Why sweet will be sour in 2014

The pickleback, an American invention (origins otherwise unknown) is quite simply a shot of whisk(e)y and a shot of pickle juice.

While top cocktail bars have been offering them for some time, and by all accounts Brewdog bars in Scotland have been almost unable to keep up with demand this year, insiders seem sure that 2014 will be the year the pickleback goes mainstream.

In fact, managed pub and bar group TCG has already revealed it will be “the first mainstream operator” to offer the drink​ on its menus from this month (see right).

This is the latest play from the spirits industry, as it attempts to lure new drinkers into the category​.

Having won over women with refreshing long mixed drinks, their main target now needs to be 28 to 45-year-old men, aka beer drinkers.​

Research shows that 6.7m of this group said they had consumed beer in the last seven days and if just one of those becomes a spirit, the boost will be significant.

The pickleback hits this market right between the shoulderblades – a challenging, masculine and no nonsense serve (there are no cocktail umbrellas in a pickleback).

Let’s be clear about this, it is unlikely to be the new mojito (57% of all cocktails sold in the on-trade are still mojitos) but it is exactly the sort of offer spirits companies need to push in order to take a slice of the beer market.

In 2014 sour will be sweet.