cold margarita in the summertime?

We get it, pickle margaritas sound weird, but trust us, they're delicious.

Adding a splash of pickle juice to a margarita will buck up the flavor by introducing a salty taste that balances out the sweet and sour flavors of a traditional margarita. It basically works in the same way as the salted rim, but with the addition of a little dill flavor.

"Pickle brine is great on its own but also makes a great addition to any beverage if you're looking to punch up the flavor and get some electrolytes at the same time. That's what we like to call a win win," says Eddie Andre, Senior Brand Manager at Grillo's Pickles.

So to put the pickle brine margarita to the test, we tried four different versions using different kinds of pickles: classic dill, bread and butter, fresh pickles, and pickled jalapeños.

Pickle Margarita Taste Test

The base recipe for each margarita was Chef John's The Perfect Margarita. We used his 4:3:2 ratio, and then added a splash (about half of a shot glass full) of the pickle juice. However, we would recommend skipping the salt on the rim since the pickle juice already adds a salty punch.

For reference, the pickles used were Vlasic Hamburger Dill pickles, Vlasic Bread & Butter pickles, Grillo's Classic Dill pickles, and Mt. Olive pickled jalapeños. Additionally, the taste test was completed by seven people, but the feedback and voting was unanimous for every margarita.

Dill Pickles

At first with only half of a shot of brine, you can't really taste any dill flavor. So, we added almost a full shot of pickle juice to finally get a flavor. After that, this drink tasted like a regular margarita with a hint of dill flavor right at the end.

Overall, it's a basic-tasting margarita and would be good for people who are nervous about adding pickle juice to their cocktail. This one is a good jumping-off point.

Bread & Butter Pickles

The bread & butter margarita didn't taste at all like we were expecting. Because these pickles have a hint of sweetness, we thought this would carry over into the marg. However, it really didn't add much to the flavor.

Overall, this one tasted just like a traditional margarita. You may be able to taste a hint of sweet pickle flavor at the end, but it's not strong.

Fresh Pickles

Grillo's Pickles are made with fresh ingredients and are sold in the refrigerated section. So, this brine has fresh garlic, dill, and grape leaves floating around inside of it. Because of that, you might get some dill in your margarita — and if that's an issue for you, just strain the brine before adding it to your cocktail.

This margarita was the freshest tasting and also packed the most dill pickle flavor. The fresh ingredients made a big difference in how the brine presented itself in the margarita. It was the perfect combination of sweet, salty, and a little bit sour.

Overall, this was everyone's favorite margarita and the one we would all make again. We all loved how fresh and pickle-y it tasted — this is the one for pickle lovers.

Pickled Jalapeños

We love a good spicy margarita, so instead of just hot pickle brine, we took it one step further and used pickled jalapeño juice. As you'd probably guess, it was spicy, so a little bit of juice goes a long way.

Overall, this was a winner for anyone who enjoys spicy margaritas. It was also a whole lot easier to make than a spicy margarita where you have to muddle fresh jalapeños or make jalapeño-infused simple syrup or infused tequila.

The Results

There were two clear winners in our taste test: the Grillo's Pickles margarita and the Mt. Olive pickled jalapeños margarita. These two had the best flavors — the Grillo's was the perfect fresh pickle marg, while the Mt. Olive was the perfect spicy margarita.

Get the recipes for our Pickle Margarita and Pickled Jalapeño Margarita, and give these easy cocktails a try. You'll understand why we'll be making them all summer long.