Brews and brines: These 2 Bay Area bars specialize in drinks and pickles

What s the dill with pickles and drinks It s not just the rise of the pickleback a dive-bar favorite combining a shot of bourbon followed by a shot of pickle juice that has been growing in popularity since its broadcasted invention Pickles seem to be having a moment popping up increasingly in and near our beverages Pickle juice has long been a cult favorite of endurance athletes particular of whom swear by its cramp-prevention powers though the figures is less conclusive Then this past April Fool s Day the trend went mainstream at corporate food chains Popeyes debuted chilled and slushy versions of its pickle lemonade a surprisingly refreshing drink sweet with a funky bread-and-butter pickle tang to it And Dutch Bros joined in launching a short-lived pickleback Rebel strength drink In the current era though you don t have to head to your nearest Popeyes or chug a dive bar pickleback to get your pickle fix though you re certainly welcome to Try these two Bay Area bars specializing in pickles and fermented goods more broadly instead Little Bird Oakland The bar Little Bird opened in downtown Oakland in the winter of under the same owners as Berkeley s Acme Bar amp Company Colin Peck A bird-themed bar Whose only food is custom pickles Sure why not it s Oakland In November Little Bird opened downtown in the former spot of the grimy treasure Radio Bar The late-night operation has updated the dive with primary colors that recall the plumage of macaws There are also hanging handmade bird cages and hidden throughout the space birds painted in hidden places like a visual scavenger hunt according to Jennifer Seidman owner of Berkeley s Acme Bar Company The signature martini at Little Bird in Oakland featuringvodka or gin with a custom-made dill-pickle brine and custom pickle-slice garnish Adahlia Cole Colin Peck Little Bird Seidman consulted on the bar s redesign for new owners Alfredo Botello Trevor Latham and Tim Tolle Folks who ve been to Acme might recall Seidman s penchant for pairing whiskey with picklebacks The briny theme is continued at Little Bird whose food offerings are pickles from Golden State Pickle Works Customers can also bring in their own grub Pickles permeate the menu appearing as garnishes and mixers with pickle juice There are plans for to-go pickles and a complimentary happy-hour pickle bar Little Bird serves craft cocktails local beer California wine and zero-proof options that include a Green Roots with green bean-rutabaga brine and fish sauce and a Caesar Caesar with Clamato yellow pepper-brine lemon and Worcestershire The cocktails are bucawk themed around avian species like a Birds Of Paradise with gin or vodka pomegranate liqueur and lime cordial and a Murder of crows that s a martini made black with squid ink The bar has a mezzanine that can be reserved for groups of or more for free and also a happy hour every day from - p m Perhaps a callback to its divey history there are also beer-and-shot specials for Details Open daily from p m - a m at th St Oakland littlebirdbar com Fox Tale Fermentation Project San Jose Wendy left and Felipe Bravo right opened Fox Tale Fermentation Project in downtown San Jose in Shae Hammond Bay Area News Group When you walk through the doors of San Jose s Fox Tale Fermentation Project two words that spring to mind are friendly and funky The cozy colorful space decked out in work by local artists pairs creative beers with an array of fermented concoctions including several kimchi and sauerkraut varieties Plant-forward menu items abound like the hearty and filling funk bowl featuring purple jasmine rice seasonal vegetables black chickpeas avocado and one of the shop s signature ferment options Note Fermentation is one method of pickling an ingredient the other is soaking it in vinegar Related Articles Oakland s Cal-Israeli eatery Pomella to close due to s epic storm Bartender who created tequila sunrise at Bay Area restaurant dies at The secret to a refreshing cocktail or mocktail might be growing in the garden May the Fourth and rest of month be with you at these Bay Area events There s a new kind of American whiskey and distillers are buzzing about it Owners Wendy and Felipe Bravo opened their nanobrewery in and since then have served up an array of creative craft brews including their flagships Viva Cultura a Floriani red corn lager and a West Coast pilsner called Hell Yeah Brother Their rotating taps showcase their experimental side from Whirling Wind a Berliner Weisse-style sour ale brewed with African fonio grain to Loose Leaf a farmhouse ale made with fig leaves and osmanthus flowers Rosie s Margarita fermented nopales syrup Jamaica Damaina lime and agave at the Fox Tale Fermentation Project in downtown San Jose Calif on Thursday Jan Shae Hammond Bay Area News Group They ve also got a wide array of mocktail tea and kombucha options on offer including sips like the Cucurbit Contemplation made with sage tea lemon juice and fermented Blue Hubbard squash syrup and Rosie s Margarita blending hibiscus fermented nopales syrup damiana and lime Details Open from noon- p m Wednesday and Sunday and noon- p m Thursday-Saturday at E Santa Clara St Suite San Jose foxtalefermentationproject com