A Pickle Might Be The Ingredient Your Beer Has Been Missing

Can a pickle in your next pint of beer enhance the taste of your drink? Maybe. Beer drinkers have been experimenting with the unexpected inclusion for years. Pickles go back — way back to at least 2030 BC, yet whether the pickle-laced boozy innovation can be attributed to a group of Midwesterners or some Bavarian accident, the combination has garnered serious consideration. One pickles company even took it upon themselves to launch a marketing campaign with Pabst Blue Ribbon after seeing customers snap photos of pickles dropped into pints.

Since beers and pickles are both fermented, the combination delivers a tangy refreshment with a tinge of vinegar and salt in drink form. The longer you let pickles sit in your glass, the more the pint will be infused. That being said, if you're a lover of pickles, the combination can have you pouring another drink quickly. But, if pickles don't please your palate, you probably will recoil at the thought before the glass reaches your lips.

Plopping in the briny addition can give your beverage a zippy boost, like a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of salt, but the type of beer matters when it comes to pairing pickles with pints. Choose beer that can stand up to the crisp, boldness of the flavor of pickles you prefer. Crisp lagers can complement more sour pickles, while spicier pickles can add an extra punch to light and full-bodied drafts. If you're a lover of extra-pungent pickles, smoother, sweeter beers and hard ciders can create complementary combinations. 

Not a pickle lover but still want a bit of savory added to your drink? Try green olives or a pepperoncini plopped into your pint. Even if you're not sold on the idea of adding a food item to your pint glass, you'll have a snack to chew on between sips, and the fresh crunch of a pickle can be a welcome change from heavier, greasy types of snacks commonly found at the bar.