First Frost Recipe
Fresh carrot juice shaken with vodka and honey syrup: earthy, sweet and vividly orange, with a sprig of dill for a savoury lift.
- Category: Popular
- Glass: Highball glass
- ABV: 11%
- Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
- Vodka60 ml (2 oz)
- Carrot juice90 ml (3 oz)
- Honey syrup30 ml (1 oz)
How to Make It
- Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- Shake until well chilled.
- Strain over fresh ice in a highball glass.
- Garnish with a sprig of fresh dill.
Garnish
Sprig of fresh dill
What it tastes like
The sweetness is pronounced.
The technique
Shaking. Anything with juice, syrup, egg white or cream gets shaken: the shaker chills the drink and adds roughly 20% water, and that water is what takes the edge off. Twelve to fifteen seconds, until the tin frosts over. Under-shaking leaves the drink harsh because it never got enough dilution.
Glass and ice
A tall, narrow highball. The narrowness does real work — less surface area means the carbonation lasts longer and the ice melts more slowly.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Vodka
- Vodka brings body and alcohol rather than flavour; its job is to get out of the way of everything else. Which is why, in a vodka drink, how fresh the juice is matters far more than the brand.
- Honey syrup
- Three parts honey to one part warm water. Neat honey seizes up in a cold drink, which is why it gets loosened first. Heavier and more aromatic than simple syrup.
The Story
A modern vegetable-juice cocktail. The published version sweetens it with a chilli-and-clove spiced honey syrup; plain honey syrup gives a milder drink.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a First Frost mixed?
- It is shaken and served in a highball glass.
- How strong is a First Frost?
- Roughly 11% ABV as served — right around a glass of wine — an aperitif or an early-evening drink.
- Can a First Frost be made without alcohol?
- Simply leaving the spirit out does not work — the body and the bitterness go with it. The 86 alcohol-free recipes in the catalogue are built to hit that balance from the start.
- Is a First Frost hard to make?
- Easy. No bar kit required — a measure, ice and a jar will do.
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Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.