Brooklyn’s Pickle Craze Takes Over Greenpoint

Greenpoint’s gone pickle-mad this winter, with Brooklynites brining everything from cukes to carrots. At Pickle Palace on Nassau Avenue, owner Mia Chen’s selling out jars of spicy dill faster than she can ferment them. Last night, a line stretched around the block for her latest batch, infused with ghost peppers. Local bars are pouring pickleback shots—whiskey chased with brine—like it’s the new IPA. It’s a tangy obsession sweeping NYC’s hippest borough. Chen calls it ‘the sour revolution.’

The craze kicked off when a food fest crowned Chen’s garlic-dill mix ‘Pickle Queen’ last fall. She’s since added kimchi-style pickles and pickled beets, each jar a neon-hued work of art. Customers range from hipsters to Polish grandmas, nodding to Greenpoint’s roots. A DIY pickling class last week sold out in hours, with attendees clutching mason jars like trophies. Chen’s even got a podcast, ‘Brine Time,’ dishing recipes and lore. It’s peak Brooklyn—quirky, communal, and a little tart.

Some locals roll their eyes, dubbing it a fad for overpriced jars—$12 a pop stings in this economy. Health buffs tout probiotics, but skeptics say it’s just salty hype. A rival shop, Sour Patch, opened two streets over, sparking a brine battle with sweeter takes. Still, the buzz is undeniable—pickle merch like T-shirts and pins is popping up at flea markets. Greenpoint’s never smelled so pungent, and folks are eating it up—literally.

Chen’s eyeing a Manhattan outpost if the craze holds, but for now, Greenpoint’s her kingdom. ‘Pickles are comfort in a jar,’ she says, stirring a vat of bubbling brine. The trend’s got legs—rumors swirl of a pickle fest this spring. Whether it’s a passing phase or NYC’s next food staple, it’s souring the borough in style. Swing by Pickle Palace—just bring your own bread for the full experience.