Personally, I find pickle juice hard to pour down the drain. Especially if it’s the tangy, briny, leftover liquid from good quality gherks, like, for example, the Al Brown-approved McClure’s variety (shipped into the country from Detroit’s disused Ford Axle factory). It’s nothing less than sacrilege if you’re a Bloody Mary fan, in which case, anyone in their right mind would preserve said substance for a quality Sunday session.

For this reason, we were relieved to discover that we weren’t the only ones who appreciated the oft-overlooked liquid. The shrewd people from Hallertau, namely head brewer Steve Plowman, became obsessed with the brand’s Spicy Garlic & Dill pickle brine after tasting the product and as a result, conceived the McClure’s Spiced Pickle Gose. The Gose is an ancient wheat beer style with a sour finish, and when brewed with pickle brine, makes for an incredibly refreshing and slightly spicy brew. 

On offer at Hallertau’s inner city watering hole, Lovebucket, for a limited time only, they’re celebrating the beer’s launch with a pickle party on Friday, 3rd November. Expect pickle martinis, McClure’s gose, ‘beers and spears’ and McClure’s chips. And if you miss the gherkin get-together on Friday, Hallertau’s Riverhead beer garden will also be marking the release with a slew of appropriate nibbles available on Saturday, 4th November. 

So yeah, you’ll know where to find us come end of week.