Enchanted
This month’s cocktail challenge: Make your own magic!
To combat the malaise that is January 2022, I’ve concocted a whimsical cocktail to (quite literally) spark joy and turn your blues to hues of purple.
The past couple of years have taught me to roll with the punches, to pivot with the unexpected, and to make my own goddamn magic. One way I fight melancholia is by learning new things and punctuating the vapidity of the pandemic with creative new challenges and experiences.
I came upon this cocktail as I was looking for cocktail inspiration for a Harry Potter themed birthday party. The birthday party was canceled because of Omicron but I made the cocktail anway. I was also inspired by Disney’s Encanto and the magic and whimsy that it brought into our home.
My daughter named this cocktail “Enchanted” because the Spanish word “encanto” means charm, and was translated to “enchantment” or “enchanted” in some of the song lyrics in the closed captions. She reads EVERYTHING. I love it!
Safety first…
then magic…
and fire…
and magic.
Enchanted
The creative process for this enchanting cocktail began when I found the Phoenix Cocktail by The Flavor Bender. I fell in love with the idea of color changing cocktails so expect more of that in the future. Plus, glitter. Plus, fire! Pure magic. I’ve modified the recipe to use tequila instead of gin and I played around with the balance of ingredients. I experimented with coloring tequila various shades of blue to bring this one to life.
It’s cocktails AND chemistry! I enlisted the support of my seven year old. She loves science experiments! We worked with the blue butterfly pea flower as our main color agent, lemon as an acid, and baking soda as a base. Let the fun begin!
How to turn tequila blue!
Feeling blue? Yeah, me too.
I put 16oz of tequila in each mason jar to test how the dried blue butterfly pea flower would perform as compared to the powder. I saved the empty tequila bottles so I could pour the dyed tequila back in for storage.
In the other jar, I added 7-8 dried blue butterfly pea flowers. I could see almost immediately that the color started to seep out of the flowers. In the other jar, I added ⅛ tablespoon of the blue butterfly pea flower powder. The jar with the powder turned a beautiful deep blue/purple almost immediately. The jar with the dried flowers turned nearly the same color after 24hrs in the fridge. I noticed that the powder-died tequila was opaque or cloudy but after another 24hrs it settled and was clear.
The blue from the pea flowers starts seeping out immediately!
5min after mixing: powder-dyed (left) & flower-dyed (right)
After 24hrs in the fridge: powder-dyed (left) & flower-dyed (right)
I removed the flowers by pouring the tequila through a strainer and back into the tequila bottle. All the blue had drained from the flowers. They were white when I strained them out. Such a cool way to dye liquids!
While I LOVED the beautiful deep blue/purple, I wanted something a little more blue, so I added a pinch of baking soda (a base) and stirred it into the powder-dyed tequila. Add little by little and stir until you get the color you desire. The powder will eventually settle to the bottom of the jar or bottle and I didn’t notice a change to the taste of the alcohol but let’s be honest, if you’re dying tequila blue flavor probably isn’t your top priority.
Just a little baking soda turned that gorgeous deep purple into a magical icy blue.
Let’s get to measuring and mixing!
You don’t need to measure these all out in separate cups and mix them but it sure is fun!
Measure
Add some edible glitter to your tequila, measure out 1.5 oz and set it aside. In a separate cup, combine .5oz of lemon and .75oz of elderflower liqueur. This is the acidic component of the cocktail that will turn your blues to hues of purple! Finally, put a small amount (up to 1oz) of 151 rum in another glass. The rum is what you’ll light on fire. Oh, and don’t forget to grab some ground cinnamon. The cinnamon is what will make the spark!
Why does it spark?
Ground cinnamon contains cinnamaldehyde (an organic compound found in the bark of cinnamon trees). Sometimes ground cinnamon also contains eugenol (an aromatic oil extracted from cloves used to flavor foods). These compounds are flammable.
Recipe (mix!)
Pour your glittery blue tequila into the desired vessel
Slowly pour the lemon and elderflower mixture into the vessel and watch the color transform! (see images at the top of the post)
Pour some 151 on top - the amount you pour in depends on the size of your vessel and the surface area (Surface Pressure?!?! Encanto reference!) you’ll need to cover. You’ll want the 151 to cover the top of your drink so you can light it.
Very carefully, light the top of the drink. Make sure you’re using a heat resistant glass!
Take a pinch of cinnamon and throw it on the flame. It’s magic!
When you’re done (literally) sparking joy, you can blow out the flame. If you don’t want to blow it out, have a glass or ceramic plate handy to set on top of the glass to safely extinguish the flame.
Shopping List
Dried blue pea flowers (see above); can substitute powder or concentrate (my local liquor stores sells this in liquid form)
Edible glitter; I used Champagne Rose Gold Prism Powder (see above)
Tequila
Lemons or lemon juice
St. Germain (elderflower liquor)
151 Rum (for burning, not drinking)
Cute little heat resistant glasses (I got mine at TJ Maxx Home Goods)
This drink was also inspired by the sky, and the magic of the sun setting and the sky changing from blue to purple. I had a lot of inspiration for this cocktail. I think we all need inspiration this month. It’s been quite a January. Stay strong, friends. Be well.
