For Hip Cocktails, Just Add Veggies

Today's hippest drinks are made using fresh veggies from the farmer's market.

Monday, May 10, 2010 17:39 GMT

So says master mixologist Lucy Brennan, owner of Mint and 820, a popular bar and restaurant in Portland, Oregon, and author of Hip Sips: Modern Cocktails To Raise Your Spirits (Chronicle Books).

Brennan has been incorporating “more items from the kitchen” into her hit drinks including cilantro, cucumber, and even avocados.

Her “Avocado Daiquiri” blends rum – among other things – with a ripe avocado for a smooth, green-hued take on an old classic.

Meanwhile, she says customers clamor for another specialty cocktail called the “Ruby,” which features homemade, beet-infused vodka.

She says vegetables, as well as fruit and herbs, are the new frontier of hip sips because they’re so versatile.

She likes to work with whatever is in season and advises bartenders to stick to about five ingredients for best results.

Next up, Brennan is looking for a way to strategically mix asparagus into a cocktail.