Beet vodka only takes three days to steep, and the end result is a deep red infusion that’s slightly sweet, with an earthy aftertaste—it’s dangerously smooth and delicious. Bonus: The Romans believed beets were an aphrodisiac, so pour some out on Valentine’s Day and let this beet booze get you in the banging mood.
Making the Beet Vodka
Wash, peel, and cube three medium beets and place them in a dry, clean, half-gallon Mason jar. Fill the jar with a liter of vodka (we used Tito’s). Seal the jar and shake well. Store in a dark place and shake at least once a day for at least three days. Strain the beets out of the infusion and pour the liquid back into the jar. Toss the beets. If you don’t down the entire jar right away, you can store the remainder in the fridge.
Making the Ultimate Bloody Mary
For the Bloody Mary base, combine equal parts beet-infused vodka and V8 juice. We used a half-cup of V8 and a half-cup of beet-infused vodka for one serving.
Run a wedge of lemon around the edge of your glass and roll it in a dish of Old Bay seasoning or celery salt. Fill the glass halfway with ice and pour in your Bloody Mary base. Then add any or all of the following ingredients:
A squeeze of lemon
1–2 dashes Tabasco sauce
1–2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 pinch of celery salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
1–2 teaspoons prepared
horseradish
This recipe is very easily adjusted, so if you don’t like horseradish, skip it. If you like an extra kick, add an extra drop of hot sauce. Just taste as you go, until you get your concoction just right.
Garnishes
To really take it to the next level, stick one (or all) of these on a skewer:
Stuffed olives
Pickled veggies like beets, okra, peppers, asparagus, or green beans
Pickles
Large caper berries
Shrimp
And stick some of these straight into the glass:
Celery
Bacon
A lobster claw (This is for the championship round.)
By Callie Watts
Photographed by Vanessa Rees
This article originally appeared in the print edition of BUST Magazine. Subscribe today!
