Classical Cocktails-- Inspired by Ancient Monsters!

The first cocktail night of October-- and the first in the series of 'Monster Month' themes launched the spookiest month of the year with great success! With the theme being Classical Monsters, we looked to classical stories and legends as inspiration.

Sophisticated Greek laurel crowns helped to set the mood

With a Medusa head platter of apple licorice...

Astrid's traditional spinach pies, and Nana Mouskouri music playing in the background, we were ready to embark on the evening.

The first drink of the evening was a non-alcoholic wonder Arjen called:

Sasquatch Milk
1 teaspoon of maple syrup
1 1/2 ounces brown rum
3 ounces of warm milk









Delicious! In the case of pregnant ladies, you can use a 1/2 teaspoon of rum aroma instead of the good stuff.

Not just the coolest, but the CUTEST people came to the party...

Although they expressed their unwillingness to get into costume.

The next drink was inspired by the dragon. In fact, it was called the Fiery Dragon.  With a fierce gingery bite, this drink was ferocious AND delicious.

The Fiery Dragon
1 ounce vodka
1/2 ounce Fiero (martini Fiero-- it's an aperitif w/ essence of blood oranges)
1/2 ounce of ginger liqueur
1 dash of pechaud bitters

(note the amazing use of fire spewing from the dragon's snout)

Fortified with the first drinks, we engaged in a cutthroat game of Mort em Arosa... the dead bodies were piling up along with the suspects.

Astrid fixed the next drink-- an inspired two-parter...Nobody's Sangria. It is weet and mediterranean, like the drink that was offered to Polyphemus, the one eyed monster who kept  heroes captive-- killing them one by one as he would please.
This wine would make even  the monster become drunk and unwary. When Polyphemus asks for Odysseus' name (promising him a lavish gift if he answers) Odysseus tells him its "Nobody."

 Being drunk, Polyphemus believes it to be a real name and says that he will eat "nobody". With that, Polyphemus crashes to the floor and passes out. Odysseus, with the help of his men, lifts the flaming stake, charges forward and drives it into Polyphemus' eye, blinding him. Polyphemus yells for help from his fellow cyclopes reporting that "Nobody" has hurt him. The other cyclopes think Polyphemus is making a fool out of them or that it must be a matter with the gods, and they grumble and go away.

Nobody's Sangria
1 orange
1 mandarin
1 lemon
half of a fresh pineapple
handful of lychees

a bottle of fine virgin wine (I used chardonnay)

Gently cut the fruits in chunks and poor the wine on top. Leave to cool for at least 8 hours. You need a 1,5 ltr jar.
For this recipe you can try to add peach, melon or any other tropical fruit too (melon, lychees, apples and pineapple seems a golden combination too)

 

The second tumbler (with the floating eyeball)  is The Sheep Escape
Fresh like a grass field on which the sheep lead our heroes to their freedom. 

Odysseus and his men tie themselves to the undersides of Polyphemus' sheep. When the blind Cyclops lets the sheep out to graze, he feels their backs to ensure the men are not riding out, but does not feel the men underneath. Odysseus leaves last, riding beneath the belly of the biggest ram. Polyphemus does not realize that the men are no longer in his cave until the sheep and the men are safely out.

The Sheep Escape
1 green apple
1 lemon
1 lime
a big chunk of cucumber (about finger length)
a big handfull of white seedless grapes
half a bottle of virgin white wine (so you can have the other half for breakfast lol)
Chop all ingredients into bits and poor the wine on top. Leave to cool for at least 8 hours. You need about a 1 ltr jar.
It may be worth to try to add fresh mint

***the virgin sangria's can be given a shot of rum for the alcoholics among us. On the other side, you can dilute the sangria with either sparkling water or ginger ale.

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This, apparently, is the result of the pairing.

Thank goodness Judith brought us back from the brink of insanity with the next drinks.

Will o' Wisp
1 ounce of white chocolate liquer
1 ounce of wodka
1 ounce of coconut cream
150 ml of 7-up
Served in a scary glowing bowl to make it resemble a real will o' wisp!
 

Witte Wieven
The name of the cocktail refers to an old Dutch folktale about white ladies that would haunt inocent travellers on the road early in the morning. They would take shape from the mists on the ground and tempt them of the safe roads and into the bogs.
My white ladies are non-alcoholic and were served in a glowing glass for maximum effect.
1 ounce of coconutcream
1 can of 7-up

  The phantasmic glowing light says it all!

Shortly after, we started to unravel again. Too many legends, monsters, drinks...

Just in time Maarten rescued us with his delicious concoction:
The Golem's Reviver
1 ounce scotch whiskey
1/2 ounce dry vermouth
1/2 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce benedictine
1/4 ounce grenadine
shake over ice and strain into glass

Many thanks to everyone for such a GREAT evening! Next week we're themimg with GOTHIC monsters-- Victorian era. Everyone who's coming should (ideally) bring a little excerpt (literary or otherwise) of text regarding the monster who inspired the drink. We'll consult beforehand so we don't have 5 Draculas!