In a pickle

Pickle juice is becoming increasingly common on bar menus with the rise of picklebacks – a shot of whisky followed by a pickle brine chaser. But Gordy’s Fine Brine aims to elevate the brackish brine to new heights. ‘It’s a very natural extension of our existing product line as we have always encouraged our customers to repurpose their leftover brine and start thinking of pickle juice as an ingredient in its own right,’ says Sarah Gordon, co-founder of Gordy’s Pickle Jar.

The founders took the recipe for their Hot Chili Spears product and filtered out the solid ingredients. The resulting brine has a flavour profile that includes hints of mustard seed, caraway, dill and coriander, and can also be used as a cooking ingredient. ‘It’s literally a burst of acid and flavour in one that brightens cocktails and dishes in a very subtle, balanced way,’ explains Gordon. ‘It rounds off cocktails and cooking recipes, similar to how a pinch of salt does.’