In the US this is most commonly referred to as a Pickle Martini, and I usually defer to America on all things martini-related given that it is the birthplace of the beloved drink. Indeed it’s how I refer to this martini variation officially on this site.

However, serving a pickled gherkin with spirits feels like such an iconic Polish style of doing things, I often refer to it as a Polish-style martini. Indeed, much of the popularity of the pickle in the US comes down to Polish migration over the decades.

And remember that while the martini is an American invention, it owes much of its culture and history to a wide variety of other nations and influences, including Britain and Italy in the earlier years, but then a troupe of additional countries over the last century.

As such, I wanted to give the Polish tang of this drink a special homage.

Pickled gherkins, or ogórki in Polish, are a really convenient garnish. They have a long shelf life, they’re fresh and green, they provide a tasty flavour and satisfying texture.

You can make your own at home but store-bought are generally very affordable, making them ideal for Martini socialism.

They also work really well if you find yourself somewhere without easy access to olives or fresh lemons.

If you’re in a part of the world that produces gherkins but not lemons or olives, they are also a good choice of garnish for lowering the carbon footprint of your drink. If luxury isn’t sustainable, it’s not really a luxury is it?

They can be somewhat large in comparison to your glass, so you might need to trim them down to size to fit elegantly in your drink.

Otherwise the preparation is minimal.

For even more convenience you can use cornichons or miniature gherkins instead for a far more size-appropriate garnish for your drink.

As well as serving them as a garnish for the drink, pickled gherkins are also an ideal snack to serve alongside your martini.

This is the case even if you aren’t having a Pickle Martini. The gherkins go well with many of the other martini types.

If you are celiac, keep an eye out for the vinegar used to pickle the gherkins. Many are pickled in spirit vinegar which is fine for most sufferers. You can find out more about martinis for celiac disease on this page of the site.

All in all though, this is a simple, elegant, tasty and fresh martini garnish and snack.

Why not pour one to celebrate Polish independence day on 11th November?

Na Zdrowie!