The Hot Pink

Inspired by my favorite way to eat beets—with horseradish and a cider vinegar dressing—this savory beet shrub is a great match for a juniper-forward gin like Tanqueray. The finished product here has just a touch of heat from the horseradish.
As I've made more shrubs for cocktails, I've found that I often prefer something with less than a 1:1 ratio of syrup to vinegar. I definitely went light on the vinegar here, but you can add more to your taste if desired.

Special equipment: cocktail shaker, quart jar

Ingredients

serves makes 1 drink, makes 1 cup shrub syrup, enough for about 20 drinks, active time 15 minutes, total time 3 days

• For the Beet, Celery, and Horseradish Shrub Syrup:
• 6 ounces celery, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 medium beet (4 ounces), peeled and grated
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh horseradish, tightly packed
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
•  
• For the Hot Pink Cocktail:
• 3/4 ounce Beet, Celery, and Horseradish Shrub
• 2 ounces Tanqueray gin
• 3 ounces seltzer

Procedures

1. For the Beet, Celery, and Horseradish Shrub Syrup: Combine the celery, beets, horseradish, sugar, and salt in a quart jar. Shake to combine and refrigerate for 72 hours, shaking once a day to help dissolve the sugar.
   
2. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, pressing the solids to extract as much of the syrupy liquid as possible. Discard solids and add the vinegar to the syrup. Refrigerate until ready to use.
   
3. For the Hot Pink Cocktail: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add shrub syrup and gin. Shake until well-chilled, about 20 seconds.
   
4. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass, top with seltzer, stir to combine and serve.