INTEL: Where to go for pickletinis
Pickle martini. Photo credit: Victoria Sedefian/The Dishing
Where to go for pickle cocktails
Pickles are no longer simply garnishes for your lunch sandwiches. They’ve stepped onto the main stage, stealing the limelight and adding a special blend of saltiness + brine to the dirty martini craze. It doesn’t end with pickletinis: We’re dishing 5 of the best places serving stellar pickle cocktails in Saratoga, Troy, Albany, Chatham + Ghent.
1. In a Pickle at Quinnie’s, Ghent. Visit
Owner Quinn Rose Levine has created the lightest, most refreshing variation on a classic gin and tonic. The “In a Pickle” uses Hayman’s gin, dill pickle juice, tonic and a skinny pickle spear. Served over ice in a high ball, this is a perfect daytime sipper which is good as Quinnie’s ample lawns, lawn games, corn hole, ping pong table and fire pits are likely to keep you there lounging there all day.
2. (Giardiniera) Pickletini at The People’s Pub, Chatham Visit
As of 2025, The People’s Pub is under new ownership with long term bartender Brian “Bacon Brian” Minarich and his chef wife Kasia. Kasia Minarich comes with a pedigree of her own after growing up in Rensselaerville under the guidance of Bill Benson at The Palmer House Cafe. She spent 3 years at Nicole’s Bistro and 7 as head chef at the Schuyler Meadows Country Club, Loudonville. The new food and cocktail menu includes a bacon night (Thursdays) that earned Brian his “Bacon Brian” name, but their Pickletini takes a Polish detour with Luksowowa Polish potato vodka, dill pickle brine and garished with cornichons, a whole sprig of dill and a cocktail onion. Is it dinner? Giardiniera? Served classically in a martini glass.
3. Pickle Rickey / Pickle Club / Pickletini at Whiskey Pickle, Troy Visit
With pickle in the name and a pickle as the logo, it’s no surprise to find pickle drinks on the menu. Go for the Pickle Rickey ($15), a cousin of a gimlet with gin and lime juice but lengthened with soda and served in a Collins glass. At Whiskey Pickle it’s made with Japanese Roku gin, a shot of pickle juice and simple syrup to offset the brine.
Beer lovers might prefer The Pickle Club, made with a full pint of Utica Club, spicy pickle juice and a full length pickle, madam, for the salty briny lager you didn’t know you’d need. Owner, Jamel Mosley tells me there’s a new Pickletini on the menu, clearly influenced by the nationwide trend. Plus, given where you are, you can always order pickleback shots of whiskey with a pickle juice chaser. (Ed: The Pickle has two-for-one happy hours with extended hours Thursday 5 to 10pm and Friday 5 to 7pm.)
4. Hot Pickle at Seneca, Saratoga Visit
Bar director Nick Caswell continues to create some of the best cocktails in Saratoga and the “Hot Pickle” ($16) deserves recognition for its elevated flavor profile. Made with the summer cooler Effen cucumber vodka, dill pickle juice, simple syrup, housemade dill pickle hot sauce, a pickle seasoning rim, fresh dill pickle and cucumber salsa, cucumber tonic, maldon salt. We might call this dinner too.
5. Pickletini at McGeary’s, Albany Visit
Coming in as the sleeper hit, Irish pub, McGeary’s, may not be known for elevated cocktails, but staff can make a fierce martini any way you want it. When guests aren’t downing shots from a shotski or pints while cheering on the Bills, you’ll find a crowd ordering espresso martinis and half the bar sipping on dirty martinis. The Pickletini ($14) has become a crowd pleaser with a higher than usual ratio of pickle juice. Word is that they typically use bread-and-butter pickle juice but that I need to confirm.