Veggies have been taking the mixology scene by storm, and what better time to add some garden-based goodness to your cocktail menu than spring? From refreshing to sweet to savory, here are six vegetable-based cocktails that go beyond the basic Bloody Mary to provide flavors your customers are sure to love.
Green Garden Fizz
Drink your greens! Gin, cucumber, and elderflower make this effervescent cocktail so very refreshing.
Ingredients
1 ½ oz gin
¾ oz cucumber puree
½ oz elderflower liqueur
½ oz lime juice
Club soda
Fresh mint for garnish
Directions
Muddle mint in a shaker. Add remaining ingredients, shake with ice, and strain into a highball glass. Top with club soda. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
Just Beet It
Sweet beets get a fresh and spicy kick with a bit of ginger and silver tequila.
Ingredients
1 ½ oz beet-infused tequila (silver)
1 cup ginger juice
2 cups fresh lemon juice
2 cups simple syrup
2 oz ginger beer
Lemon twist for garnish
Instructions
To make the beet-infused tequila: Peel and chop 4 medium-sized beets into 1/4-inch cubes and add to a 750 mL bottle of Blanco Tequila. Infuse for 3 days then discard the beets. (The tequila should be a deep red color). Add ginger juice, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup. Shake together to combine. The mixture will keep for one week if refrigerated.
To make the cocktail: pour the beet-infused tequila into an ice-filled double rocks glass. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Carrot Orange Sour
Carrot juice + orange juice + bourbon = a perfect spring sour.
Ingredients
1/2 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
2 ounces bourbon
1/4 cup carrot juice
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 orange slice, halved
Directions
Put the orange juice, bourbon, carrot juice, and sugar in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake for 10 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with the orange slice.
Rosemary & Rhubarb
Rhubarb often gets overlooked compared to other veggies, but its uniquely tart flavor provides a strong backbone for complex (delicious) cocktails.
Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces apple vodka
3/4 oz lemon juice, freshly squeezed
3/4 oz rhubarb syrup
2 rosemary sprigs
Garnish: apple fan
Directions
To make the rhubarb syrup: Add one part rhubarb juice to four parts simple syrup and stir to combine. Will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 week.
To make the cocktail: Add the vodka, lemon juice, rhubarb syrup and rosemary sprigs into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Double-strain into a cocktail or coupe glass. Garnish with a skewered apple fan on a toothpick.
Tomato Basil Breeze
No shade to the Bloody Mary, but this savory cocktail takes those tomatoes up a notch.
Ingredients
1 cup of ripe tomatoes (any variety will do, as long as they are good quality)
1/2 cup of fresh Basil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
2 oz. vodka
1 tbsp. smoked sea salt for rim garnish
Extra tomato and basil, for garnish
Directions
To make basil simple syrup: Combine sugar, water, and basil in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let the syrup sit for 10 minutes. Remove basil from syrup and chill thoroughly. Syrup will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
To make the cocktail: Roughly chop tomatoes, then add to a food processor and pulse the until they are pureed. Strain the tomato juice through a fine mesh strainer and set aside. In a cocktail shaker, combine the vodka, tomato juice, and 4 tablespoons of the basil simple syrup and shake with a few ice cubes until the cocktail is chilled. Dip high ball glass rim into smoked salt, add ice cubes and strain cocktail into the glass. Garnish with basil and skewered tomatoes and serve immediately.
California Cooler
This herbaceous, refreshing, and complex cocktail is perfect for sipping outside on a warm spring evening.
Ingredients
1 1⁄2 oz dry gin
1⁄2 oz Sauvignon Blanc-Thyme syrup
1 bunch fresh Thyme
2 Bay leaves
2 ½ cups granulated sugar
1⁄2 oz fresh celery juice
1⁄2 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz chilled sparkling wine
Directions
To make Sauvignon Blanc–Thyme Syrup: In a small pot, bring 1 bottle (750 ml.) of Sauvignon Blanc to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and add 1⁄2 of a bunch of fresh thyme and 2 bay leaves. Allow to steep for 5 minutes, then strain to remove the solids. Add 2 1⁄2 cups of granulated sugar to the liquid and bring back to a simmer, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved. Let cool, then bottle for use; keeps refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
To make the cocktail: Shake the first four ingredients with ice, then strain into a chilled glass. Top with the sparkling wine, then garnish.
These innovative recipes showcase the versatility of vegetables, proving they can be just as delightful in a cocktail glass as they are on a dinner plate. So, raise your veggie-infused glass and toast to the vibrant world of vegetable mixology!
