5 Fresh Vegetable Juices That Go Perfectly With Cocktails
Vegetable juices provide cocktails a savory taste, perhaps giving it some body as well. There are a number of these drinks that aren't widely available in bars, so trying them out for yourself will require you to make them at home. It's worth it though, as they are delicious!
In this article, we will feature six of the most common veggie juices that are popularly added to cocktails.
1. Cucumber Juice
Some people think that cucumbers are only good for making tea or vegetable juice, but the truth is they can be quite useful in cocktails too.
One of the reasons cucumber juice is so popular in cocktails is because it compliments gin's botanical flavors beautifully. As a result, cucumbers are often used as a garnish for gin and tonic.
To make cucumber juice, the vegetable needs to be peeled completely first, and both ends need to be cut off and discarded. The remaining flesh should be cut into pieces before tossing them into the juicer.
If you choose to blend your cucumber, a pulpy mixture will then be created. When you strain this, you'll get cucumber juice that you can use for cocktails.
Each cucumber only yields a small amount of juice, but this is irrelevant since most cocktails only use a tiny amount. Here are some alcoholic drinks that you can make with this vegetable juice:
- Cucumber Juice Gimlet
- Cucumber Cocktail
- Summer Wind Cocktail
2. Beet Juice
You might have heard about beet juice. It's a powerful antioxidant with many health benefits, including heart disease prevention and improved athletic performance. Plus, it gives your cocktails a bright red color, making them stand out.
Here are some beet juice cocktails that are fun to try:
- Savory Gin Cocktail with Cynar and Beet Juice
- Cure-All Cocktail
-
Beet and Carrot Juice Cocktail
3. Tomato Juice
Many people might not know that tomatoes are actually fruits! They're technically berries, but everyone normally treats them like vegetables. Including them on this list is cheating slightly, however, it’s hard to ignore this classic ingredient.
Bloody Mary comes to mind when we discuss tomato juice cocktails and many bars stock tomato juice because of this. You just need to have the best juicer for tomatoes to make that delicious drink.
Bloody Mary is not for the faint of heart. Don't be fooled by its simple ingredients list - this spicy cocktail packs quite a punch with both heat and acidity!
It's made from tomato juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, salt and pepper mixed in equal measures alongside any type of non-flavored vodka. However, some types of vodka are better than others so be sure to choose the one that suits your taste.
Vegetable Juice Mocktail is another vegetable juice recipe that uses lots of tomatoes and is really delicious, however it doesn’t use any alcohol.
4. V8 Vegetable Juice
V8 traditionally contains eight different vegetables, with tomato juice as the main ingredient. This way, it can easily be substituted for tomato juice in a Bloody Mary.
The Spicy Hot version of V8 will make the cocktail even more interesting. Instead of tomato juice, you can use it to create any of the Bloody Mary variations.
5. Carrot Juice
In liquid form, carrots are naturally sweet and vibrant in color. They are more than just good for your eyes; carrots can also be great cocktail mixers! Try these carrot juice cocktails if you're looking to spruce up that old favorite drink:
- Carrot-Ginger Beer
- Carrot Whiskey Cocktail
- Carrot Margaritas
- Bunny Mary
- Spicy Carrot Martini
Conclusion
The next time you are looking for a sweet or creamy cocktail, don't forget that there are plenty of options out there besides traditional ones. It may be worth your while to try something savory, like vegetable juice cocktails.
What's even better is that you can make them at home with minimal effort. Whether it's the sweetness from carrot juice or the creaminess of cucumber and celery juices, these drinks could quickly become your new favorite drink.
Have you tried any vegetarian cocktails yet? Let us know which one is your favorite!
Rick Williams is passionate about food and drink, including sous vide, slow cooking, grilling, smoking, and homemade pizzas. In addition to making his own beer, wine, cider, kombucha, and sake, he is also a whiskey enthusiast!
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