How The Vegetable Martini Became London's Trendiest Drink

The summer heat is becoming unbearable almost everywhere in the world. Yes, we know climate change is real — just look at the temperatures of 104 degrees Fahrenheit that have been recorded in six locations in the United Kingdom in July of 2022 (via The Washington Post). One of those locations is London, the city of fog that now seems more likely to be called the city of scorching heat. Luckily, there are many classic cocktail bars in London so people can keep themselves refreshed and indulge in alcoholic mixers in a cool setting. 

Londoners' favorite watering holes include everywhere from Dukes Bar and the American Bar at the Savoy to the Rivoli Bar at the Ritz and Hawksmoor in Covent Garden, per Business Insider. Fittingly, these bars offer classic and authentic cocktails originating from London, such as the Tom Collins, Bramble, Black Velvet, and espresso martini, all equally delicious (via The Chilworth). Recently, though, a variation on the classic dry martini recipe has quickly became London's trendiest drink, and the rising star is made with vegetables.

Got a nasty hangover? Forget all about the Bloody Mary and its extravagant veggie garnishes, such as olives, tomatoes, celery, cornichons, and peppers. There's a new, more understated genre of vegetable-based cocktails that's been called "London's latest drinking craze" by Bloomberg. Vegetable martinis are rising in popularity, and they can be made with a myriad of produce: Tomatoes for the tomatini, pickle juice for the pickletini, or avocados for the avocado martini are just some of the offerings on the menus of bars in London, and The Guardian's Stuart Heritage tried most of them. 

His conclusion? The celery martini is the best of the bunch, and he dubbed it not just the drink of summer, but the "drink of the year." This phenomenon isn't just going on across the pond, as VinePair reports that cocktails made with vegetables are already a thing in the U.S. At NYC's Mace bar, for example, owner and bartender Nico de Soto has been making veggie-based cocktails with ingredients like celeriac and jackfruit since 2015. Wherever you're drinking, the future of cocktails certainly looks bright and green — a decided departure from the sugar-laced drinks of the early 2000s, showing that people's palates are ready for something new.