Bourbon Sweet Cherry-Soaked Pickles

 The Kool-Aid pickle is making a comeback. Are you ready for the hottest thing from the south to come out of the north? Because SuckerPunch is here to turn this slice of pickled Americana into a culinary contender. If you prefer to be left alone, then don't make the recipes below, as our special SuckerPunch Kool-Aid pickles will have any pickle lover begging you for another slice and your in-laws hounding you for this simple recipe.

Before we dive in, here's a little insight as to where Kool-Aid pickles came from, in case you are just hearing about them for the first time right now.

Kool-Aid pickles are a southern tradition, getting their start in the Mississippi Delta. Though they are wildly popular throughout most of the Southern US states, Kool-Aid pickles are not the go-to snack everywhere else. This is the part where we would normally say, "trust us, you HAVE to try Kool-Aid pickles," but we don't feel like we need to.

Bourbon Sweet Cherry-Soaked Pickles

Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus 4 hours, inactive)

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours 35 minutes 

Makes: 2 x 12 oz cocktails

For the Pickles

2 cups dark cherry juice 

¼ cup light brown sugar 

½ cup granulated sugar

1 jar Sweet Spiced Bread & Butter Pickles   

Directions

1. In a small saucepot, combine the cherry juice and both kinds of sugar. 
2. Bring to a boil, whisking regularly to dissolve the sugar. Once the liquid is boiling, remove it from the heat and carefully set it aside.
3. Grab your pickle jar and drain the brine into a separate container. 
4. You can keep your brine on hand to make new pickles, add to another dish, or even to make a cocktail. See some of our other recipes for the best ways to use your leftover pickle brine.
5. Add the hot cherry syrup to the brineless pickles.
6. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours to maximize the cherry kool-aid flavor.

You can start snacking anytime after four hours, but the longer you let your pickles sit, the more delicious they become. Kool-Aid pickles keep for a total of two weeks (including the first week of sitting in the cherry syrup).

For the Cocktail

Ingredients

6 ounces bourbon or whiskey

3 ounces fernet

6 ounces dark cherry juice

2 ounces dark cherry syrup (taken from the pickle jar)

Soda or seltzer water, to taste, about 8 ounces

10 - 12 Sweet Spiced Bread & Butter Chips

Directions

1. Fill two tall glasses with ice. 
2. In a separate 24 oz container, combine the Bourbon, fernet, dark cherry juice, and syrup. 
3. Stir well and split between the two glasses.
4. Top with a soda water floater and garnish with five pickles on a skewer. 

You can have as many pickles as you want on the side of your cocktail, but five is great for a garnish.

 Are you looking for an occasion to try this delicious SuckerPunch concoction? This fantastic libation is a lake day favorite, perfect for your Yeti while you walk in the park, and an ideal reward for a long Saturday filled with housework, yard work, and to-do lists. Whatever activities you avail yourself of during the day, the evening is made for snacking on SuckerPunch pickles and sipping on Bourbon-based pickle potables.

 We'll leave you with a simple reminder to sip responsibly, snack heartily, and combine the two whenever you possibly can. Check out the SuckerPunch blog for more pickle recipes to snack on.