Whiskey pickles are boozy treats for adults only

Infusing foods with alcohol creates a festive adult version of many dishes that can be great for parties. You can use fruits, like in this recipe for drunken maraschino cherries, or add alcohol to treats like marshmallows and even gummy bears. But people are catching onto another alcohol-saturated food trend right now: whiskey pickles.

Yes, it’s really a thing.

Pickles and pickle-inspired foods have always had a large following. As someone who loves a good pickle, I understand why so many pickle-flavored foods are on the market. Boozy pickles are salty, crunchy and soaked in whiskey. For pickle lovers, what’s not to love?

These boozy whiskey pickles from Delish are easy to make at any time with a store-bought jar of pickle spears. You’ll need a bottle of whiskey to go with it, and that’s all. (Simple enough, right?) Dill seems to be the most preferred type but you could experiment with bread and butter, sweet or Kosher. According to Delish’s Justin Sullivan, the addition of whiskey helps “mellow out the pickley-ness.”

Here’s a TikTok video from Delish showing Sullivan’s simple method and review of his whiskey pickles:

Of course the Internet being what it is, there are already different variations on the trend, like adding different types of alcohol such as vodka or tequila. This isn’t that surprising, because flavored whiskey is also popular lately and can add an interesting note to any boozy pickle attempt.

Spiking pickles with something spicy in addition to the alcohol is another route. Add in a few drops of hot sauce or put in a serrano or jalapeno pepper for an added kick. Just be sure to pull any peppers out the next day or your spicy pickles might shoot you through the roof!

What do you think? Are whiskey pickles a “heck yeah!” or a hard pass for you? A word of caution: If you’re a parent making these at home, be sure to label the jar with a “hands-off” note so no one under 21 accidentally wolfs a few down!