The Summer’s Weirdest, Coolest Snack Comes from Texas

Assuming your personal philosophy of life includes stopping at every neighborhood lemonade stand (it does, right?), imagine this scene instead. You’re driving home and see two kids waving handmade signs. You pull over, rummaging for loose change and wondering whether these budding entrepreneurs lean more toward the sugary or watery side of the classic lemonade ratio.

When you walk up, a blonde boy about 7 years old flashes his hopeful blue eyes and says, “Would you like some frozen pickle juice?” You pause, just now noticing the sign in his hand reads P-I-C-K-L-E J-U-I-C-E in carefully glued construction paper letters. “They’re only 25 cents!” his younger brother says. Instead of plastic cups, the bright-green liquid sits in two-ounce servings on the table and the boys smile up at you expectantly.

You smile at their mom behind them, knowing she probably promised they could put today’s profits toward that Thor or Black Panther action figure they saw at the store. Could you refuse?

It turns out that this scenario isn’t just limited to lemonade stands. A quick search of the hashtag #frozenpicklejuice shows that this snack trend is on the rise, currently riding the heat waves in the South. Kids are selling it, concession stands offer it at baseball games and skating rinks, and grocery stores stock pickle-flavored ice pops in the frozen section.

From pickle ice cream to pickle-flavored soda to pickle popcorn, the humbly brined cucumber is having a flavor moment — but frozen pickle juice might just be this summer’s weirdest, coolest snack.

Here are some of the reasons we think it might be here to stay (plus where you can buy it right now).

Filled with electrolytes, frozen pickle juice is the perfect way to rehydrate if you’re playing any kind of sport this summer. We’ve seen lots of baseball concession stands in Texas serve this frozen treat, which makes sense considering that extra-large dill pickles are already a go-to snack during games. Land of the Free, home of the Frozen pickle juice line!

With temperatures consistently hitting 100°F this July in Texas, you need an army of drinks to cool you down. Frozen pickle juice is the weirdest, most delicious way to beat the heat.

The frozen snack is quickly becoming popular in the ketogenic diet world. Keto, in case you’re not familiar, is a lifestyle that is short on carbs and high on fat. One problem with such diets (besides the need to forego bread) is that cutting carbs can also flush the body of essential nutrients like salts and minerals. Bone broth and pickle juice are popular ways to replenish these nutrients and maintain healthy levels of electrolytes.

None of the other things would really matter if frozen pickle juice didn’t actually taste good, of course. It’s salty and briny and a good pick-me-up during the summer months.

Given the rising popularity of this frozen treat, companies like Bob’s Pickle Pops and Van Holten’s Pickle-Ice pops are capitalizing on the trend. Both products are available on Amazon, while Texas-based Bob’s Pickle Pops (often called pickle sickles) are sold nationally through Walmart and in the frozen section of the Lone Star State’s favorite grocery store chain, H-E-B.

Buy now: Bob’s Dill Pickle Sport Ice Pops, $7 for 6 popsicles

Bob’s Pickle Pops market themselves as the “original pickle juice ice pop,” with a Forbes.com article backing their claim to fame. They offer two flavors: the original and Chamoy, a fermented, sweet and spicy Mexican condiment, which launched in March 2018. The company also sells Pickle Potion, specifically branded as an electrolyte drink to help athletes ward off dehydration.

You can also currently buy a frozen pickle drink at Sonic. The slush is “the perfect blend of sweet and sour,” according to customer Carley McCaw, a local photographer in Austin, Texas. “It’s a refreshing take on a yummy classic, and the pickle flavor pairs perfectly with a burger on a hot summer day!”

Not all Sonic drive-in menus display the pickle flavor, so just press that magical red button and ask for it over the receiver. The Pickle Juice Snow Cone slush is one of several summer flavors available for a limited time, including Tiger’s Blood, Bahama Mama, and Blue Hawaiian.

And you didn’t hear this from us, but adding a splash of your favorite spirit at home isn’t half bad, either — for a little added refreshment.

Have you tried frozen pickle juice?