Recipes

The Pekel

  • Serves

    makes 1 Cocktail

FARIDEH SADEGHIN

Pickle brine replaces the olive juice in this twist on a dirty martini, developed especially for Pisces by Patricia Clarke Hippolyte as part of our Mixstrology series.

Ingredients

For the Pickled Grapes

  • 12 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 12 tbsp. packed brown sugar
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 12 tsp. allspice
  • 12 tsp. black peppercorns
  • 12 tsp. coriander seeds
  • 8 cardamom pods
  • 3 cloves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 1 (1”) piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 cup grapes

For the Cocktail

  • 3 oz. vodka
  • 1 tbsp. pickling juice
  • Pickled grapes, for garnish

Instructions

Step 1

Pickle the grapes: Combine vinegar, brown sugar, salt, allspice, peppercorns, coriander seeds, cardamom pods, cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, ginger, and 1⁄2 cup water in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, 2 minutes, until sugar has dissolved; let cool. Pour over grapes and leave to infuse for 3 hours. Makes about 2 cups juice.

Step 2

Make the cocktail: Combine vodka and pickling juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice; shake vigorously and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with pickled grapes.

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