Look, I’m not here to pretend I just discovered pickles. I have been a devoted, card-carrying member of the brine fan club for a long time. My pantry has always been stocked with mason jars, I’ve braved the chaotic world of pickle candy, I swear by pickle freezies as the ultimate electrolyte hack on a scorching summer day and I even carry a pickle lip gloss in my bag.
So while I’ve been drenching my life in dill for years, it seems the rest of Toronto has finally caught up to my level of obsession. What used to be a humble side dish resting silently beside a deli sandwich has taken over the entire city, morphing from a simple burger topping into the star of local menus, craft beer taps and cocktail lists.
The high-risk, high-reward CNE experiments
Nothing illustrates our current brine mania better than the culinary gamble that was the Canadian National Exhibition this year. When a food trend goes mainstream in Toronto, the Ex becomes its ultimate testing ground — and pickles dominated the midway.
Naturally, I had to put my tastebuds on the line for science. First up: the infamous pickle coffee. I say this with love for the craft, but it was absolutely horrid — a chaotic collision of bitter espresso and salty garlic brine that my palate will never fully forgive. But just when I thought we’d pushed the trend too far, I tried the pickle cheesecake. Against all logical odds, it ended up being my absolute favourite treat of the day. The sharp, tangy cut of the pickle sliced straight through the rich, sweet cream cheese in a way that was nothing short of genius.
From the pantry to the pint glass
That CNE duality is the exact spirit driving Toronto’s broader pickle boom. There is a brilliant, slightly unhinged energy to how local chefs, brewers and bartenders are handling brine right now. We’re no longer just asking for extra spears on the side — we’re drinking them.
Toronto’s craft breweries have embraced the sour, salty profile with pickle-infused lagers that hit the exact right balance between crisp, refreshing beer and tangy dill goodness. Over at the bar, the classic pickleback shot has grown up into sophisticated pickle-juice martinis, spicy micheladas laced with garlic brine and Caesar rims packed with dill weed and dehydrated pickle dust.
Finding the brine tribe
As it turns out, I’m far from the only one in this city who treats dill like a personality trait. "Pickles give people an easy excuse to connect, eat and have a good time," says Adin Wener, chief pickle promoter and co-founder of Picklefest Canada. "Social media simply gave pickle lovers a way to find one another and be louder about it."
Co-founder Kate agrees, pointing out that the obsession comes down to pure, unfiltered fun: "The pickle is a perfect platform for connection: It’s highly shareable, a little absurd and doesn’t take itself too seriously. Pickle people bring the tang. They are the zest in life."
In praise of the pucker
Call it a trend if you want, but for those of us who have been sipping straight from the jar since day one, Toronto’s pickle era feels like a long-overdue victory. The city has finally realized that life is simply better when it’s a little extra sour. So grab a cold pickle beer, request double dill on everything and embrace the pucker.
Planning to join the brine tribe in person? Foodism readers can use code FOODISM20 to save on tickets for Picklefest Toronto!
