The Hot Pink
- Yield:makes 1 drink, makes 1 cup shrub syrup, enough for about 20 drinks
- Active time:15 minutes
- Total time:3 days
- Rated:
[Photograph: Autumn Giles]
Inspired by my favorite way to eat beets—with horseradish and a cider vinegar dressing—this savory beet shrub is a great match for a juniper-forward gin like Tanqueray. The finished product here has just a touch of heat from the horseradish.
As I've made more shrubs for cocktails, I've found that I often prefer something with less than a 1:1 ratio of syrup to vinegar. I definitely went light on the vinegar here, but you can add more to your taste if desired.
About the Author: Autumn Giles is a writer in Queens, NY. You can see her work on Autumn Makes & Does, listen to her talk on the Alphabet Soup Podcast, and talk at her on twitter.
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Ingredients
- For the Beet, Celery, and Horseradish Shrub Syrup:
- 6 ounces celery, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1 medium beet (4 ounces), peeled and grated
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh horseradish, tightly packed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- For the Hot Pink Cocktail:
- 3/4 ounce Beet, Celery, and Horseradish Shrub
- 2 ounces Tanqueray gin
- 3 ounces seltzer
Directions
-
1.
For the Beet, Celery, and Horseradish Shrub Syrup: Combine the celery, beets, horseradish, sugar, and salt in a quart jar. Shake to combine and refrigerate for 72 hours, shaking once a day to help dissolve the sugar.
-
2.
Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, pressing the solids to extract as much of the syrupy liquid as possible. Discard solids and add the vinegar to the syrup. Refrigerate until ready to use.
-
3.
For the Hot Pink Cocktail: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add shrub syrup and gin. Shake until well-chilled, about 20 seconds.
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4.
Strain into an ice-filled highball glass, top with seltzer, stir to combine and serve.