Cocktail recipes made with vegetable juice. Yup. I know it may seem like a long shot but, believe me, you’ll understand why I went there as soon as you look at these recipes. More and more, mixologists are playing with the bright, fresh, crisp, and earthy flavors that you can glean from fresh pressed vegetable juice. And remember: A lot of veggies, like carrots and beets, have a natural sweetness perfectly enhanced by a splash of simple syrup—and, apparently, booze.
So go ahead and raise a glass to Earth Day, and feel good doing it, too.
Related: Tasty cocktails from organic liquor are a perfect way to toast Earth Day.
Using carrot juice to make a cocktail strikes me as a gimme. After all, it’s naturally sweet—even without a splash of simple syrup—and is a good counterpoint for spicy flavors, like in this recipe for Carrot Chili Margaritas (above) at Heather Christo. Plus, let’s be real, anything tastes good mixed into a margarita.
I’m intrigued by this Carrot-Aperol Cocktail for several reasons. One, the recipe is from a well-respected bar in Los Angeles, and two, it’s part of a series on Eater featuring simple cocktails from bars across the country that you can actually make. And—yes, there’s more—it’s made with Aperol, one of my favorite warm weather cocktail ingredients. I’m sold, and you should be, too.
Though I think it might be a harder sell to some of you, I feel that beet juice, like carrot juice, is also a natural cocktail mixer. Its slightly sweet and earthy flavor are a great backdrop for bright citrus juice and spicy gin like in this gorgeous Beet Twist Cocktail at My Diary of Us.
This Fresh Beet, Citrus, and Ginger Cocktail at The Year in Food takes a slightly different approach by amping up the citrus, adding spice from ginger, and keeping the alcohol in the background with more neutral vodka. Honesty, it sounds like a perfect refresher for a warm spring or summer evening.
Related: Green juice cocktail and mocktail recipes. We went there, and it’s good.
I was amazed to find this delicious-looking cocktail made with fresh celery juice. It might sound funny, but celery soda, a staple at New York-style delis, is a refreshing drink and, honestly, one of my favorites. So why not in a simple cocktail like this one: A Walk in the Weeds at Reclaiming Provincial. I’m game. In fact, I think this simple cocktail might become a summer favorite—as long as I can juice celery in a big batch.
Cucumber drinks are nothing new at this point, but I especially love this Strawberry Cucumber Cocktail at The Almond Eater because it highlights the best part of why cucumber works in drinks: its clean flavor. This drink could’t be easier to make and you have to love a cocktail that makes you feel like you’re at the spa.
Green Margarita | Food Network
We’re ending with a green drink, because Earth Day! We’re also ending with a margarita, because MARGARITAS! After all, why have one, when you can have two? This Green Margarita that we found at Food Network strikes us as the perfect way to toast the planet. Plus, a bit of dark leafy greens in your cocktail totally justifies a second drink.
