AN INTRODUCTION TO COCKTAIL CRAFT
Most of you may not know that for the past six years I’ve spent my time working as a bartender for my day night job. I’ve been bartending since I was twenty-one, marking six years this coming April, and have found myself to be passionate about what I do from the beginning. I’ve taken a lot of my free time to study the science of mixology, and the history and production of alcohol, to further my career path and obtain various educational accreditations that are symbolic of my passion. I especially enjoy applying knowledge I gained through magickal learning to different beverages that I invent inspired after potions. I find it a unique opportunity to express myself and make enjoyable drinks for my friends and guests who want to try a classic drink with an eccentric twist. This will be the first post in a series regarding how to bartend like an alchemist. Since craft cocktails are a thing, of course for a magick practitioner there’s a cocktail craft!
COMPONENTS OF AN ALCHEMIST’S COCKTAIL
☆ Strong – Your chosen base liquor(s) and/or liqueur(s). This is the magical foundation of your cocktail that you use to harness your intent. First, define the intent of your potion to conclude its elemental attunement and deduce which liquor to use. A guide is provided below regarding the elemental properties of basic spirits.
☆ Sour – A citric acid, such as lemon, lime, orange, or grapefruit juice. This is the magickal activator of your cocktail; the energetic and stimulating properties from citrus juice act like batteries for your spell. Choose a citrus juice with magickal properties that match your potion’s intention for ideal activation.
Lime: Purification, protection, tranquility
Lemon: Cleansing, banishing, strength
Orange: Abundance, emotions, sexuality
Grapefruit: Healing, spirituality, visions
☆ Sugar – A sweetener, such as a simple syrup or a liqueur. The sugar ingredient of a cocktail is responsible for taming the burn of the alcohol and for adding body to the drink. This is the magickal protective component of a cocktail that prevents the alcohol from hitting the human body too hard, too fast, possibly causing illness.
You can create your own simple syrup at home by combining 1 part sugar and 1 part water over low heat, let sit, and store in the refrigerator. It is very easy to create infused simple syrups for various magickal purposes, but I will make another post on that in the future.
☆ Spice – Bitters, vermouth, etc. Contributes its own flavor, but mainly draws out and binds unexpected flavors from other ingredients in the drink. A subtle magickal enhancer that makes all other parts of the potion function harmoniously together.
BASIC ALCHEMICAL FORMULAS
☆ 2 parts Strong : 1 part Sour : 1 part Sugar
[RESULT: Light, refreshing potion, ex: Margarita, Daiquiri, Whiskey Sour]
☆ 2 parts Strong : 1 part Sugar : .5 part Spice
[RESULT: Intense, spirituous elixir, ex: Old Fashioned, Martini, Manhattan]
QUICK REFERENCE FOR ELEMENTAL SPIRITS
☆ Vodka [AIR, ANY] – Produced by grains, such as rye, wheat, barely, and sometimes potato. Vodka is filtered and redistilled multiple times depending on the desired potency to achieve a cleanest, most unadulterated form of alcohol. This neutral spirit can be infused with many herbs, fruits, vegetables, and sugars for added flavor and magickal effects. Vodka can be used in conjunction with any element, but is used almost exclusively in Air concoctions.
☆ Rum [WATER] – Produced by sugar came and/or molasses; can be aged (dark) or unaged (light). Rum ruled the high seas for 300 years as the drink of sailors and pirates, and shaped government policy and taxation with the sudden rise of sugar plantations throughout the eastern coast of America and every island in the Caribbean. As such, rum is the perfect spirit for Water elemental elixirs.
☆ Gin [EARTH, ANY] – Produced by re-distilling a neutral spirit with various herbs and botanicals, such as juniper berry, angelica root, anise, citrus peels, coriander, etc. Originating with the Dutch in Holland, gin is now produced all over the world, with a majority of popular distilleries being located in the United Kingdom. Due to the use of its botanicals, gin mixes well in Earth-based potions, but is flexible depending on the inherit magickal properties of the herbs infused with the spirit.
☆ Tequila & Mezcal [FIRE] – Produced from the agave plant in Mexico by baking or steaming the hearts to extract juice for fermentation. It can be unaged (blanco/silver), or aged (repasado/anejo/gold). Unique creation process imparts smoky and savory flavors to the spirit, and enhances the element of Fire.
☆ Whiskey [FIRE] – Produced from various combinations of corn, wheat, barley, rye turned into a fermented grain mash. Whiskey produced in Scotland, Ireland, American, and Japan have their own unique distilling process for their mash, resulting in varying flavor profiles. Due to the extended aging process in a new or charred oak barrel, whiskey is imparted its iconic color, spice, and bite, and makes for a strong spirit of the Fire element.
☆ Brandy, Cognac, Pisco, Vermouth, Wine [EARTH] – All produced by grapes, or sometimes other fruits, relating back to the element of Earth. Wine is the result of fermented grapes; vermouth is wine fortified with spices and botanicals. Brandy is wine that has been distilled into a higher proof spirit, Pisco is a gold-colored brandy from Peru/Chile, and Cognac is a top-shelf, double-distilled brandy from France.
*I have purposefully removed/obscured my name in the pictures.
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