Lately I've been working with Urban Roots Farm to develop an upcoming Ladies' Cocktail Night, a way to gather women together on the farm to celebrate making cocktails with in season flavors. We're collaborating with Copper Run Distillery, who make small batch spirits here in the Ozarks. I'm over the moon about both the menu and the prospect of women having an inspiring place to gather and chat about flavor. The menu features variations of a rum collins with citrus and herbs, two cocktails made with shrubs, and two types of smashes. This is going to be a seasonal event on the farm, so if you're local and miss this one, we'll have another in October.
I'll be sharing all of the recipes over the next few weeks, starting today with a homemade beet shrub and a cocktail called Don't Miss a Beet, which showcases the shrub. -Mallory
Beet Shrub
Makes about 16 ounces shrub
2 cups peeled and sliced dark red beets
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Add beets and vinegar to a blender and blend until pureed. Press the puree through a fine-mesh strainer, using a rubber spatula to push the liquid through. You'll have about 2 cups of beet juice and vinegar. Place the beet juice and vinegar in a sealable glass jar and add sugar and salt. Cover and let steep for 3 days. Press through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth to remove any additional solids, then pour through a funnel into a clean bottle. Add a cap to the bottle, shake vigorously, then store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Don't Miss a Beet (a beet lemon whiskey cocktail)
1.5 ounces Copper Run Small Batch Whiskey
2 ounce beet shrub
1 ounce lemon juice
dash of angostura bitters
mint sprig, for garnish
This recipes yields an 8 ounce (1/2 pint) drink, which is perfect for any extra canning jars you might have lying around. Combine whiskey, beet shrub, lemon juice and bitters in a cocktail shaker. Add a scoop of ice and shaker vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain the cocktail onto fresh ice then garnish with a sprig of mint.
