Maybe I have too much time on my hands, though I can’t see how that’s true with my hectic schedule.
Maybe I am just naturally curious.
But I somehow got it in my head that I needed to “invent” a cocktail using the strangest possble ingredient I could think of. I chose beets. But you know what? Beet cocktails are not strange at all, in fact they are quite trendy. Just surf the web if you don’t believe me. I did.
Mark Bittman featured a beet cocktail in his column. It’s a version of a gin and tonic blushed red with a beet infused simple syrup served in a salt-rimmed glass. The whole concept did not really appeal to me. I am a G&T purist. But I did like his frozen beet stem as a swizzle stick!
Master Mixologist Michael Cecconi has one he calls a Root Cause. It’s a beety-based riff on an a whiskey Manhattan. Clever and very intriguing…
I found a recipe for a Spiced Beet Cocktail in Bridget Albert’s book Market Fresh Mixology. How does a Beet Mojito sound to you? Well that’s already been done too by Chef Katsuya Fukushima at Cafe Atlantico, in D.C.
The more I searched the more recipes I found. In fact some of them even started sounding quite good to me. Especially a very sensibly constructed Beet Sangria from New York’s Tailor or The Beetnik, a vodka based drink with ginger & beets that is on the menu at the Dogwood Cocktail Cabin in Colorado.
At least one blogger beat me to the idea too (pardon the pun), ‘cuz I read about a beet flavored tequila at The Humble Kitchen.
But once I found out that there is beet cocktail from the mind of Lucy Brenner I knew Sup! just had to get into the fray too. Lucy is the owner of 2 great bars in the Portland area called Mint and 820. Playboy considers her to be one of the best bartenders in the country. She calls her beet cocktail the Ruby, and it starts with beet infused vodka.
I have to admit I had planned on infusing beets into a liquor for my cocktail as well. Only I wanted to infuse the essence of deep red beets into rum. I chose rum because I like the combination of beets and ginger. I think ginger goes nicely with rum too.
Besides one of my favorite cocktails of all is the Dark and Stormy from Barbados, which is a potent mix of rum and ginger beer. So it was not too far a stretch for me to adapt this cocktail into a beety beauty. Further research revealed that there is another Caribbean drink called Jamaican Beet Juice, which contains a small amount of rum. Which further emboldened me.
So let’s just say this concoction is my gift to Jamaica because Barbados has the Dark and Stormy and now (thanks to me) Jamaica has the Red Storm.
CLICK here for a printable recipe
Jamaican Red Storm: serves 1
- 2 ounces beet infused rum (recipe follows)
- 3 ounces ginger beer
- 1 oz dark rum
Combine the beet infused rum, and ginger beer in a tall glass full of ice cubes. Using the back of a spoon float dark rum on top and stir gently. Garnish with a frozen beet stem.
Beet-Infused Rum: makes about 750ml
- 3 small raw red beets (trimmed, peeled, and cut into quarters)
- 1 bottle (750 ml) light rum
Put the beets in a wide-mouthed glass jar with a lid. Add the rum and seal the container tightly. The mixture will immediately turn a bright red. Store the rum in a cool dark place for 3 days, rotating the jar to mix at least once a day. After 3 days remove and discard the beets, using a slotted spoon. Replace the lid and store in the refrigerator for up to six months.
SERIOUS FUN FOOD
Greg Henry
SippitySup
Many of the necessary vitamins are found in garlic as a natural antibiotic and food should be consumed in more than gives great flavor
Yup, I do seem to have a lot of damn opinions about potatoes, but that’s my job 🙂 I wouldn’t argue with either of your versions of mash, though — bring ’em on.
We do all love mashed potatoes but I beg to differ — there are okay mashed potatoes, good mashed potatoes, better mashed potatoes and then there are fabulous mashed potatoes! Both of your versions look and sound like really fantastic versions and I must try both. Thanks for the double whammy! (and this chick does love sup!)
Having mashed potatoes is a total given for our Thanksgiving table (though one of these days, I’m going to switch it up with scalloped potatoes and see what the reaction might be). Thank you for the tip about returning the cooked ‘taters to the pan to dry; I’ve been mashing them as soon as the water drains from the colander.
As for the mashed potatoes with bacon and cheddar cheese, that is serious stuff!
When I first read the title, I was like..simple all the way. But then I got to sumptuous. Wow. Um…sumptuous for me please.
Thanks for stopping by and reading my mashed potatoes story and letting me use your picture. I’m going to make some mashed potatoes out of the box, so I can take a picture to add to the post. And of course, I love, love, love your point of view and writing in your posts. You are awesome!
This looks like a terrific holiday recipe! Delicious!
Just reading this. Beautiful. Who is eating all this glorious food.
I know this chick loves Sup! You are quite snarky. On another note, I’m going to disagree. I would NOT make mashed potatoes. But I have to. Come to my blog and find out why if you want to know. By the way, I just used your photo and started my post talkng about you. Let me know if I should take it down.
.…but we do our potatoes like this —
ha ha ha THUMP! Sorry fell off the chair.
Nah, these look great and the first one is very close to the one we make. But damn, bacon AND cheddar? I have GOT to try some of that one.
And no, I still don’t like fish;)
You’re a little snarky tonight! By the way, I have the same post and almost the identical photos for monday that I wrote last week so don’t be suprised when you see it. Oh well, guess we are on the same wave length!
Your potatoes look delicious 🙂
I don’t know what I would do without mashed potatoes. Really I don’t. It’s the thing that every table should not be without. I prefer bacon and cheese on mine. Though, I can eat it any way served.
Couldn’t agree — mashed potatoes are such an automatic “must-have” on that Thanksgiving table. Of course, where else would you put your gravy?