Vegetable Cocktails Are The New Impossibly Cool Bar Order

Summer may traditionally scream for sweet, fruity cocktails, and those certainly have their time and place. But if you're looking for something just as refreshing with a savory edge, why not reach for a vegetable cocktail? We're not talking briny, olive-filled dirty martinis (though we'll never say no to one of those). Instead, veggie cocktails are ones that have been dragged through the garden, full of fresh ingredients—you're basically drinking a boozy salad.

In London, vegetable martinis are the hot new thing, according to Bloomberg. Avocados, asparagus, and beetroot are popping up on cocktail menus all over the city, and it's likely only a matter of time before the sensation sweeps the world. Bar owners interviewed for Bloomberg attribute the rise to a focus on conscious and seasonal consumption.

This description of LPM Restaurant and Bar's Tomatini has me salivating: "Ripe tomatoes are freshly squeezed and cut with vodka, then rounded out with some white balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper. Shaken over ice, it becomes silky to the sip. You actually feel better about life decisions while drinking it." Yup, I'm in.

Mixing fresh veggies with cocktails is nothing new: cucumbers and jalapeños find their way muddled into endless drinks, and you can throw your whole produce garden into a Bloody Mary if you please. Still, these new drinks mark a shift nevertheless, because a greater variety of veggies are making their way onto the cocktail menu all at once—a shift that might get more adults to consume their recommended daily dose.

You could always, of course, fly over to London and try some of these concoctions for yourself, but don't forget, we have amazing produce in the US, too, and it's well worth experimenting with veggies and booze on your own.

Liquor.com has some fun recipes to really flex your mixology muscles, like the zucchini and green chartreuse-based Fields of Travel or the celery-and-gin-based Celery Sour. And it's always important to remember that you can flavor drinks like margaritas and daiquiris with just about anything... so why not carrot juice?

If you don't want to spend time slicing and juicing the vegetables yourself, never underestimate the power of the Trader Joe's juice aisle. Spiking a TJ's Power of 7 Green Juice with your favorite spirit packs all the veggies in one punch. No matter how you mix it, don't forget to garnish with fresh vegetables for a little extra satisfying snack.