Remember when I pickled everything in my apartment yesterday? Remember how some pickled okra left a crazy amount of extra brine? I poured it over these to make my favorite cocktail garnish to date.
Let’s talk Gibsons for a moment. A Gibson is basically a classic gin martini, garnished with a pickled onion instead of an olive. The perk? No one ever asks if you want that Gibson made with vodka or with gin. They just KNOW. 
To date, a caperberry (although I realize not authentic to the recipe) has been my favorite garnish for this cocktail. Sort of falls somewhere between a cocktail onion and an olive. Here’s why this started happening: aside from a few notable exceptions (Odin’s Onions being one, but they are still a bit hard to find), the pickled cocktail onions on the market taste like chemicals and salt. They’re awful. They don’t deserve to be in your cocktail. They don’t deserve to LOOK at your cocktail. The Gibson is so simple and perfect, it requires a hell of a garnish to stand up to it.
Here’s what I want you to do: add 2 1/4 oz. gin (I love Beefeater, but in something like this where the gin is the star, Hendrick’s would be lovely) and 3/4 oz. dry vermouth to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and STIR, babies, stir. Do not shake. Strain into a cocktail glass, and add a tomato and an onion from the following recipe. You are so welcome.
PrintPickled Pearl Onions and Cherry Tomatoes
- Total Time: 12 minutes
- Yield: 1 pint jar of garnish 1x
Description
Transform your Gibson cocktail with this unique garnish of pickled cherry tomatoes and pearl onions, infused with aromatic tarragon and pink peppercorns.
Ingredients
- Enough cherry tomatoes to fill a pint jar
- Enough peeled pearl onions to fill a pint jar
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs tarragon
- 8-10 pink peppercorns
- 1 cup cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 tablespoon pickling salt
Instructions
- Place the bay leaf, tarragon, and pink peppercorns into a clean pint jar.
- Gently pack the jar with cherry tomatoes and peeled pearl onions, ensuring they are snug but not crushed.
- In a saucepan, combine the cider vinegar, water, and pickling salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the salt is completely dissolved.
- Pour the hot brine over the tomatoes and onions in the jar, ensuring they are fully submerged.
- Seal the jar with a lid and let it cool to room temperature. Once cooled, refrigerate the jar for at least 24 hours before using the garnish in your Gibson cocktail.
Notes
Store the pickled garnish in the refrigerator for up to a month. Use a high-quality gin like Hendrick’s for the best flavor. The pickled garnish can also be used in other cocktails or as a unique addition to charcuterie boards.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
- Category: Cocktail
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Calories: 10
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 2
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 0
- Cholesterol: 0
