On National Pickle Day, November 14, The Original Pickle Shot is launching a 'Biggest Pickle Lover' contest that asks fans 21 and older to submit short videos showcasing their passion for pickles — with one winner walking away with a $5,000 Visa gift card before the holiday season.

The contest runs through November 28 and is built entirely around social media participation. Entrants post a 30- to 60-second original video on a public Instagram or Facebook account, tag the brand, and include the hashtags #BiggestPickleLover2026 and #ContestEntry. The brand's team selects five finalists by approximately December 1; public voting then runs through December 5, with the winner determined by a mix of panel judging and fan votes, to be announced around December 8.

Why It Matters

For on-premise operators and beverage buyers, the campaign is worth watching as a case study in low-cost brand activation. User-generated content contests cost a fraction of paid media while simultaneously driving organic social reach and reinforcing brand identity at the shelf and bar level. The timing — keyed to a niche but growing food observance and closing just before the holiday gifting window — reflects a disciplined promotional calendar that aligns brand exposure with peak spirits purchasing.

The brand itself has built significant on-premise distribution: the product is now available in more than 15,000 bars, restaurants, and retail stores across 46 states. Nielsen recently ranked The Original Pickle Shot among the 10 largest flavored vodka brands in the country, a milestone that underscores how pickle-flavored spirits have moved from novelty to mainstream bar staple. For the beverage industry analysis perspective, the pickle flavor trend — once dismissed as a gimmick — has now produced a category leader with measurable national scale.

The Product and Its Reach

Launched in 2018, TOPS is a 30-proof, five-times-distilled vodka blended with proprietary pickle brine. It is available in Original Dill and Spicy Dill variants and comes in 750ml, 375ml, and 50ml formats — the last of which is well-suited for well placements and backbar upsell opportunities. The brand positions the liquid as a standalone ready-to-pour vodka rather than a pickleback chaser, which broadens its cocktail application from shots to Bloody Marys and pickle martinis.

According to a YouGov survey cited by the company, nearly three out of four American adults report liking or loving pickles, a consumer preference that has fueled restaurant technology coverage of pickle-centric menu development and flavored spirit adoption across the casual dining and bar segments. CEO Laura Becraft framed the contest as a direct expression of the brand's existing fan intensity: "Our fans aren't shy about telling us how much they love pickles, or The Original Pickle Shot. We figured it was time to put all that pickle love to good use."

For bar managers and beverage directors evaluating flavored vodka placements heading into the new year, the contest's social mechanics offer a secondary benefit: free, authenticated content from real consumers that can supplement brand storytelling at the point of sale.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is The Original Pickle Shot contest and how do operators factor this into their marketing calendar?

It's a $5,000 UGC contest running through November 28 where consumers post 30-60 second videos on Instagram or Facebook with specific hashtags for a chance to win. For on-premise operators, this is a textbook low-cost activation that drives organic social reach and shelf visibility without burning media budget—the brand handles promotion while you benefit from customer engagement at the bar.

How big is The Original Pickle Shot's actual distribution footprint, and does that matter to my venue?

The brand is in 15,000+ locations across 46 states and ranks in Nielsen's top 10 flavored vodka brands nationally. If you're not stocking it yet, that market penetration signals serious on-premise demand—this isn't a regional novelty anymore, it's a category player.

When does voting happen, and should I be pushing this contest to my bar customers?

Five finalists are selected by December 1, public voting runs December 5, and the winner drops December 8. You have about two weeks to promote the contest to your guests and drive video submissions before the voting window closes—this timing hits right before holiday gifting season when spirits sales peak.

Is pickle-flavored spirits actually a trend, or is this brand just banking on novelty?

Nielsen data shows The Original Pickle Shot is a top-10 flavored vodka brand nationally, proving pickle spirits moved from gimmick to mainstream bar staple. Your customer base is already asking for it—this contest capitalizes on genuine category momentum, not manufactured hype.

What do I need to know as a buyer considering this brand for my operation?

The product has national scale (46 states, 15,000+ locations), proven Nielsen ranking, and an active marketing engine running UGC campaigns tied to the promotional calendar. Add it to your flavored vodka lineup if you're not carrying it—the brand's doing your marketing legwork with campaigns like this.