Horseradish cocktail recipes to try this spring

It’s time again to dig up the pungent plant that has earned nearby Collinsville, Ill., a place on the map as horseradish capital of the world. Sure, you can enjoy this underutilized root in a sharp slaw or fiery mayo, but why not put it in the glass? Bring on the heat in syrups, salts and one of our favorite spirits – gin.

HORSERADISH-INFUSED GIN

Infusing a spirit with horseradish is simple, and can bring unique flavors to tried-and-true cocktails like a Red Snapper, a gin variation of a bloody mary.

Peel a 4-inch piece of horseradish root and slice into ¼-inch rounds. Insert the horseradish pieces into a 750-milliliter bottle of gin. Store the bottle away from light for 3 to 5 days, tasting the gin every couple days. The longer the infusion period, the more pronounced the horseradish flavor; if left too long, the gin will develop a bitter taste. Strain the gin into a clean container, discarding the horseradish. Pour the gin back into the bottle.

Red Snapper
1 serving

2 oz. horseradish-infused gin
4 oz. tomato juice
½ oz. lemon juice
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
2 to 3 dashes Tabasco or other hot sauce
2 pinches celery salt
2 pinches freshly ground black pepper
Celery stalks, olives and pickled vegetables, for garnish

Add all the ingredients except the garnish to the glass half of a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice. Gently roll – don’t shake – the drink between the glass and the metal half of the shaker. Strain into a Collins glass filled with ice. If desired, garnish with celery, olives and pickled vegetables.

HORSERADISH SYRUP

The earthy notes and subtle heat of horseradish syrup lend unexpected zing to a refreshing riff on a Tom Collins.

In a medium-sized pot on low heat, combine 4 ounces granulated sugar, 4 ounces cold water and 1 ounce peeled, grated fresh horseradish. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a heatproof, lidded container and refrigerate at least 3 hours. Fine-strain the syrup into a clean bottle and refrigerate. The syrup will keep up to 2 weeks.

Tom Collinsville
1 serving

2 oz. gin
1 oz. lemon juice
¾ oz. horseradish syrup
1 oz. club soda

To a cocktail shaker, add the gin, lemon juice and horseradish syrup. Fill with ice. Shake and strain into a Collins glass filled with ice. Top with the club soda and stir gently.

HORSERADISH SALT

Salting the rim of the glass with spicy seasoning is an easy way to enliven a cocktail. Bright and citrus-forward recipes like a margarita or Salty Dog work well with a horseradish-salt combination.

In a mortar, combine 2 parts Maldon sea salt flakes to 1 part peeled, grated fresh horseradish. Using a pestle, crush the salt and horseradish until they are finely ground. Store in a sealed container.

Salty Dog
1 serving

2 oz. gin
4 oz. grapefruit juice
Lime wedge, for rimming
Horseradish salt, for rimming
Lime wheel, for garnish

Wipe the rim of a Collins glass with the lime wedge. Dip the rim of the glass in the horseradish salt. Fill the glass with ice. Add the gin and grapefruit juice. Stir briefly. Garnish with a lime wheel.