3-Jar Gift Box of gourmet pickles by [PICKLES], made in small batches in Atlanta

October 16, 2026 · By Atlanta Pickles Team

Gourmet Pickles: What Makes a Pickle Gourmet (and the Jars Worth Trying)

"Gourmet pickles" gets printed on a lot of jars. Some of them earn it. Others are the same mass-market spear in a fancier label. If you are shopping for a pickle that actually tastes special, for yourself, a cheese board or a gift, it helps to know what the word should mean.

Here is how to spot a genuinely gourmet, specialty or artisanal pickle, the award-winning jars we make in Atlanta, how to serve them, and where to buy gourmet pickles online.

3-Jar Gift Box of gourmet pickles by [PICKLES], small-batch jars made in Atlanta — The 3-Jar Gift Box, our Pickle Party Pack

The short version: a gourmet pickle is made in small batches from a short, readable ingredient list, with a flavor a factory would not bother making. Ours are made in Atlanta in 17 oz glass jars, have won a 2026 Good Food Award and three more awards, and ship free in the US on 2 or more jars.

What makes a pickle "gourmet"?

There is no legal definition, so judge the jar, not the label. These are the five things we look for.

1. Small batches, made by people you can find

Gourmet pickles come from a kitchen where people taste each batch, not a line that runs the same formula around the clock. A good sign is a maker you can meet: ours are made in small batches in Atlanta, and you can find us at Atlanta-area farmers markets.

2. A short ingredient list you can read

Vegetable, vinegar, water, salt, herbs and spices. If the list is long and full of words you cannot pronounce, it is not gourmet, whatever the label says. Our pickles are also 79% lower in sodium than typical store-bought pickles, so the flavor comes from spices and brine rather than salt alone.

3. Flavors beyond plain dill

A specialty pickle maker goes where the big brands do not: ghost pepper, red jalapeño, green tomato, okra, golden beets, pickled lemon, watermelon rind. Range and personality are a big part of what makes a pickle gourmet.

4. Real crunch

A great pickle snaps. Limp, soggy spears are the clearest sign of a jar built for shelf life first and flavor second. Our post on why vinegar brine creates the perfect crunch explains more.

5. Glass jars

Glass keeps flavor clean, lets you see what you are buying, and reseals. Every jar we make is 17 oz glass with a resealable lid, shelf-stable for up to two years unopened.

Gourmet vs specialty vs artisanal vs craft pickles

People search for all four, and they mostly mean the same thing:

Gourmet pickles: higher-quality pickles with more interesting flavors, often bought as a treat or a gift.
Specialty pickles: anything outside the standard dill, sweet and relish aisle, such as pickled okra, spicy garlic or pickled fruit.
Artisanal or craft pickles: made by hand in small batches by an independent maker.
Fancy pickles: the everyday way of saying all of the above.

A jar can be all four at once. Ours are. For a closer look at the difference scale makes, read small-batch vs mass-produced pickles.

Award-winning gourmet pickles

Independent awards are one of the best shortcuts to a genuinely good jar. Ours, with the year and the jar:

The Spicy Garlic: Good Food Award, 2026. Garlic with habanero, 3 out of 5 on our heat scale.
The Green Tomatoes: Flavor of Georgia 2026 Category Winner. Garlicky, dill-forward green tomatoes.
The Banana Pickle: Flavor of Georgia Best Pickle, 2024. Named for banana peppers, and it is not spicy. It tastes like a well-balanced garlic dill.
The Ghost Pickle: Best Spicy, 2024 Artisan International Flavor Awards. Our hottest jar at 4 out of 5.

We have also been seen on The Today Show, and our customers rate us 4.9 out of 5 across 280+ reviews. The story behind the awards is in Georgia Pickles: Award-Winning Jars Made in Atlanta.

Gourmet pickles by flavor

We sort every jar into three families: Sour, Spicy and Sweet. Pick the family you love, then explore.

Sour

Our sour scale runs from The Dill Chips (least sour, with coriander and lemon-lime zest) to The Vintage (medium, classic pickling spice, earthy, with crushed bay leaf) to The Power Sour (the most sour). For a garlicky spear, try The Kosher Dill Spears.

Spicy

Heat is fixed, not opinion. Every jar with "Spicy" in its name is a 3 out of 5 made with habanero, and The Ghost Pickle is a 4 out of 5, the only one that truly stings. It also has the most ingredients of any pickle we make, because it is built for flavor, not just heat. See the full spicy pickles heat scale.

Sweet

The Bread and Butter is made with brown and white sugar and an enhanced cinnamon pickling spice. The Heat and Sweet adds red jalapeños for gentle warmth (read why we use red jalapeños). And The Grape Pickle is our November to December holiday pickle.

Beyond the cucumber

Some of our most specialty jars are not cucumbers at all: The Okra, The Golden Beets, The Pickled Red Onions (sour, not sweet) and pickled fruit like The Pickled Lemon and The Pickled Watermelon Rind, which tastes a lot like Sour Patch Kids. Our pickled vegetables guide covers the whole range.

Not sure where to start? Order two jars from different families, one sour and one spicy, say. Two jars unlock free US shipping, and you find out which side of the pickle world you are on.

How to serve gourmet pickles

On a cheese or charcuterie board. Mix textures and colors: a spear, a chip, okra and golden beets. Our charcuterie pickles guide has pairings.
In a Bloody Mary. Garnish with okra, spicy garlic or green beans, and add a splash of brine.
On burgers and sandwiches. Bread and butter chips for barbecue, dill chips for a deli sandwich.
Straight from the jar. The honest way most gourmet pickles get eaten.

Gourmet pickle gifts

Gourmet pickles make an easy, memorable gift. Our gift boxes hold two, three or six jars, with themed boxes like The Blazing Box and The Dill Box. You can build your own box, or send the [PICKLES] CLUB, six jars of new flavors every month. More ideas in how to build the perfect pickle gift basket.

Gourmet pickles FAQ

Are gourmet pickles worth the price?

If you care about crunch, a clean ingredient list and flavors you cannot find in a supermarket, yes. A 17 oz jar of ours is $16.95.

Do gourmet pickles need to be refrigerated?

Ours do not, until you open them. They are vinegar-brined and shelf-stable for up to two years unopened. After opening, keep the jar in the fridge. Read more about fermented vs vinegar-brined pickles.

Where can I buy gourmet pickles near me?

If you are in the Atlanta area, find us at local farmers markets. Anywhere else in the US, order online: we ship nationwide, free on 2 or more jars.

What is the best gourmet pickle for someone who does not like heat?

The Banana Pickle. Despite the name, it has no heat. It is a well-balanced garlic dill, and it won Best Pickle at Flavor of Georgia in 2024.

What is the best gourmet pickle gift?

A gift box with one jar from each flavor family, or a themed box that matches their taste. See our pickle gift box guide.

Where to buy gourmet pickles

You can order every jar straight from our site. Start with shop all pickles, browse the bestsellers, or read our checklist for the best pickles to buy online. Every jar is made in small batches in Atlanta, and shipping is free in the US on 2 or more jars.