Someone get on the phone with Nintendo! This blog is about pairing cocktails with Legend of Zelda gameplay. But we can’t do our shtick unless Nintendo does theirs. While we sit tapping our watches impatiently, we’re crafting cocktails to tide us over. And we reserve the right to change the title of this page to FINALLY, or whatever it is the Nintendo Overlords name the sequel to BOTW. (You can also click here for drinks to pair with Breath of the Wild and here for Skyward Sword.)
Grand 75
There are many variations of the French 75, a cocktail which dates to 1915. On our pages, we’ve offered a French 75 whilst playing the main game of BOTW and a Dutch 75 during Revali’s Song. Today we celebrate our attainment of the Master Cycle Zero, a grand accomplishment, with the Grand 75.
- 1½ ounce Grand Marnier
- ½ – ¾ ounce lemon juice
- 2-3 ounces Champagne or sparkling wine
Add Grand Marnier and freshly squeezed lemon juice (we prefer ours on the tart side, so we used ¾ ounce) to a container with ice; shake to chill. Strain into a coupe and top with Champagne.
Passionfruit Fury
We don’t generally cite brands for our cocktails, but when it comes to passionfruit, we have (okay, Demelza has) strong opinions. And hell hath no Fury like a Demelza ignored! For the liqueur, we recommend Chinola, and for the syrup, there’s nothing like Liber’s. We’ll leave the vodka and sparkling wine choices up to you!
- 2 ounces vanilla vodka
- 1/2 ounce Chinola passionfruit liqueur
- 1/2 ounce Liber and Co. passionfruit syrup
- 1/4 ounce simple syrup
- 1 ounce fresh lime juice
- 1 ounce Champagne or other sparkling wine
Mix vodka, passionfruit liqueur, syrups, and lime juice in a container full of ice; shake to chill as if you were swinging an Edge of Duality at Thunderblight Ganon. Strain into a coupe, top with an ounce of Champagne, and stir to combine.
Blue Margarita
In keeping with Lanayru’s watery clime and the Waterblight‘s very name, we paired a blue cocktail with the blight-flight. It’s more or less like a regular margarita, except, you know, it’s blue.
- 2 ounces tequila blanco or reposado
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 ounce good quality blue curaçao
Combine all ingredients in a container full of ice; shake to chill. Pour into a glass full of ice and garnish as you like, or don’t like, as the case may be.
Limoncello Drop
- 2 ounces limoncello liqueur
- 1 ounce vodka
- 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker full of ice; shake to chill. Strain into your favorite martini glass.
Run a lemon around the rim of the glass, dip in fine sugar for special appearance AND a tasty treat.
Enjoy!
Icewine Martini
- 2 ounces chilled vodka
- 1 ounce chilled icewine
- 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice*
- Frozen grapes
Mix vodka, ice wine, and fresh lemon juice in a cocktail shaker full of ice; shake to chill. Strain into a martini coupe and garnish with frozen grapes.
* Most icewine martini recipes do not call for lemon juice, but we found the sweetness of the icewine needed some tart to balance it. Your call, however; the traditional or our Zelderly revision. But the most important point is that everything should be cold, especially after hanging around the Eldin region.
Dutch 75
- 1½ ounce vodka
- 3/4 ounce lemon juice
- 1/2 ounce simple syrup
- 2-3 ounces Prosecco (to taste)
Combine vodka, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup in a container full of ice; shake to chill.
Strain into a chilled flute and top with Prosecco or other sparkling wine.
Suffering Bastard
Two cocktails share the name Suffering Bastard. The original features gin, brandy, and ginger beer; the other, widely known as the Trader Vic version, calls for rum, lime, and orgeat. We found Rohta Chigah shrine moderately more sufferable with the tiki style. (But with more suffering surely before us, we may yet try the other.
- 1 ounce regular rum
- 2 ounces Barbados rum
- 1½ ounce fresh lime juice
- ¼ ounce dry curaçao
- ¼ ounce orgeat
- ¼ ounce rock candy syrup
Mix all ingredients in a container full of ice; shake to chill. Strain into a Suffering Bastard mug filled with a generous amount of crushed ice and garnish as you please. For reasons unknown to us, Trader Vic might have used a cucumber.
(Note: This cocktail tastes quite delicious in a highball or Collins glass also, but we liked the anguished expression shown here; we know exactly how he feels.)
Midori Margarita
Midori, meaning “green” in Japanese, is the perfect celebration of a Hero’s Path.
- 1½ ounce white tequila
- 1 ounce fresh lime juice
- ½ ounce Midori liqueur
- ½ ounce Cointreau
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice; shake to chill. Strain into a glass with crushed ice or mix in a blender for a slushier drink. Garnish with lime wheel (or maraschino cherry, if your Hero’s Path sports a Red X or two.)
Fair and Warmer
First appearing in the Savoy Cocktail Book, the Fair and Warmer (perhaps named for the screenplay and silent film of the same name?), called for Italian vermouth. Our version substitutes Lillet Rose.
- 1½ ounce light rum
- ¾ ounce Lillet Rose
- 1/6 ounce dry curaçao
Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with crushed ice, then do the shaking thing. Serve in tiny (authentic!) cocktail glasses like the Nick and Nora set from The History Company, which are available, as of this writing, on Amazon.com.
Gin Rickey
- 2 ounces dry gin
- juice of one-half lime
- carbonated water
- ice
Fill a tall narrow glass with plenty of ice. Add fresh lime juice and gin; toss in the used lime rind (as per Savoy Cocktail Book and, no doubt, Colonel Rickey) or lime slices, as you prefer. Fill glass with your choice of carbonated or sparkling water. Stir gently to combine. Best enjoyed in the summer, outside on the patio, while listening to Jazz Era classics.
Bird of Paradise
- 1 ounce Aperol
- 1 ounce overproof rum
- 1 ounce pineapple juice
- ½ ounce fresh lime juice
- ¼ ounce simple syrup
Combine all ingredients in a container of cubed ice; shake vigorously to chill. Strain into a glass full of crushed ice.
While you’re enjoying this tropical drink, contemplate the type of flight possible in the sequel to Breath of the Wild as compared to riding a Loftwing in Skyward Sword. And toast to having a better bar in any future Skyloft!