​7 beetroot cocktails and mocktails to brighten Friday night​

Who said cocktails have to be dull? Beetroot turns every glass into a showstopper. Earthy, sweet, and brilliantly crimson, it makes even the simplest drink look like it belongs in a bar with mood lighting. The best part? You don’t need a mixologist’s kit to pull these off, just a juicer or blender, some citrus, and the willingness to pour something dazzling into a glass. Here are five beetroot mocktails that bring all the fun of a cocktail, minus the alcohol.

Dark rum finds an unlikely but surprisingly good friend in beetroot. To make this, shake together 50 ml dark rum, 40 ml beetroot juice, 20 ml pineapple juice, and 15 ml lime juice with ice. Strain into a short glass filled with ice cubes. The colour is jewel-like, the taste layered – smoky rum, tropical fruit, and that earthy sweetness weaving it together. It’s a cocktail that feels richer than its simple ingredient list.

Think of this as lemonade that decided to dress up for a Friday night. Start with the juice of one small beetroot (about half a cup) – strain it if you prefer it silky. Pour it over a tall glass of ice, squeeze in half a lemon, and stir through a spoonful of honey. Finish with soda water till the glass is full. The fizz lightens the beetroot’s earthiness, the lemon adds a sharp lift, and the honey brings everything together. The result is fresh, fizzy, and just quirky enough to feel like a party in a glass.

Here’s a mojito that doesn’t miss the alcohol. Drop 6-8 mint leaves into a glass, add a teaspoon of sugar and the juice of half a lime, and muddle them until fragrant. Pour in ½ cup fresh beetroot juice, fill the glass with crushed ice, and top with sparkling water. Stir, taste, and adjust with more lime if you want. What you end up with is a drink that’s cooling, citrusy, and jewel-toned; a mojito that’s both familiar and surprising.

Some nights you want a mocktail that feels grown-up. Boil a one-inch piece of ginger in half a cup of water for three minutes, cool it, and mix with ½ cup beet juice, a teaspoon of lime juice, and a pinch of black salt. Shake with ice, strain into a short glass, and garnish with a beet slice or even a thin chili ring if you’re feeling bold. This one is earthy, fiery, and far from sugary – a proper adult drink, just without the hangover.

This one is more theatre than recipe, and that’s the fun. Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour in ½ cup orange juice first. Then, slowly, over the back of a spoon, slide in ¼ cup beetroot juice. Don’t stir, let the beet sink and settle – creating that sunrise effect. Finish with an orange slice on the rim. It’s sweet, tangy and impossible not to photograph before you sip.

For anyone who thinks tequila needs only lime, this version proves otherwise. Take 50 ml silver tequila, 25 ml beetroot juice, 20 ml lime juice, and 15 ml triple sec. Shake with ice, strain into a salt-rimmed glass, and watch the ruby-red drink catch the light. The beetroot deepens the sweetness without drowning the tang, giving you a margarita that’s familiar but refreshed. Pair it with nachos or spiced peanuts and you’re set.

A long, easy drink which appears more dramatic than the work that goes into it. Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour over 45 ml vodka, 30 ml beetroot juice, and 20 ml lemon juice. Then you can top it with some soda water until the glass is full. Stir gently, garnish with a lemon slice or a sprig of mint, and enjoy. It's crisp, refreshing, and has that beetroot sweetness in the background and not the foreground.