We're a gin household. Well, and bourbon. And rum. Ok, and tequila and mezcal. Pretty much all forms of wine and spirits are welcome. That is, however, except for vodka. We've always had a bottle in the cabinet, but I don't remember the last time it's been put to use. But here we are with a vodka cocktail. And it's one that I quite enjoyed preparing (and, of course, consuming). It all started with an offer from Prairie Organic Spirits to see if I'd like to try a sample. Well, yes, I was up for giving it a go. Even before it arrived, I knew the direction I wanted to take the drink in. Years ago, friends/bartenders of mine put together a beet cocktail that totally impressed me. You think that beets, with their strong earthy (read: dirty) notes, especially in their raw/juiced form, wouldn't do well in a cocktail. When paired with lemon juice and a touch of sweetness, however, the whole thing came to life.
That one was a red beet cocktail, but seeing that we only had golden beets in our fridge, I went with those. I got the juicer going and out came a beautiful yellow liquid. Finished off with some lemon juice and rosemary simple syrup, there are some really bright and rich flavors here. While the vodka doesn't stand out, I'm not sure any other spirit would do as well paired with those ingredients.There's a bit more creaminess to this vodka than you find in others, which gives a little body to the drink. Yes, it's neutral. But in this case, that's a good thing.
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Beet, Lemon, Rosemary and Vodka Cocktail
Yield 1 cocktail
Equipment
Juicer (to prepare the beet juice)
Jigger
Cocktail shaker
Ingredients
For the cocktail
3/4 oz golden (or red) beet juice
1 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz rosemary simple syrup (ingredients and recipe below)
2 oz vodka (I used Prairie Organic Vodka)
Directions
1. Add the beet juice, lemon juice, rosemary simple syrup and vodka into a cocktail shaker, along with three or four ice cubes. Shake for 15 seconds and strain into a coup or martini glass.
Rosemary Simple Syrup
Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped
Directions 1. Bring sugar and water to a boil in a small sauce pan. Add the rosemary. Simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Take off heat and let the mixture sit for an additional 10 minutes before straining. Strain the rosemary out of the simple syrup. Let the syrup cool completely before using. Store in a container in the refrigerator for up to a month.
