Generations of Americans knew where to find pickles: sprinkled on top of their hot dogs, hidden inside hamburger buns, and tucked next to deli sandwiches. Now, people seeking that distinctive briny tang can sip from a pickle lager at a barbecue, douse plain chicken and rice with dill pickle seasoning, and snack on pickle-flavored potato chips by the pool. Brands even sell pickle juice on its own — pickle-free — for use in salty, zingy cocktails or refreshing probiotic supplements. What was once a boring sidekick is now the main character. Thanks to a “pickle renaissance” in the past decade, the humble pickle has become to summer what pumpkin spice is to fall. Unlike pumpkin spice, which has settled in to be such a seasonal cliche that people feel the need to defend it, pickle is still crisp and new. While pickle pops may not hold their place in the freezer case as long as the real thing will endure in the condiment aisle, pickle everything is here to stay.
