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A tiny two-sip martini combining gin, watermelon rind and pickle juice has earned Adelaide bartender Joe Maguire a state title in a national cocktail competition.
There’s a tiny pickle, a few cubes of watermelon and plenty of punch packed into Malt & Juniper bartender Joe Maguire’s latest creation.
Called the Picklet, the two-sip martini was created for Never Never Distilling Co’s nationwide cocktail competition, combining its Oyster Shell Gin with watermelon oleo and, somewhat unexpectedly, pickle juice.
The quirky creation has now been named the South Australian winner, giving Joe plenty to celebrate after two years behind the bar at the Peel Street gin and whisky venue.
For Joe, the cocktail started with two ingredients he knew he wanted to use.
“I definitely wanted to use Oyster Shell Gin and I definitely knew I wanted to use watermelon,” he said.
The challenge was finding the third.
Joe experimented with different combinations, including hot sauce, before landing on pickle juice, a choice that gave the cocktail its name and unmistakable personality.
“Pickles are just one of those things where you either love them or you hate them, but I wanted a drink that would make everyone love it, I guess,” he said.
The watermelon isn’t just there for flavour, either.
“I used a watermelon oleo. It’s just like a syrup made from the rinds of watermelon… you throw some sugar over it and the oils break it down, so it’s this nice, fresh flavour,” Joe said.
In keeping with the idea of using more of the fruit, the drink was served alongside cubes of watermelon to snack on between sips, while a tiny pickle garnish completed the creation.
Despite its small size and playful appearance, Joe said the Picklet still had plenty of impact.
“They did come in and try it and I think they were pleasantly surprised because he’s a little fella, this drink, but it packs a big punch,” he said.
The competition challenged bartenders to create drinks using a Never Never core spirit and just three ingredients, meaning Joe had to be deliberate with every addition.
While his entry was an individual effort, the process was very much supported by the Malt & Juniper team.
Joe works alongside Josh, Jen and Damon, with the team regularly bouncing ideas off one another, tasting each other’s drinks and developing the venue’s cocktail menus together.
“All of us got involved, which was super fun,” Joe said.
“Having a good team goes a long way, for sure.”
Joe’s bartending journey began around eight years ago, when he was making questionable concoctions for friends at parties simply because he loved the connection and memories that could be created around a drink.
His first bar job was at a small gin bar in the Adelaide Hills, before he moved into pub work to learn more about management and the business side of hospitality.
It was while creating a small cocktail list at the pub that Joe discovered how much he enjoyed the creative side of bartending.
“I saw a little different side of myself and felt that burning passion a little bit, which you love, which you seek for,” he said.
That eventually led him to Malt & Juniper, where he has spent the past two years continuing to experiment with cocktails alongside the venue’s team.
For Joe, though, the Picklet was never supposed to be an overly serious cocktail.
Rather than trying to create the biggest or most complicated drink possible, he wanted something that could act as the ultimate welcome drink, almost like a little entrée before the night properly begins.
“If you walk into an event and the first thing you have is a Picklet, I think you’re going to break a bit of ice,” he said.
“It’s just a bit of a silly, fun drink, and it packs a little punch.”
As for the best way to tackle it, Joe said there are no rules.
“A little sip, have a little bit of watermelon, have a bite of your pickle, have another sip. It’ll take you on a little flavour adventure.”
Unfortunately, the Picklet was only available at Malt & Juniper for the month-long competition and has since left the menu, although Joe hinted it may not be gone for good.
“I might sneakily bring it back for a little bit,” he said.
For now, the state title is enough reason to celebrate.
“It packs a little punch, so I’m pretty proud of the Picklet.”
To find out more about the competition, click here.
