Beauty and the Beet: Golden Beet, Strawberry, and Basil Fizzy Limeade

This delightfully refreshing Golden Beet, Strawberry, and Basil Fizzy Limeade Mocktail is a summer favorite, perfect for sipping on the patio, enjoying at the park, or taking to your next barbecue. This delicious drink is refreshing, sweet, and flavorful. Plus - it’s family friendly!

Utilizing the sweetness from fresh strawberries and golden beets, this chilled summer drink is low in added sugars AND high in Vitamin C. It’s so exquisitely delicious, you will want to sip it all year long. 🍓

Fresh strawberries, basil, and beets may seem like an odd combination, but it’s quite marvelous. There is a beautiful simplicity to this mocktail. Beets are naturally sweet but also a little earthy providing a unique balance to the bold strawberry and aromatic basil flavors. This drink is perfectly sweet, and the fizzy lime water adds just the right amount of bubbles and citrus flavor. Golden Beet, Basil, and Ginger Simple Syrup is so light and refreshing, using natural sugars from beets and a low amount of added sugar. That’s one of the reasons beets are so unBEETable!

WHAT ARE GOLDEN BEETS?

The beautiful beet comes in many different types and varieties, and the Golden Beet has a beautiful yellow (golden) color. Like it’s crimson red beet variety, golden beets also contain numerous vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Adding beets to cocktails may not seem natural, but creating a simple syrup out of beets is absolutely perfect! Utilizing the beet’s natural sweetness, beet syrup contains less added sugars. This Golden Beet Simple Syrup uses our traditional beet syrup recipe (just replacing red beets with golden beets).

Strawberries make us think about summer. It’s a seasonal summer fruit; however, you can often find strawberries throughout the year.

Basil is a family favorite herb in our household, brimming with its aromatic deliciousness. Basil brightens and elevates the flavor of this mocktail.

Served over ice, sip this delightful drink with or without a straw, but you bet your sweet cakes we are using re-usable straws. Let’s keep moving forward on reducing one use plastic waste.

Garnish with extra strawberries, mint leaves, and golden beets (optional).

For more delicious beet mocktails try Beet the Heat: Beet Juice, Blood Orange, and Lime Slushy Virgin Margarita.

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GOLDEN BEET, STRAWBERRY, AND BASIL FIZZY LIMEADE RECIPE

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INGREDIENTS (SERVES 1-2)

• 2 oz Golden Beet Simple Syrup (add more for a sweeter taste)

• 3-4 Muddled Strawberries

• 1/4 cup lime juice

• 2-3 basil leaves, muddled

• 1/4 cup sparkling water* or seltzer (you may also use club soda or tonic water if you wish)

• Ice cubes for glass

*If you can find sparkling lime water, even better!

DIRECTIONS

After washing, finely chop strawberries. In a large wine glass or mason jar, muddle both strawberries and basil along with Golden Beet Simple Syrup. Add ice cubes. Then, add lime juice and top with sparkling water. Enjoy!

You may also triple or quadruple this batch to make a full pitcher. Refrigerate and drink within 1-2 days.

Turnip the Beet: Roasted Golden Beet and Heirloom Tomato “Vegetable Medley” Bloody Mary

Need more vegetables in your diet? Drink them at happy hour or brunch. This Golden Beet Bloody Mary is a delightful twist on a classic “Mary” and filled with roasted and pickled flavors.

Did you know that beets can be yellow? Yes! When in season, it’s so much fun to create a yellow “Mary” using delicious and gorgeous Golden Beets that are packed with beet flavor and nutrition!

This farm to brunch Golden Beet Blood Mary contains 4 different vegetables (technically three since tomatoes are a fruit) in the mix: roasted beets, roasted tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, and cucumbers. There are even more “vegetable” servings if you eat the garnishes, celery, and pickled vegetables.

Plus - with all the vegetables (and tomato), this tasty drink is packed with Vitamin C, and trace minerals, such as potassium, magnesium and manganese. Want even more nutrition with your drinks? Add extra spice for boosted circulation and immunity!

Garnish with your favorite veggies, herbs, and pickled treats. For us, we can’t get enough of pickled beets (you can create all types of pickled beets using various beet varieties). Cheers to brunch, more vegetables, and vodka!

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TURNUP THE BEET: ROASTED BEET AND HEIRLOOM TOMATO “VEGETABLE MEDLEY” BLOOD MARY RECIPE

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INGREDIENTS

• 3 Golden Beets, peeled and roasted

• 3 Yellow or Orange Heirloom Tomatoes

• ½ Yellow or Orange Pepper

• ½ Cucumber, peeled

• 2 Garlic Cloves

• 1-inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced

• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 ½ tsp Horseradish

• 1-2 tsp lemon juice

• 2 tbsp pickled beet brine or giardiniera juice (pickled veggies)

• Pepper (to taste)

• Sparkling water to top

• 2 oz Vodka (FAIR)

• 1 tsp Chili Lime Salt – Trader Joe’s (optional)

• a dash of Tabasco (optional)

Optional garnishes: celery, beet leaves, cilantro, cucumber, tomatoes, pickled vegetables, green olives, pickle spears, pickled beets, spiralized raw beets. Rim glass with celery salt or chili lime salt (Trader Joe’s) for extra flavor.

DIRECTIONS

1. Peel and roast beets (wrapped in aluminum foil for about 35 minutes (time varies based on beet size).

2. In separate aluminum foil, roast tomatoes, garlic, and peppers for 10 minutes.

3. When roasted, in food processor or high-speed blender, blend beets, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, and raw cucumber (peeled).

4. Strain with a fine-mesh strainer (or if preferred – keep chunky. If you have a Vita-Mix, no need to strain).

5. In shaker cup, add ice and strained vegetables along with remaining ingredients.

5. Pour into glass with ice cubes and garnish with your favorite ingredients! The garnish options are endless.

6. If preferred, rim glass with celery salt or chili lime salt from Trader Joe’s.

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Feelin’ UpBeet: Golden Beet, Orange, Mezcal, and Jalapeño BEETA-RITA (Margarita)

Bold smoky and citrus flavors with stunning golden beet flair, this margarita is uniquely delicious. Mezcal, tequila's smoky "sister," adds an epic campfire flavor combined with a sweet earthy golden beet juice, refreshing orange juice, and a KAPOW kick of hot pepper. BONUS: Fresh orange juice and golden beet juice provide some delicious Vitamin C, so why not get some extra vitamins with your cocktails!

Not a fan of beets? This Beeta-Rita cocktail may change your mind. Golden beets (the blonde version of the crimson red beet) create a delightful yellow color and offer the same sweet and earthy taste as red beets (without the mess). There are many varieties and types of beets. Some beets are white and others red. There are even pink and white striped beets (Chioggia Beets). Golden beets are delightful to add to drinks for both their taste and gorgeous yellow hue.

Many drinks are loaded with sugar, but this cocktail utilizes the natural sweetness from vegetables and fruits, like beets and oranges. Juicing fresh golden beets and oranges creates a refreshingly sweet and earthy flavor. Add smoky mezcal and a kick of jalapeño heat for an absolutely winning combo. Plus – for an added sweetener, scrumptious kumquat liqueur by FAIR is the perfect addition with its perfectly balanced kumquat taste. Kumquat liqueur offers a more natural sweet flavor than sugars or simple syrups with a vibrant tart and sweet kumquat flavor. Yum!

There are many ways to serve margaritas, but this one is best served on the rocks with a coarse salt rim (or sugar for a salty and sweet combo) and topped with extra jalapeños! For a MOCKTAIL version, add all ingredients sans mezcal (The virgin BEETA-RITA won’t have the same smoky flavor unless you have a smoker and can smoke the beets and oranges.) and add extra lime juice.

Like using fresh orange juice, this recipe is best with fresh beet juice. If you don’t have a juicer, you can make your own golden beet juice by blending 2-3 golden beets (washed and peeled) with a 1/4 cup water (add more if needed) to create a beet puree. After pureeing beets, use a fine-mesh sieve to squeeze out the liquid. You can also use a cheese or nut cloth. Use the beet liquid/juice for this recipe and save the remaining beet pulp to add to smoothies. The beet is edible from root to leaf, and the pulp is a great source of fiber. Leftover beet pulp can be frozen for a quick go-to for smoothies during the week.

Did someone ask for more deliciously unBEETable cocktails? You got it! Here are four must-try beet cocktails:

• Pretty in Pink: Pickled Pink Dirty Martini

• The Final Frontier: Beet “Tom Collins” Martini

• Smokin’ Hot Red Beet and Lime Margarita 

• We Got the Beet: Beet Moscow Mule
  

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GOLDEN BEET, ORANGE, MEZCAL, AND JALAPEÑO BEETA-RITA (MARGARITA)

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INGREDIENTS (serves 1-2)

• 4 oz fresh golden beet juice*

• 4 oz fresh orange juice

• 2 oz fresh lime juice (save a lime slice for jar rim)

• 2 oz mezcal

• 1.5 oz FAIR Kumquat Liqueur

• 3-4 jalapeños, muddled (add more for extra heat)

• ice for shaker and mason jar

• salt or sugar for rim

*The Golden Beet variety may not be accessible in markets year round, so if you can’t locate this yellow beet, substitute with red beets. However, the color will change, but the taste will be just as lovely.

DIRECTIONS

With a lime wedge, rub mason jar around the rim. Rim with salt or salt/sugar combo. In a shaker, combine beet juice, orange juice (we juiced both beets and oranges in a juicer), lime juice, muddled jalapeño slices, mezcal, FAIR Kumquat Liqueur and ice cubes. Shake! Strain into mason jar (or margarita glass) over fresh ice or serve straight up. Garnish with a lime wedge. Add extra jalapeño slices in glass for added heat.

If you want a straw, don’t forget to add Hay Straws or other re-usable straws to your drink because Mother Earth needs love too. ❤️

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STILL THIRSTY?

HOT BEETS: Roasted Beet and Chipotle Bloody Mary

Turn up the “beet” at brunch! A Bloody Mary is a delicious addition to brunch with family and friends. Why not add some delightful flavor and extra nutrients to your festivities with a Roasted Beet Chipotle Bloody Mary?

Adding roasted beets to a classic Bloody Mary offers delicious earthiness and a dash of extra natural sweetness to balance the savory and salty tomato juice. This cocktail or mocktail (eliminate vodka) is like drinking an adult V-8!

Roasting beets for a Beet Bloody Mary is ideal as the roasting process brings out the delicious beet flavor and adds a smoky element. Chipotle Tabasco complements the beet’s earthy sweetness, but if you don’t like heat, add only a few dashes for flavor or eliminate the Tabasco. For extra pizzazz, add a tablespoon (or two) of pickled beet brine to the drink. It’s scrumptious!

If you don’t have time to roast beets, for an easy-prep option use fresh beet juice (although it will change the Bloody Mary texture). Using fresh beet juice in place of roasting and blending beets is an easier option, but the texture becomes more thin. It’s up to you.

Don’t forget to dress up your Bloody Mary with tasty garnishes! The options are unlimited, such as pickled beets, olives, celery, beet greens, pickled asparagus, pickle spears, or raw cauliflower and turnips. For more delicious beet cocktails, try Pretty in Pink: Pickled Beet Dirty Martini.

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ROASTED BEET CHIPOTLE BLOODY MARY RECIPE

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INGREDIENTS (serves about 4, depending on glass size)

Roasted Beet Chipotle Bloody Mary Mix

• 2-3 medium roasted red beets

• 2 cups tomato juice

• 1 tbsp lime juice

• 1 tsp Chipotle Tobasco (add 3-4 dashes only for less heat)

• 2 tsp reduced-sodium Worcestershire sauce (reduce sodium)

• 1 tsp horseradish

• 1 tbsp pickle juice or pickled beet brine (optional)

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1/2 tsp ground pepper

• 1/2 tsp celery salt (for mix and rim)

• lemon and/lime wedges for rim

to garnish (optional)

• pickled beets, celery stalks (celery heart), pickled or raw turnips, pickled or raw asparagus spears, pickle spears, olives, raw cauliflower, lime and/or lime wedges, parsley sprig

Roasted Beet Chipotle Bloody Mary

• 1 1/2 ounces per glass of chilled vodka

• 4 ounces (depending on glass size) per glass of Roasted Beet Chipotle Bloody Mary Mix

DIRECTIONS

to make Roasted Beet Chipotle Bloody Mary Mix

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Wrap beets in foil and roast about 35-40 minutes, until tender. Beets are cooked when easily pierced with a fork. Remove from oven and open foil to cool. Remove skin by gently rubbing off skin with a paper towel or peeling under cool water. Cut beets in halves or quarters.

2. In a blender or food processor, blend roasted beets, tomato juice, and lime juice, If you don’t have a high-powered blender and the mixture is still chunky, pour mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl or pitcher; discard solids. 

3. Add Chipotle Tobasco, Worcestershire sauce, prepared horseradish, pickle juice (optional), smoked paprika, ground pepper, and 1/4 tsp celery salt and blend until smooth.

to make Roasted Beet Bloody Mary

1. Pour celery salt onto small plate.

2. Rub a lemon or lime wedge on the lip side of each glass.

3. Roll the outer edge of the lime/lemon-rimmed glass in celery salt.

4. Fill each glass with ice.

5. Pour 1 1/2 ounces chilled vodka over the ice.*

6. Top with 4 ounces (depending on glass size) of Roasted Beet Chipotle Bloody Mary Mix over the vodka and ice.

7. Garnish with lemon and/or lime wedges, celery stalks, fresh dill, olives, pickle spears, pickled beets, asparagus, cocktail onions, or raw veggies like turnips or cauliflower.

* You may also add 1 1/2 oz vodka with 4 oz Bloody Mary Mix and ice cubes in a shaker cup. Shake and pour.

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STILL THIRSTY?

Rockin’ the “Beet”: Beet Wassail Winter Punch

Wassail is an enchanting holiday beverage with spiced, citrus, and fruit flavors, but this delicious drink offers more than “warm your soul” goodness. Wassail is based on an ancient custom of celebrating life, friends and family, and upcoming harvests. Sipping warm mugs of spiced Beet Wassail with friends and family while gathered around a crackling fire equals the perfect Fall and Winter bliss!

What is Wassail?

Let’s go a-wassailing! If you celebrate Christmas, you may be familiar with the Christmas carol, “Here we come a-wassailing.” This song contains catchy lyrics referring to “wassailing” or singing carols from door to door wishing good health to others. Wassail, an Anglo-Saxon phrase which means “be you hale” (“good health” or “be healthful”), is a hot mulled cider-like beverage traditionally made with various ingredients, such as roasted apples, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, sugar, curdled cream, and even eggs. Originally, it was custom for wassail to be served in a “wassailing” bowl as guests and carolers were invited inside to escape the cold and to enjoy a warm beverage and fellowship.

Drinking old-fashioned wassail during the holidays is a family tradition. Introduced to me by my fabulous cousin Angel, wassail is made every year and shared with family and friends during chilly Wisconsin winter months. Traditional wassail is filled with delightful fruit juices and spices, and the extraordinary beetroot pairs beautifully with apple, pineapple, and orange juices. Adding naturally sweet beet juice to the family recipe creates a twist on a classic holiday spiced drink. Plus - the color is gorgeous!

Beet Wassail doesn’t require added sugar because the juices are naturally sweet; however, if you prefer a sweeter drink, add honey or maple syrup to taste. This recipe is alcohol-free and family friendly, but you can also spike this beverage with aged rum, whiskey, or brandy for a boozy version.

Often made in larger batches to share with social gatherings, wassail is best served in a crock-pot (slow-cooker) or punch bowl where guests can serve themselves. Wassail can also be ladled individually into mugs or glassware with handles.

Get cozy with your favorite snuggle-bug by the fire, warm up your vocal chords for caroling, invite your friends over for board games and treats, or enjoy a family movie night and sip this exquisite holiday punch. Let’s go a-wassailing!

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BEET WASSAIL HOLIDAY PUNCH (NON-ALCOHOLIC) RECIPE

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INGREDIENTS (serves 8)

• 1 cup beet juice*

• 4 cups unsweetened apple cider (or apple juice)

• 1 cup unsweetened orange juice

• 1/2 cup lemon juice

• 1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice

• 3-4 whole cinnamon sticks (more for serving if desired)

• 1/2 tsp whole cloves

• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

• 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup (optional)

• sliced oranges and lemons to simmer

*1 cup of beet juice offers a nice blend of flavors, but if you add an additional 1/2 cup, the delicious earthy beet flavor really shines! Most grocery stores carry ready-to-drink beet juice on the aisle with vegetable and fruit juices. If you can’t find beet juice in the stores, make your own beet juice by juicing beets.

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all ingredients in a large pot and simmer for at least 20-30 minutes, or for more flavor, simmer for several hours in a slow-cooker.

2. Strain into large punch bowl (to remove whole cloves) and serve hot or leave simmering in a slow-cooker available for guests to help themselves.

3. Leave the sliced oranges and lemons along with the cinnamon sticks for more flavor and vibrant color.

Planning a bigger party? Double or triple the ingredients! This delicious winter punch lasts several days in the fridge, and the flavors get more enhanced the longer it sits. After one day, you may want to remove the sliced oranges and lemons and replace them with new ones as they get quite mushy.

The wassail color may change the longer it simmers or sits in the fridge. Cinnamon sticks often turn the vibrant reddish-colored punch into a brown (cider style) color. These photos were taken within an hour of simmering. Enjoy!

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STILL THIRSTY?