I Tried Dua Lipa’s Viral Diet Coke Pickle Juice Cocktail—Here’s My Verdict

Pop sensation Dua Lipa has divided the internet with her Diet Coke cocktail, a mix of the soda, pickles and jalapeños.

Over the weekend, she shared a video of her unconventional mix, garnering 6.2 million views on TikTok and sparking controversy as fans rushed to try the concoction.

Star chef Gordon Ramsay even shared his reaction to Lipa’s liquid on the platform—he spat the drink straight out of his mouth in horror.

“Dua Lipa, for god’s sake girl, you’ll ruin your vocal chords,” he shouted, while choking on the Houdini singer’s soft beverage of choice.

Pickle juice entering the beverage world is not a new phenomenon. The pickleback is a popular drink in New York City bars, where punters take a shot of liquor followed by a chaser of pickle brine to soften the blow. Jalapeños are also popular additions to margaritas and more recently to rosé wine, thanks to another TikTok trend.

After seeing the divisive mix all over my TikTok for you page, I was intrigued. I can’t think of anything in this life I am more passionate about than pop princesses, Diet Coke and pickles. So, naturally, I had to try the bizarre mix-up of a few of my favorite things (cue Julie Andrews).

Some people opt for a cigarette or vape to break up their working day, while others go for a wholesome walk in the fresh air on their lunch break. But for me, a fundamental daily ritual is my Diet Coke break to reawaken my spirit on a long day.

Nothing compares to the zing of the processed, chemical liquid and the satisfying effervescence when my fingers crack open the can – and it must be ice cold. Swigging the nectar from a plastic bottle is almost sacrilegious.

I spend my mornings fantasizing about the post-lunch satisfaction of the artificial sweeteners tingling through my insides. Before I alarm the fitness gurus, I know it’s not good for me just because it’s sugar free and has no calories…

After studying Dua Lipa’s recipe carefully – It’s simply Diet Coke, pickle juice and jalapeño juice, with pickles and jalapeños to garnish.

I went to the closest grocery store to acquire the ingredients and recruited two of my colleagues to join me on this uncustomary DC break.

I was skeptical about marrying three of my favorite ingredients together. They are each so good on their own, and I feared it could have the same effect as bringing three of your closest friends from different groups together. In theory, a great idea, which in reality, can turn sour.

Taking on the role as master mixologist of the shared communal office space, I, like Dua Lipa, was met with some concerned stares from onlookers. Some corporate workers in a meeting gawped as I haphazardly put together the drink.

On reflection, I was an overenthusiastic bartender, and was overzealous with the pickle and jalapeño juice – pouring in far too much.

A sensation I have had many times before downing an unfamiliar drink, though not at this hour on a work day, hit me. “Is this going to make vomit?” I thought to myself.

However, as soon as I tasted the zingy concoction, I was pleasantly surprised.

The acidic tang of the juices complimented the crispier familiarity of the Diet Coke. One of my friends compared this added layer to Umami. Though, my other less impressed friend, said it tasted like a cheeseburger.

Personally, as a proud savory person, I found the sour vinegar of the pickles combined with the oh-so-familiar bite of Diet Coke to be a satisfying taste, comparable to the balancing components of a Bloody Mary, especially with my excessively large sandwich pickles.

However, after the initial excitement of the afternoon mocktail wore off, I longed for the original sharp fizz of a Diet Coke, which was dampened by the added brines, which made the mix quite sickly.

For me, the concoction gets an average score of 7/10. I would make the drink again, but next time with much less jalapeño and pickle juice, to try and retain the sharpness of the drink’s fizz.

As the old saying goes: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” And this drink has not quenched my desire for a good old fashioned can of Diet Coke poured into a glass, with a slice of lemon to garnish and ice.

Tomorrow, I will return to my usual fix.