The Best Pickle Cocktails In Sydney: From Dirty Martinis To Dill Margs

There was a time when pickle juice lived exclusively at the bottom of the jar or beside a sandwich. Now, it’s turning up in martinis and margs across the city. 

With the recent revival of the dirty martini, savoury drinks have started to win out over the sweet, maximalist staples of the past. We’re ordering them colder, asking for them dirtier, and chasing crisp flavour profiles over candied.

There’s also the simple reality of a crowded bar scene. Sydney has more ambitious openings than ever, and social media rewards drinks that photograph well and spark conversation. Pickle brings acidity, structure and a clean finish that cuts through a base spirit without masking it — plus, it's slightly controversial and well-primed to perform on socials. 

From restrained saline lifts to full dill-forward builds, these are Urban List’s picks for the best pickle cocktails in Sydney right now — for anyone who prefers their drinks on the savoury side.

Norma's Deli

74-78 The Corso, Manly

Image credit: Norma's Deli | Instagram

While Norma’s Deli is generally our top contender for loaded sandwiches and Mediterranean-leaning plates, their Dill Pickle Margarita is reason enough to pull up a seat at the bar. Built on house-infused dill pickle tequila with fresh lime, Cointreau and extra brine, it’s a sharp little number that pairs very well with whatever Norma’s sending out of the kitchen that day.

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Tio's Cerveceria

4/14 Foster Street, Surry Hills

Image credit: Tio's | Instagram

Tio’s has been one of Sydney’s favourite spots for a margarita since 2014. The vibes at this Surry Hills bar are Mexican cerveceria-meets-antique store with a quirky and cool setting that’s as curated and distinct as sibling venues Cantina OK!, Bar Planet, and Centro 86 — and their pickle marg slots neatly into that brief. Built with tequila, lime, brine and actual pickles, it lands somewhere between a margarita and a dirty martini in attitude.

The brine does the heavy lifting here, tightening the citrus and giving the drink a dry, savoury finish. If you’re easing into pickle territory, this is a solid place to start.

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Bar Herbs

Basement, 213 Clarence Street, Sydney CBD

Image credit: Bar Herbs | Instagram

Bar Herbs is another downtown bar by the MUCHO group (Tio's, Centro 86, Bar Planet), a dark, downtown martini bar with the attitude of a New York set piece. Their New York Martini leans neatly into the pickle mood — vodka and vermouth form the base, lifted with a hint of pickle brine, a few drops of aquavit and fresh dill to round things out.

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Main image credit: Tio's | Instagram

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