We love beets! Beets taste of the soil in which they were grown and they are our icon, our mascot. Beets were also a major staple in the kitchen when the three of us starting cooking and working together – so we are and always will be fond of beets.
Our writing often focuses on seasonality and this beet-based cocktail is certainly one that will fit the bill for this immediate season – Halloween night.
You can happily greet trick-or-treaters at the door with a little extra warmth in your belly and bounce in your step. The blood-red colour of this drink is a result of using fresh beet puree, which would make a great accompaniment to a vampire costume. Come to think of it, pairing drinks with costumes is also a great strategy for a Halloween party!
Need a quick dinner idea this All Hallow’s Eve? Imagine how festive your Halloween table would be with our Stuffed Pumpkin at the center and a pitcher of Beet Gin Fizzes for your guests!
Of course, you can also make this drink without the booze and, voila, you have the Beet Chiller, a healthy and spooky libation… perfect for the kids. (Serve in a creepy cup for extra effect!)
Happy Drinking (and Halloween!)
-Jonathan Duffy Davis
Fresh Beet Gin Fizz Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
1 serving
2 ounces beet puree (recipe below)
1.5 ounces gin
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Soda water to taste/to fill glass – approximately 3-4 ounces
Ice cubes
Finely grated lemon zest for garnish
Method
Combine beet puree, gin, honey, lemon juice, and a few small cubes of ice in a cocktail shaker-glass
Stir mixture until honey is dissolved and cocktail is sufficiently chilled
Add 2 – 3 ice cubes to an 8-ounce old-fashioned/lowball cocktail glass
Strain cocktail into glass and add enough soda water to fill
Garnish with finely grated lemon zest
Beet Puree Recipe
Ingredients
2 medium sized beets – about 0.5 lb
1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar
¼ cup of water
Method
Begin to boil water in a vegetable steamer or similar apparatus
Wash and peel beets and dice them into ½” cubes
Place diced beets in a vegetable steamer and steam until tender – approximately 10 – 15 minutes
Move beets from steamer to blender and add honey/agave nectar and water
Blend until you can’t blend no more
Strain beet puree through a fine-mesh sieve