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By Nicole Danielle
Jump to RecipeCocktail Inspiration
I created this cocktail for Season 2 Episode 12: A Midsummer Nightmare. I’m calling it Myravelle’s Elixir and it’s named after and inspired by the character Myravelle from the book Her Dark Enchantments by Rosalyn Briar. Which is the book I read for the podcast episode. (You can read my book review here.)
Myravelle is the main female character in the story and she’s essentially Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty. But the author, Rosalyn Briar, spins a different origin story and we get a more intimate understanding of who Myravelle really is and how she becomes the person she is.
In every episode of the podcast, my Romance on the Rocks co-host, Meghan, and I choose a cocktail we feel best pairs with our romance novel. After reading Her Dark Enchantments, I knew story had provided me with the ingredients for a cocktail. Briar possesses beautiful writing skills and many excerpts from the book kept flashing through my mind as I conjured this recipe.
- “In her collection, Myravelle had the nightshade, acacia, wormwood, sandalwood, rose petals, vanilla, and musk needed for the spell …”
- “The mattress, pillows, and blankets all smelled like her: sandalwood, rose, and vanilla.”
- “Byzarien sat on the corner of her mattress, which sank under his tall frame, holding out a steaming mug of chamomile tea.”
- “Myravelle’s lips felt like silk and tasted of chamomile and jasmine tea.”
A Tea Concoction
Myravelle and her partner, Byzarien, often consume chamomile tea during the course of the novel. And he associates the scent of vanilla with Myravelle. So I knew those would be must haves for this drink. There’s also a particular line from the book I think is the true inspiration for Myravelle’s Elixir: “When he poured the hot water into the mugs, the scent of botanicals from Myravelle’s tea concoction wafted into the air — herbal with a touch of sweetness.” And so hints of honey seemed the order of the day.
A Bourbon & Tea-Infused Cocktail
I love making cocktails from tea-infused simple syrups so this seemed the perfect choice as one of the key ingredients. I opened my tea drawer and struck gold: a box of Celestial Seasonings Honey Vanilla Chamomile Herbal Tea. As for the liquor in the needed … a bottle of Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon seemed the only real choice. (The novel is written by Rosalyn Briar and mentions Briar Rose. It was easy to see the connection to Four Roses.)
And so this simple bourbon and tea-infused cocktail is herbal and delicious without being overly sweet. I hope you’ll give it a try! Want to read the book? You can get it from The Ripped Bodice here or Amazon here (print, Kindle and Audible available).
Myravelle’s Elixir
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the bourbon and simple syrup, cover and shake. Fill a rocks glass with ice and strain the liquid into the glass. Add the lemon slice for garnish. Drink up!2 ounces Honey Vanilla Chamomile Simple Syrup, 1 slice lemon, 2 ounces Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon
Honey Vanilla Chamomile Simple Syrup
Ingredients
Method
- Steep the tea in 1 cup boiling-hot water for 7 minutes. Remove the tea sachets. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Pour syrup into a sealable jar or bottle. Chill the simple syrup before using.4 sachets Celestial Seasonings Honey Vanilla Chamomile Herbal Tea, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup boiling water
