Cocktail & Other Recipes By Spirit Tequila & Mezcal Cocktails

Black Betty

Written by
Virginia Miller
Virginia Miller
Virginia Miller is a writer based in San Francisco who travels the world in pursuit of good food and drinks.
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Virginia Miller
Updated 05/08/17
Image: Fred Fung

At one of downtown Vancouver’s celebrated farm-to-table restaurants, Royal Dinette, bar manager Kaitlyn Stewart plays with kitchen ingredients and techniques in her cocktails. The Black Betty intrigues with its dark depths and dehydrated beetroot-sugar garnish dusted across a layer of egg white.

Ingredients

Steps

  1. Combine all the ingredients into a mixing tin, and dry shake to emulsify egg white.

  2. Add ice and shake again for 10 to 15 seconds.

  3. Fine-strain into small rocks glass but with no ice.

  4. Garnish with dehydrated beetroot sugar.

  5. *Black sesame orgeat syrup: Lightly toast 2 cups of black sesame seeds in a pan. Let cool, then blend in a blender or food processor. In a separate saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 1/4 cups water to a light simmer. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the blended sesame seeds to the saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then remove from heat and cool for 3 hours. Once the mixture has cooled, strain through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth until silky. Add 1 tsp orange blossom water and 1 oz vodka. Bottle and refrigerate. Can be stored for up to 3 months.

  6. **Dehydrated beet sugar: Juice 4 large beets, take the pulp (or byproduct), and ring out excess juice using a kitchen towel or cheese cloth. Spread the pulp onto a tray, and place the tray in a dehydrator or oven at 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the pulp is completely dry, add it to a spice grinder or blender with 1/2 cup white sugar, then blitz into a fine powder. Makes 1 cup.