Birmingham, we have discovered a genuine Magic City original on Crestwood Boulevard – The Pickle Sandwich at True Story Brewing.

Over the past week, I heard rumors on social media, that someone was making one in town – so of course I had to investigate.

Discovered! True Story Brewing

After some sleuthing on social media, I discovered True Story Brewing, a the neighborhood brewery next to Seasick Records and Thank You Books had invented, what I believe is the first pickle sandwich in our community.

The Creator – Brewmaster Craig

I hopped on down to True Story Brewing to see if the pickle sandwich story was real or false (you’ve got to careful these days on the internet).

Once I arrived at the brewery, the bartender ushered me to the back to meet Brewmaster Craig Shaw.

He proudly owned up to his creation, and started making me one.

“I had seen something like it before and I really like pickles and wanted one,” Brewmaster Craig said with a knowing grin. So I found the biggest pickles I could find.”

How make it

He proceeded to show how to make the sandwich.

“I had to figure how to hollow it out, and how to make it less slippery I have to dry the pickle and the cold cuts, so it is not a slippery mess when you hold onto it and bite into it. There was a learning curve developing this. It was messy in the beginning, but we got a method down.”

Below are photos and a video documenting Brewmaster Craig’s creation:

“It is delicious, especially if you like pickles, you are really going to love this.”

True Story Brewing is a great place

Obviously, True Story Brewing is more than a place where you can get a pickle sandwich. They have a fantastic saison (I tried it myself), double IPA and a vanilla cupcake porter. They also have hot dogs and wide a variety of local beers. There is also a pinball machine.

A welcoming place, the bartender and the patrons were all friendly, Brewmaster Craig. It is definitely place I intend to come back to.

Location

Here is True Story Brewing‘s address:

5510 Crestwood Blvd

Birmingham, Alabama

See you there! Perhaps we can have a beer and pickle sandwich.

Pat Byington Longtime conservationist. Former Executive Director at the Alabama Environmental Council and Wild South. Publisher of the Bama Environmental News for more than 18 years. Career highlights include playing an active role in the creation of Alabama's Forever Wild program, Little River Canyon National Preserve, Dugger Mountain Wilderness, preservation of special places throughout the East through the Wilderness Society and the strengthening (making more stringent) the state of Alabama's cancer risk and mercury standards.