Through the Mirror

This book was pretty damn cool. Despite its being so short, there was so much content packed in that it felt like a much longer compilation in all of the good ways. But of all the stories told, the one that resonated with me the most was the first with Batwoman. The idea of seeing yourself on the wrong side of a mirror as a queer person is how many of us feel a lot of our lives, so I wanted to go with a drink that reflected that, pun intended.

1 1/2 oz coconut rum
1 oz blue curaçao
4 oz pineapple juice

Rim a chilled cocktail with blue sugar and set aside. Add all ingredients to an ice-filled shaker, shake the shit out of it, and strain into glass. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

As seems to be the norm for a lot of DC books, I haven’t read much of Harley Quinn or Poison Ivy outside of the ones we’ve done for this podcast. Which, as I’m learning, is a shame since I’ve been enjoying them immensely. It also probably helped with this book that I’m in the middle of binging Harley Quinn on HBO Max (it’s amazing, just take our advice and stick with it till the King Shark episode as Alaina brought up before), so it was perfect timing reading this book. My drink, The Green, would be one Ivy probably wouldn’t approve of since it involves juicing veggies, but maybe she would since they have the nutrients she needed for this week’s episode.

2 ounces vodka
2 ounces green goodness juice
1 lemon wedge
3/4 ounce agave syrup
Lemon wheel

To make green goodness juice, add 4 kale leaves, 1 whole, peeled lemon, 1 inch of peeled ginger, 2 celery stalks, 1 cucumber, and two Granny Smith apples to a juicer and strain out all the solids. Add all liquid ingredients to an ice-filled shaker, shake the shit out of it, and strain into an ice-filled glass. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

I know little to nothing about fencing, I mean aside from hitting my brothers with sticks when we were little and pretending to cut each other’s limbs off. It’s fun to watch, and it’s definitely a sport I could probably get into, but it seems like aside from the Olympics, it’s not exactly something that’s on ESPN. So while researching this drink, I was surprised to find that it’s based on and named after a fencing champion. I would have used his name, however, he’s not exactly someone anyone has heard of, and at least we are all familiar with the term, “En Garde.”

1 ounce London dry gin
1 ounce dry vermouth
1/2 ounce Cointreau
1/2 ounce Campari
A strip of lemon peel with no zest

Add the alcohols to an ice-filled shaker and stir for 30 seconds. Strain into a coupe that has no ice. Hold the lemon peel above the drink and twist to express the lemon oil into the glass.

Yuri! On Ice is a well-known anime series that follows a gay ice skater while also just hinting at his sexuality through the entire series. I thought it was based on a manga and went looking for it only to stumble on a few that weren’t exactly enjoyable. Wanting to keep in the same genre and doing some research, I found My Brother’s Husband and immediately wanted to do it for the podcast. Unfortunately, I read it while hungry, and since ramen is something they and I enjoy, I figured I’d make something that is inspired by it.

The Ramen Surprise

1 1/2 ounce Johnnie Walker Red
1/2 ounce lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 ounces ginger beer
1 lemon wedge for garnish

Add scotch, lemon juice, and bouillon powder to an ice filled shaker. Shake the shit out of it and strain into an ice filled glass. Top with ginger beer and stir. Garnish with lemon wedge.

So I know this is a strange name for a drink, but hear me out. Ever since I was a kid, I always thought the X-Wings had “x foils.” It’s how I always heard it in the movies and what I always called them. Well, imagine my surprise when I learned I (and most people I knew) were calling them by the wrong name the whole time. It was a misunderstanding which is where I found the main alcohol used in this drink.

The S-Foil

2 oz Misunderstood Ginger Spiced Whiskey
2 oz Disaronno Velvet Cream
1 cinnamon stick

Add liquid ingredients to an ice-filled glass. Stir to chill and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

I mentioned a few weeks ago how Darth Vader is my favorite villain and character of all time, but I would be remiss not to mention how high on that list Thrawn is as well. Brilliant beyond belief, calculating and cunning as all hell, but never cruel for the sake of cruelty unlike the rest of the empire, Thrawn stands as the best and brightest the empire has ever had to offer. The Chiss Ascendency is reminiscent of the character and is also quite cunning as its potency will sneak up on you much as Thrawn does his enemies.

1 oz pineapple rum
1 oz coconut rum
1 oz hypnotiq
Splash of pineapple juice
2 maraschino cherries without stems

Add all ingredients but cherries to an ice-filled shaker. Shake the shit out of it and strain into an ice-filled glass. Garnish with the two cherries.

I picked up the trade of The Star Wars at a comic con years ago and just never got around to reading it. I started and stopped a few times, so one of the reasons I suggested it for this month was to actually get to it. And it’s definitely an interesting way to look at an unfinished project that would become what we know and love but obviously needed a lot of love and tinkering to get it into shape. So much changed from what Lucas originally thought up, and the fact our hero was Starkiller and not Skywalker and used a red lightsaber as his weapon stuck out the most. So here we go with a drink in honor of this, The Starkiller.

1 oz tequila
1/2 oz brandy
1 oz pomegranate liqueur
1 tsp grenadine
2 oz sprite
2 tsp of silver cake shimmer dust

In an ice filled shaker, add all the alcohol ingredients, shake the shit out of it, and strain into an ice filled glass. Top with sprite and silver dust and stir to mix.

As we continue our Star Wars journey in between episodes 4 and 5, it’s interesting to see our favorite characters still in development. Hardly even the leaders in training we find in Empire, these are still the ragtag group of, well, rebels, that are still finding their place in the universe and where they fit into it in their fight against the empire. Still weak in The Force o their belief in it, even Han still relies on a good blaster and not the elegant weapon of a lightsaber. So for the Blast Him, I wanted something that was sweet and fruity but would also have a bit of a bite at the end.

10 basil leaves
1 oz vodka
1 is blackberry liqueur
1/2 oz triple sec
Splash of Grand Marnier
2 oz cranberry juice
2 oz strawberry puree
Cracked pepper

Add all ingredients but pepper into an ice-filled shaker and shake the shit out of it. Strain into a glass filled with crushed ice and garnish with fresh cracked black pepper.

Darth Vader is my favorite character in fiction. Not villain, redeemed hero, Star Wars character, just ever. Star Wars shaped my childhood, and Vader has been at the center of the stories since day one and through all nine Skywalker movies. While not someone I root for, the pain and anguish he went through that turned him to the Dark Side is something that is relatable even if his reactions aren’t. For this drink, I wanted to do something as strong as he is that matches his armor and the glint of his lightsaber.

The Dark Lord of the Sith

1/2 ounce black vodka
I ounce black absinthe
Splash of tequila
Splash of rum
Splash of gin
Splash of grenadine
Splash of strawberry liqueur
Corn syrup
Black sugar
Cherry

Rim shot glass with corn syrup and black sugar and set aside to dry. Add grenadine and strawberry liqueur to the glass. In a shaker with no ice, add the rest of the alcohol. Stir, and then pour slowly over a spoon to layer it above the red layer in the shot glass. Garnish with a cherry stem.

I think I know what this book is about, but to be really honest, I’m not so sure there even is a point to it beyond your own personal reflections and what you choose to make out of it. To me, it was about growing up and wanting to stay young and resurrect the good old days, but coming to the realization that you have to move on and become a different person. So you can relive your memories and romanticize the good old days, but you can never go back. This drink, the Britpop, stems from the idea of enjoying something simple and sweet from your youth when you thought you were classier than you were.

2 oz gin
1 oz berry vodka
1/2 oz maraschino liqueur
2 dashes cherry bitters
Black cherry for garnish

Add all the liquid ingredients to an ice filled shaker, shake the shit out of it, and strain into an ice filled rocks glass. Garnish with a black cherry.

The interesting thing about this book is that it isn’t as much a biography of David Bowie as it is Ziggy Stardust. As much as they were one and the same, the persona of Ziggy on stage was much different than Bowie off stage, so much so, people actually thought he was an alien. Considering how much Ziggy changed the music industry and influenced other artists forever, I wanted to go for something with a little pizazz for this week’s drink, so here we have The Stardust.

1 oz brandy
1/2 oz grenadine
1/2 oz lemon juice
2 dashes of bitters
1 orange slice
Edible glitter

Add the first three ingredients to an ice filled shaker and shake the shit out of it. Add edible glitter to a glass, strain drink into it, and stir. Garnish with orange slice.

I don’t think anyone can read this book without setting it down at the end and just saying, “wow.” To learn the actual story behind the Beatles’ success and the man who changed the world arguably more than they did beings to mind memories of another man’s story who lived around the same time, Alan Turing. Both extraordinary men whom history has overlooked and also men who had to hide a dark secret that may have been part of what killed them in the end, hence how they ended up skeletons in their own closets.

Skeleton in the Closet

1 part pineapple juice
1 part mango juice
1 1/2 parts tequila blanco
1 part blue curaçao

Rim a glass in salt (using either pineapple or mango juice) and fill with ice. Add ingredients to an ice filled shaker, shake the shit out of it and strain into rimmed glass.

Growing up religious, I wasn’t allowed to listen to Kiss since they were the “Knights in Satan’s Service” and about the most evil kind of music out there until Marilyn Manson came around. In reality, they were just a group of guys who wanted to make music and get laid, and that seems to have gone wildly successful for them. The Kiss Army, their legion of fans, still love them even to this day, so I wanted to come up with a party drink that would make Gene Simmons proud (which is kind of ironic since he doesn’t drink). So here you go, the Kiss Army.

• 1/2 shot (22 ml) gin

• 1/2 shot (22 ml) vodka

• 1/2 shot (22 ml) dark rum

• 1/2 shot (22 ml) tequila

• 1/2 shot (22 ml) triple sec

• 1/2 shot (22 ml) Southern Comfort

• 1/2 shot (22 ml) peach schnapps

• 1/2 shot (22 ml) Drambuie

• 1/2 shot (22 ml) Grand Marnier

• 1/2 shot (22 ml) Blue Curacao

• orange juice

Add all the liquors to an ice filled shaker, top with orange juice, and shake the shit out of it. Pour into an ice filled glass and garnish with whatever kind of fruit slices you would like.

Catwoman should be nearly as iconic as Batman, yet few know of her outside of the Burton and Nolan films, and even there she’s more relegated to side status and not as fleshed out as she should be. She’s dangerous, sexy, and also hides some mirth that may not always be visible from the first time we are introduced. While either fighting crime or committing it, she still has time to make the occasional joke or quip which is why I wanted to go with something lighthearted for this week’s drink.

1 1/2 ounces khalua
1 1/2 ounces vodka
Ice
Whipping cream
Chocolate and caramel sauce
Half a maraschino cherry

Chill a martini glass. Add vodka, kahlua, and ice to a blender, blend till smooth, and pour into martini glass. Top with whipped cream and add the half cherry to the center of the glass. Dot the chocolate sauce to make eyes and use the caramel sauce to draw whiskers around the maraschino cherry “nose.”

Let’s get this straight, Lenore is one of the most batshit crazy books I’ve ever read. Sometimes we go into these shows blind by talking about a book none of us has any familiarity with; it just looks interesting. Lenore was definitely interesting, but by the time you’re done with it, all you can think is, “what the hell did I just read?” This week’s drink perfectly sums up that sentiment all the while ending with something that is tasty and yet weird as hell.

2.25 ounces grape brandy
.75 ounce sweet vermouth
.75 ounce lime juice
.5 ounce agave
.25 ounce squid ink
1 sprig oregano

Add all ingredients except oregano to an ice filled shaker. Shake the shit out of it and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with oregano.

Scarlet is surprisingly timely given all the unrest, riots, and protests against police brutality that have and are happening, which ties into what we see in the story. Take into consideration the attempted coup in Washington awhile back, and the whole of America seems like it’s sitting on a time bomb that could imminently explode. And that’s kind of where the book abruptly ends - with the stage set for the story (and hopefully not for us) waiting for a powder keg to explode at a moment’s notice.

12 ounces of a dark lager
1 shot of a coffee liqueur

Add the lager to a glass, drop in the shot of coffee liqueur and chug

I love plot twists and Antihero actually had two for me. When looking for books for this month (Female Antiheroes), I literally was just browsing around to find stuff that seemed fun and interesting, and Antihero fit the bill. What I didn’t know was that first, it was a DC book for kids that was sprinkled with Easter eggs, and second, that the characters were going to change bodies again and again throughout the story. So as I was looking for a drink to go with it, I wanted something else that you wouldn’t expect. This drink is based off a St. Patrick’s Day candy called an Irish Potato that is popular in Philadelphia. The candy itself is shaped like a potato and is coated in cinnamon with a coconut center. As an added bonus, those are two favors I love both individually and mixed together, and this drink really captures that combination wonderfully.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz coconut rum

• 1/2 oz cinnamon schnapps

• 1/2 oz cream of coconut

• 1/2 oz white chocolate liquor

• 1 oz heavy cream

• 1 tsp superfine sugar

• Shaved coconut

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with a generous amount of ice.

2. Shake the shit out of it.

3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass rimmed with shaved coconut

4. Sprinkle the top with powdered cinnamon

Drinking Game

Ah, youth! - Every time baby Thanos is disappointed he can’t murder, take a drink.  

 “Aww crap” - Anytime Frank’s plan doesn’t go the way he wants.

Curses! - Every time they bleep out a swear word

Father Knows Best - any time Frank is told that Thanos will still end up being a monster but Frank thinks he can do better, take a drink.

The flaming skull - Take a drink any time you see the flaming skull. 

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Playlist

Kickstart my Heart - Motor Crue 

The Kids Aren’t Alright - The Offspring

Father of Mine - Everclear

Back in Time - Huey Lewis and the News

Magic Carpet Ride - Stepenwolf

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Cocktails 

Penance Stare

• 1 oz. Blueberry Schnapps

• 1 oz. Vodka

• 1 oz. Triple Sec

• 1/2 oz. Bacardi 151

• 1/2 oz. Simple Syrup

• 3 oz. Pomegranate Juice

Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake well then pour into a tall glass with ice. Garnish with an orange and serve.

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 “And One Fer The Kid!” (Alcoholic Shirley Temple) 

* 1 ounce grenadine

* 6 ounces ginger ale

* 2 ounces vodka

* 2 ounces orange juice (substitute out some gingerale, orange juice adds a zing!) (optional)

Mix and enjoy!

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Not Your Father’s Root Beer Float

• 1 oz (30ml) Fireball Whiskey

• 1 oz (30ml) Spiced Rum

• Vanilla Ice Cream

• Not Your Father’s Root Beer

Garnish: Rumchata Whipped Cream, Chocolate Sprinkles and Cherry

SPIKED RUMCHATA WHIPPED CREAM

• Heavy Whipping Cream

• 2 oz Rumchata

PREPARATION

1. Pour Spiced rum and Fireball in the base of a pint glass. Add 3-5 scoops of vanilla ice cream.

2. Top with root beer and insert bottle into glass.

3. Make whipped cream by combining heavy whipping cream and Rum Chata, whisked until firm.

4. Top with rumchata cream and garnish with a cherry and chocolate sprinkles.

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Thanos' Heart

• 1 ounce apple brandy or apple vodka

• 1 tsp grenadine

• 2 ounces Viniq 

Add apple liquor and viniq to a shaker filled with ice and shake the shit out of it. Strain into a chilled martini glass and slowly pour the grenadine in so it oozes down the side of the glass and collects on the bottom like blood

Drinking Game:

Inquiring Minds Want To Know - Every time the cat ball wants to record a post, take a drink. 

Crushing Hard - Every time Domino takes a hit of crush, through her inhaler or straight, take a drink.

Ad Revenue - Take a drink for everyone of the WGP Alert pops up and asks people to press here for more info.

 “it's called a flail" (thanks Ted)- Every time you see a flail on panel take a drink

 Ohhhh Domino - Anytime someone says calls Domino by her name or Dom for short take a drink.

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Playlist:

Perfect Drug - Nine Inch Nails

I Got the Juice - Janelle Monáe

Born to be Wild - Steppenwolf

Leader of the Pack-

CrushCrushCrush - Paramore

Domino - Van Morrison

Lola - The Kinks

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Cocktails:

Motor Oil 

• 1 oz. Jagermeister

• 1/2 oz. Peppermint schnapps

• 1/2 oz. Goldschlager

• 1/2 oz. Malibu

Pour Jaegermeister into triple shot glass. Add Peppermint schnapps then Goldshlager. Top with Malibu.

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Vibrant Vixen

• 3 oz Viniq Original liqueur

• 2 lemon wedges

• 10-15 mint leaves 

• 1 oz soda water

Muddle the lemons and mint together at the bottom of a tall glass. Add Viniq and soda water, stir thoroughly. Garnish with mint sprig and enjoy

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Crush and Burn

• 2 oz. Dark Rum

• 1 oz. Triple Sec

• 2 oz. Light Rum

• 1 oz. 151-proof Rum

• 1 oz. lime juice

• 1 oz. orange juice

• 1 oz. pineapple juice

• 1 tbsp. Grenadine

• Optional: 1 Tbsp. Almond syrup

Add all ingredients to an ice filled shaker, shake the shit out of it and strain into ice filled glass and garnish with pineapple chunk 

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Turbo 

• 1/2 oz Creme de Cassis

• 8 oz dry hard cider, chilled

• 8 oz light lager, chilled

• Fresh rosemary sprig (garnish)

• Blackberry (garnish)

Add the creme de cassis tot the bottom of a chilled pint glass.  Top with the cider and the lager.  To garnish, thread the rosemary sprig thru the blackberry and place in the drink.  Serve immediately. 

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“Crush Cocktail”

• 2 OZ TEQUILA

• .5 OZ PEAR SYRUP

• .75 OZ LIME JUICE

• GINGER BEER

• LIME WEDGE, FOR GARNISH

METHOD

* Shake tequila, desert pear syrup and lime juice with ice.

* Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice.

* Top with ginger beer and garnish with a lime wedge.

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Ep 155 - Motor Crush is Out Now! 

154 - Kill or Be Killed 

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Miah-fication  - Mature, poor decisions. 

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Drinking Game:

Walkie Talkie - Every time there is a scene with actual dialogue, take a drink.

"I've got Angst Man”-Every time Dylan has the look that life sucks, take a drink

 "Sidebar, Please”- Every time they split the comic scenes and have the exposition play out next to the action.

“A Simple Sin”-Any time Dylan lies, take a drink.

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Playlist:

Institutionalized - Suicidal Tendencies 

Every Day is Exactly the Same - NIN

Dexter Theme Song 

 Vigilante Man - Bruce Springsteen

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Cocktail:

Demon Possession

• 1oz light or overproof rum

• 1oz citrus vodka

• 1/2oz Blue Curacao

• Lemonade

• Dash or two of Peychaud’s Aromatic Bitters

Shake the shit out of it and strain into a cocktail glass over ice. 

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My Own Personal Demon

• Simple syrup

• Orange and black sprinkles

• 2 ounces orange vodka

• 2 ounces apple pucker

• 1 ounce triple sec

• 1 drop neon green food coloring

• 1 tsp silver shimmer cake frosting spray

• Lemon lime soda
  
  

Pour simple syrup into a bowl and the sprinkles into another. Rim a glass in the syrup and dip in sprinkles. Fill glass with ice. In an ice filled shaker, combine all other ingredients except soda. Shake the shit out of it and strain into glass and top with soda and stir

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Rooftop Spill

• 1 oz cognac

• .25 oz cointreu 

• .5 oz creme de cacao

• .25 oz molasses(half water half molasses)

• .75 oz heavy cream

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Bloody Soul Kiss

• 1 1/2 ounces whiskey 

• 1 ounce dry vermouth 

• 3/4 ounce blood orange juice 

• 3/4 ounce Dubonnet Rouge

Stir all ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and enjoy.

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Ep 154 - Kill or Be Killed is Out Now!Find cocktails, Playlists and drinking game at: www.funnybooksandfirewater.com/blog/ep-154 #iTunes, #Stitcher #GooglePlay #Podbean #TuneIn #Spotify #FadeOut #Brubaker #Phillips #funnybooksandfirewater #podcast #comicbooks #comics #cocktails