Every kitchen and every bar has olive jars, pickle jars, caper jars sitting at the back of the fridge. When the contents run out, the brine usually gets poured down the drain. This is a small daily crime. Brine is one of the most concentrated savoury-sour-salty ingredients you can put in a cocktail, and it costs nothing.
What pickle brine actually is
Brine is the liquid in which pickled vegetables, olives, capers, or fermented foods have been preserved. The base is usually vinegar (for quick pickles) or salt-water with lactic-acid fermentation (for traditional pickles like real dill pickles, kimchi liquid, sauerkraut juice).
Either base type works in cocktails, but they have different characters:
Vinegar-based brine (commercial dill pickles, most cocktail olives): sharper, more aggressive, often with garlic and dill aromatics. Best for cocktails that need pure acid punch.
Lacto-fermented brine (real dill pickles, kimchi juice, sauerkraut juice): more complex, slightly umami, less sharp. Best for cocktails where you want depth as well as salt.
Three formats worth knowing
1. The Pickleback. A shot of bourbon + a shot of pickle brine, taken in sequence. The brine acts as a chaser that neutralises the burn. Bourbon first, brine second. Came out of Brooklyn bars in the late 2000s; now everywhere.
2. The Dirty Martini. Standard gin or vodka Martini with a spoonful of olive brine added during the stir. The brine adds salt + body + savoury complexity. Most bartenders use 5-10ml of olive brine per Martini.
3. The Pickletini. Vodka (60ml), dill pickle brine (15ml), splash of dry vermouth (5ml). Shake or stir hard with ice. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a small dill pickle on a pick. The brine-forward Martini that goes further than the Dirty version.
Why brine works in cocktails
Three reasons:
1. Salt amplifies flavour. Same logic as adding saline solution. The sodium ion suppresses bitterness and amplifies sweet and sour. See salt in cocktails.
2. Acidity without citrus. The vinegar or lactic acid in brine gives cocktails a different sour profile than lime or lemon. Useful when you want sour without the bright citrus character.
3. Umami / savoury depth. Particularly with fermented brines. The drink reads as more complex than the ingredient list suggests.
What brine to use
Olive brine (the workhorse): from a jar of green olives in brine, not in oil. Standard for Dirty Martinis.
Dill pickle brine: for Picklebacks and brine-forward sours.
Caper brine: stronger and more aromatic. Use sparingly, even 5ml is intense.
Kimchi brine: the bartender experiment. Spicy, funky, garlicky. Pairs with vodka or sake-based drinks.
Cornichon brine: French gherkins. Brighter, more aromatic than dill pickle brine.
What does not work
Sweet pickle brine. Bread-and-butter pickles or sweet-and-sour preserved ginger have sugar in the brine that throws off cocktail balance.
Brine in delicate floral cocktails. The salt and acid destroy the subtle florals.
Brine in dessert-format cocktails. Doesn't pair.
Sourcing in Malaysia
Pickled cucumbers (dill pickles), olives, capers, and cornichons are all available at any larger supermarket in KL/PJ. The "free brine" approach: buy the jar, use the pickles for snacks, save the brine for cocktails.
For more interesting brines: traditional kimchi liquid from Korean groceries, sauerkraut juice from German specialty shops. Both are increasingly available in PJ.
Related reading
- Salt in cocktails
- Lacto-fermentation in cocktails
- Vinegar mother at home
- Our Martini recipe (for the Dirty variation)
Frequently asked questions
What is pickle brine in cocktails?
The liquid in which pickled vegetables, olives, capers, or fermented foods have been preserved. Vinegar-based brine is sharp, with garlic and dill aromatics. Lacto-fermented brine like kimchi juice or sauerkraut is more complex and umami. Both work in cocktails for different jobs.
How do I use pickle brine in a cocktail?
Three formats. The Pickleback: bourbon shot followed by brine chaser. The Dirty Martini: 5-10ml olive brine added during the stir. The Pickletini: 60ml vodka, 15ml dill pickle brine, 5ml dry vermouth, shaken hard, served up with a small dill pickle garnish.
Which brine for which drink?
Olive brine for Dirty Martinis. Dill pickle brine for Picklebacks. Caper brine is stronger, use sparingly. Kimchi brine pairs with vodka or sake. Cornichon brine is brighter than dill. Avoid sweet pickle brine, which has sugar that throws off balance.
Can I substitute saline solution for pickle brine?
For the salt function, sometimes. Saline gives you sodium that amplifies sweet and sour. Brine adds salt plus acid plus umami plus complex aromatics. For a Dirty Martini, brine is irreplaceable. For amplifying flavour in a delicate cocktail, saline is cleaner.
Where can I order a Dirty Martini in PJ?
Both bars keep good olives in brine. Dissolved Solids at 43-1 Jalan SS20/11 Damansara Kim pours a serious Dirty Martini and builds the Pickletini; WhatsApp +60 11-4008 7607. Soluble Solids at 50-1 Jalan SS2/24 experiments with kimchi-brine vodka; WhatsApp +60 11-1682 8651.