Papa Johns’ 1st Cocktail Recipe Is a Brine-Green Pepperoncini Martini Mixed With Ryan Reynold’s Gin

(Photos: Papa Johns)

‘Tis the season for ridiculous martinis.

On Tuesday, Papa Johns ditched the pizza oven for the bar counter with its first-ever cocktail recipe — an anomalous concoction known only as the ‘Cini Tini. Within, you’ll find a healthy serving of Ryan Reynold’s Aviation Gin alongside a splash of pepperoncini pepper brine. From the sounds of it, the overall effect could be likened to a pickleback shot crossed with a spicy margarita.

In other words, buyer beware.

Papa Johns has long touted the yellowish-green peppers as the signature addition to every pizza box, so perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they’re putting the extra luggage to good use. However, it should be noted that the fast food chain does not have a liquor license, so any ‘Cini Tini cocktail mixing will need to happen within the comfort of your home.

“The pepperoncini is an iconic element of our menu and in our pizza boxes, and we’re always challenging ourselves by innovating to deliver unique flavor experiences for our customers.” Scott Uehlein, VP of Culinary at Papa Johns, remarked in a news release. “The flavor combination of the pepper elements and the botanical blend of Aviation American Gin is just what we all need for a refreshing, yet spicy martini.”

We’d argue that the cocktail falls well in line with the brand’s collection of Doritos Cool Ranch Papadias and Bacon Cheddarburger Pizzas. At a certain point, chains like Papa Johns and Taco Bell ask that you sacrifice a certain degree of sanity in favor of whatever oddball product is rolling off the shelves that week.

In other ways, Papa Johns is shockingly on-trend. The popularity of craft cocktails has birthed a new genre of savory, occasionally hoity-toity drinks that reinterpret dinnertime favorites. You’ve got the broccoli-tinged Broctail, the Margarita Al Pastor and, how could we forget, the viral Parmesan Espresso Martini.

New York City’s Double Chicken Please, voted the world’s 14th-best bar in 2024, has entire menus based around the concept. Guests at the moody hideaway can order a “Japanese Cold Noodle” made of rum, pineapple and sesame oil or a “Waldorf Salad” mixed with two kinds of scotch whisky, celery, ginger ale and walnut bitters. Incidentally, the bar’s most famous cocktail is its “Cold Pizza“; that one contains cheese-washed tequila, oolong tea, tomato water and egg white.

Papa Johns’ twist may not be refined, per se, but we welcome any attempt to shake up the formula.

‘Cini Tini Cocktail Recipe

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz Aviation Gin
• .5 oz Pepperoncini Brine
• “Your Favorite Papa Johns Pizza”

Directions

1. Chill a martini glass
2. To your shaker add 1/2 ounce pepperoncini brine and 1 1/2 ounces Aviation American Gin
3. Fill with ice and shake it
4. Strain and pour into a chilled glass
5. Garnish your ‘Cini Tini with your Papa Johns pepperoncini