Eden’s Mist Cocktail : Pure Edenite Pleasure
In ‘Stars on Fire’, Selene tastes the most heavenly cocktail, called ‘Eden’s Mist’.
It contains: ‘Amaretto from the hills of Lasigonia on Dunia, Curacao oranges, distilled kaokao from Tansin and a touch of silver moon dust from our northern lunar mountains. The sweetness of the amaretto mellows the tartness of the orange without dulling the citrus notes too much. The result is pure Edenite pleasure.’
I’ve distilled it below - so you can try and make yourself … and while some of the ingredients are literally out of this world, I’ve substituted the fantasy ingredients for what you can find somewhere near you!
The recipe
Ingredients
Orange rind – Start by muddling a couple fresh orange rind pieces in a cocktail shaker to really impart the fresh orange oils to the drink. This step adds so much flavor!
Amaretto liqueur – A good brand is Disaronno. The amaretto works wonderfully with both the orange and coffee flavors. It adds a rich, nutty warmth and sweetness to the cocktail.
Cocoa liqueur – my favorite brand is Baileys. So delish.
Angostura (orange) bitters or a squeeze of fresh orange juice – these reinforce the fresh orange flavor from the muddled rind. If you can’t find bitters, just squeeze a tiny bit of fresh orange juice into the mix.
Vodka – a clean and light spirit that stays neutral in flavor – which is important to allow the other flavors of amaretto, orange, and coffee to shine.
Light cream - a smooth, mellow cream to bring everything together
Ice – this cocktail is always served over ice, so make sure you have plenty of ice to both mix the cocktail up and for serving in the glasses.
Edible silver leaf – This adds decadence and creaminess – and a little drama!
Mixology
Add the pieces of orange peel to a cocktail shaker. Use a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon to gently smash the orange rind until it is fragrant.
Fill the shaker with ice and add the Baileys, cream, amaretto, bitters, and vodka. Shake vigorously for a few seconds to mix well and chill the ingredients. At this point, I like to taste the mixture and add additional Baileys or bitters “to taste” .
Strain the mixture between two rocks glasses filled with ice. Stir to combine the ingredients and serve immediately, garnished with additional orange peels.
Scatter the edible silver over the top into each glass, for that extra STARLIT touch.
Read the Book Excerpt: Pure Edenite Pleasure
Kainan settled her into a plush, high-backed barstool at the bar and summoned an Allorian bartender with a flick of his finger. The barman’s eyes widened slightly in recognition of the sapphire and gold tattooed man leaning against the counter, and he rushed over.
‘What can I get you, khosi?’
‘A Zindawa for me, and the lady -?’ Kainan said turning to Selene.
She leaned forward. ‘What do you have for a girl a moon away from her planet and negotiating for the lives of millions?’
The barman’s eyes widened even further.
‘Surprise me,’ Selene added.
Kainan’s lips quirked with amusement. ‘What about one of your infamous moon dust cocktails, Jarok? Perhaps Eden’s Mist?’
‘What’s in it?’ Selene asked, intrigued by the name.
‘Amaretto from the hills of Lasigonia on Dunia, Curacao oranges, distilled kaokao from Tansin and a touch of silver moon dust from our northern lunar mountains. The sweetness of the amaretto mellows the tartness of the orange without dulling the citrus notes too much. The result is pure Edenite pleasure.’
Selene nodded. ‘Sounds sublime. I’ll have one, thank you.’
The bartender inclined his shaven dome and set about making her cocktail with great relish. He whirled and twirled bottles and glasses before setting down a tall phial of iridescent liquid before Selene with theatrical panache.
Selene took a sip of her silver-dusted cocktail and sighed with happiness. The taste was like nothing she’d tasted before - lightly syrupy with marzipan, macaroon, vanilla and orange notes, which left tingles on her tongue and taste buds.
She took another sip, tasted the sheer decadence and closed her eyes, almost moaning as the delicious heat snaked to her belly. Then, she slowly opened her eyes to clash with an intense gold sapphire gaze.