Borscht: The New Vinegar?

What will take vinegar's place as the freaky new cocktail ingredient to sweep the nation?

It could be beets. A couple of years ago I had my first beet drink, at Mint and 820, the Portland, OR bars where Lucy Brennan rules the roost. Soon thereafter, Brennan's book Hip Sips came out with the recipe. The drink is merely beet-infused vodka with lemon-lime fresh sour mix. It's delicious.

That was the only beet drink I'd seen until a few months ago. In October, Double Cross Vodka was promoting a set of drinks including the Borscht Martini. It is merely muddled beets, vodka, and horseradish. (picture to the right, recipe on the website) I haven't tried it yet but I'm tempted because I also love horseradish. (And maybe I love horseradish because I love vinegar.)

Now I see Boston's Eastern Standard promoting a beet drink. The Russian Tea Room is described as "evocative of borscht," which isn't a slogan I'd have thought up. It contains vodka infused with beets (roasted this time), orange juice, tarragon, and spicy Greek yogurt. Freaky.

Or... is yogurt the new vinegar? It's served both at the Eastern Standard and in the Laughing Lassi at Dosa on Fillmore in San Francisco.

Future study is needed.