Beets are definitely not my favorite thing to eat. My dad could eat them raw growing up but, that gene must have missed me. Nonetheless I challenged myself to take an ingredient that I would never have used and make a delicious cocktail with it. Beets are really earthy so I knew I had to add some brightness and fruit to get things going. That got me thinking tiki drink. 

My go to summer drinks are the margarita and the Kentucky mule and I knew lime, tequila, and ginger would be a good compliment to the earthiness of the beets. I needed some extra fruitiness and, loving the slight bitterness of quinquina, decided to add Kina L'Aéro. This adds some notes of marmalade and wormwood that work amazingly well with tequila and ginger.

I then added some celery bitters and turmeric for some savoriness and garden fresh taste to go with the beets. The result is a very unorthodox tiki drink bursting with unexpected flavor. Although, I am far from an advocate for the flavor of beets, this drink makes me a believer that with a little culinary experimentation, anything can taste great.