Juicebar-meets-cocktail lounge with this honey carrot whiskey tipple

Carrots are a year-round staple in the produce department, but they’re at their best right now, when cooler weather and early autumn frosts make them a touch sweeter. They’re ripe and ready for your cocktail glass—yep, you read that right.

This vibrant orange tipple, developed by Well+Good’s resident cocktail expert, The Outside Institute founder, Laura Silverman, combines the best of two worlds: the juice bar and the cocktail bar.

The “Bunny Hop” cocktail calls for a colorful base of fresh carrot juice. “The bright orange color alludes to all that beta carotene,” says Silverman. “It’s a crucial antioxidant for improving immunity in the body, protecting skin and eye health, and fighting free radicals.” If you have fresh carrots, run them through your juicer. Otherwise, store-bought carrot juice works just fine here as well.

The almond flavor in amaretto is actually a fitting flavor. Think how many times you see carrot and almond paired together on a restaurant menu. And the hearty dose of rye whiskey? Well, that’s just for fun.

Scroll down to get the recipe for this carrot-based cocktail.

Bunny Hop

Makes 1 cocktail

1 1/2 oz rye whiskey1/2 oz amaretto1 oz fresh carrot juice1 oz fresh lemon juice1/2  oz honey syrup

1. Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice. Shake until well chilled, then transfer to a rocks glass and serve.

Each week, The Outside Institute founder Laura Silverman crafts a cocktail recipe just for Well+Good readers using in-season plants and herbs. Bookmark this page for more healthy cocktail ideas.

Have a hankering for more carrot recipes? Try these Honey-Roasted Carrots with Tahini or this Moroccan Carrot Salad.