Dill Pickles and I go way back.  I don’t just have a love for them…I am self-confessed ADDICT!  It definitely runs in my mother’s side of the family because I don’t know anyone in the English clan that doesn’t love them as much as I do!  I passed this fascination onto my own daughter, Ashleigh, who discovered a new twist on dill pickles after moving to Denver…Dill Pickle Infused Vodka!

It was a tiny little dive bar called the Retro Pub and she knew immediately that when I came to visit, I was going to have to try this and would be very pleased.  She was right…I loved it!  Now I am not really a hard liquor kind of person…I prefer just to sip on my Chardonnay but when they served that light green juicy vodka over the rocks, I knew I would never think of Vodka in the same way.  I was hooked!

After returning home to Knoxville, I knew that this was something I had to try so I went online to search for recipes for Dill Pickle Infused Vodka.  They were all pretty much the same…2 parts vodka to 1 part pickle juice.  Using an oversized mason jar with a spicket, I mixed this concoction together cutting up a few pickles to make it look even more appealing.  Most of the recipes said to allow it to sit at room temperature for 2-5 days…I decided I would go with 5 days before I would try it.

I used a good brand of vodka (you really wouldn’t want to go with cheap stuff if you are drinking it straight) and Vlasic Dill Pickles…one of my favorites.

Time to test….I took one of my husband’s bourbon tumblers and filled it with ice and poured my new creation into the glass.  It didn’t taste anything at all like what I had at the Retro Pub.  It knew exactly what it needed….more pickle juice!  I added 1 part more of pickle juice and waited another 5 days to test again.

I kept it on the counter on the kitchen and my taste buds salivated every time I looked at it.  I was so hopeful that this time it would taste close to what I had in Denver.

It was perfect!

The following weekend, I decided to try it with another English family favorite….The Bloody Mary.  I turned it into a Pickle Mary and let me just say……Yummy to the “nth” degree!

From now on, I will always have some homemade dill pickle infused vodka on hand.  My sister, Kelli, is coming to visit next weekend…She is going to love this!

So grab a jar of your favorite dill pickle and a good vodka and remember 1 part vodka to one part pickle juice and you will have yourself a unique tasty spirit!  Next time, I may add some hot peppers to it….So many possibilities!  If you are a dill pickle lover, this recipe is for you!