Character Craft Cocktails: Part 2

As I mentioned in yesterday’s Part 1, I really enjoy crafting cocktails as a hobby outside of writing.

I asked some writing friends if I could create drinks inspired by their characters, and they said yes! This is the second set of drinks, and I’m excited to share them with you.

I’ll be splitting these into three blog posts, with three drinks per post.

Find Alicia on Twitter here.

Elliana Cocktail

• Blackberries (4-5)
• 2-3 sage leaves
• 1 oz (45ml) Simple syrup
• 1.5 oz (45ml) black cherry juice
• 2 oz (60ml) light rum
• Hibiscus bitters
• Luxardo cherries (for garnish)

1. Muddle blackberries and sage in simple syrup
2. Strain syrup into a cocktail shaker through a fine mesh strainer
3. Add cherry juice, rum, and bitters
4. Shake and strain into highball glass with ice
5. Garnish with a couple of luxardo cherries

For Emily’s character Kate, I wanted to craft a drink around the idea of Kate’s signature magical pink smoke, with a bright pinkish hue and smoky flavor notes.

Emily’s comments on Kate:

“Kate is magnetic, angry, and ancient– a demon with eyes that are pitch-black through the sclera and cheekbones that you would cut yourself on and then thank her. She is known in myth as Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft and crossroads, but now she struggles to survive, luring mortals down to her carnival of horrors to steal their lives and souls to fuel her kind of magic: pink smoke in which she conjures illusions and memories of cold metal bars and the immortal rage of the pits of Tartarus.”

Find Emily on Twitter here.

Kate Cocktail

• 2oz (60ml) Gin
• 1oz (30ml) Rosemary syrup (prep beforehand)
  • ¼ C water
  • ¼ C sugar
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary or one sprig fresh rosemary
    • Bring water and sugar to boil
    • Remove from heat, add rosemary
    • Let steep 1 hour
    • Strain
• ½ oz (15ml) honey syrup
• ½ oz (15ml) Red grapefruit juice
• ½ oz (15ml) Lemon
• 1-2 drops Liquid smoke
• Lemon slice (garnish)

For rim:

• Smoked salt (if your smoked salt is strong, you can cut half and half with table salt)

1. Mix smoked salt with table salt if needed, then spread a thin layer of salt on a small plate
2. Combine all except salt and lemon slice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice
3. Shake well
4. Rim coupe glass with smoked salt by dipping the edge of the glass in a plate with a little water on it, then dip into salt
5. Pour contents of shaker into coupe glass through a strainer
6. Garnish with a lemon slice

For Abigail’s character Annette, she requested a mocktail. I wanted something easygoing and straightforward that was super drinkable, for an honest character who’s an open book.

Abigail’s comments on Annette:

“Annette Cameron is an Engineer from a small-town space station, a big fish in a small pond. With a promotion on the table and plans to ask her best friend/long-time lover to flit with her, she’s ready to dive headfirst into the wide waters of Zendaria, the star system she calls home.

A natural flirt and a jokester, Annette has a lifelong condition which gives her the ability to conjure electricity at will–a talent she’s as likely to turn towards a prank as she is to use it for her work. This cocktail captures Annette’s zesty personality with an underlying sweetness, while incorporating the fresh fruit that is such a rare delicacy in her daily life. As easy to drink as Annette is easy to get along with, I’ve also tried this with Old Tom-style gin and it packs a great punch (much like the woman herself).”

Find Abigail on Twitter here.

Annette Mocktail

• 1 oz pomegranate juice (100% juice, no sugar added)
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 2 oz demerara syrup
  • (equal parts water and demerara or brown sugar, heat to a boil, stir, and let cool)
• Dash aromatic bitters
  (I used some that are heavier on clove, but you can also use Angostura)
• Splash of ginger ale

1. Add all except ginger ale to a cocktail strainer filled with ice
2. Shake well
3. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice
4. Top up with ginger ale

Conclusion

Thanks again to my friends for letting me use their characters for inspiration! Read Part 1 here, and watch for Part 3 tomorrow!