Whimsymaxxing! It’s happening, people. To your clothes, your homes, car colors — even your cocktails. But you don’t need to get all bedazzly about it; look no further for inspiration than right under foot. Or, perhaps, deep under foot.
A wonderful aspect of the modern cocktail movement is that flavor ideas end only with your imagination (and, well, whether it tastes good — the ultimate test). Beets in particular are an excellent addition to drinks. Juiced or infused, they meld well with myriad spirits, tequila and vodka in particular shake up nicely alongside the ruby-hued root vegetable.
The Bangkok Supper Club in downtown Manhattan has become known for their Thai-centric menu, and not shying away from bright, vibrant flavor or color. And they’re leaning into the whimsymaxxing trend — think bag charms, wild wallpaper patterns, saturated bright colors for everything from home decor to nail polish, big, bold, colorful jewelry; basically, the antithesis of the minimalism we’ve all been Marie Kondo’d into for years. Same for cocktails. This is no crystal clear martini; this is big color and big flavor.
Right in time for root veg season, this Beets ‘n’ Cream cocktail is a little bit tropical, a little bit borscht and thoroughly, deliciously decadent. Hit up Halsey Farm & Nursery (513 Deerfield Road, Water Mill), Sylvester Manor farmstead (80 N. Ferry Road, Shelter Island), Share the Harvest Farm (55 Long Lane, East Hampton) or your favorite South Fork veggie stop and pick up a cluster of bright red versions. Take two, wash them well, peel them, and chop them into small chunks. Drop them into a large, sealable glass container, pour in one liter of your favorite vodka (we’d go for Sagaponack Distilling’s to keep the local theme running — save the bottle), and allow to sit in a cool, dark spot in your kitchen for three to five days. Strain out the beets through a cheesecloth or fine mesh sieve and transfer back into its original bottle. Et voila! Beet vodka, ready for your whimsymaxxing sipping pleasure.
Bangkok Supper Club is a little close the breast on measurements and method, but we took a little stab at noodling it out. Give it a shot at home and whimsymax your cocktails to full beet-red, beautiful effect. Cheers, friends.
Beets ‘n’ Cream
Ingredients
- 2 oz beet-infused vodka
- 3/4 oz mango nectar
- 1/2 oz honey syrup (equal parts honey and water, simmered until smooth)
- 3/4 oz fresh lime juice
- cream cheese float
Directions
- In a shaker, combine the beet vodka, mango nectar, honey syrup and lime juice. Shake until well-chilled, about 10-15 seconds.
- Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Top with the cream cheese float. Cheers!
To make the cream cheese float:
- Whisk together 2 tablespoons of cream cheese with 1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream, a pinch of cardamom, and 1/4 teaspoon sugar until smooth.
