Elixirs of life and unlife

Ladies Night at the R'lyeh beach resort

Tonight's the night, ladies! We, devotees of Great Cthulhu, in anxious expectation, have prepared for this apocalyptic day when R’lyeh shall rise from its aquatic tomb. Tonight, Cthulhu, in all his eldritch splendor, will once again stride upon this weary earth, ushering in an age of unfathomable Darkness and reshaping the fate of all existence. For this momentous occasion, all libations are just 40 cents each.

Corpse reviver #2

• Absinthe, to rinse
• ¾ ounce London dry gin
• ¾ ounce Lillet blanc
• ¾ ounce orange liqueur
• ¾ ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Bathe the innards of a frost-kissed coupe in the eldritch essence of absinthe, its spectral vapors clinging to the glass like whispers from the sunken city. Cast away the excess, lest its influence grow too strong, and set the vessel aside. Into a shaker of ice—cold as the void between stars—pour the gin, the pale Lillet blanc, the cursed nectar of orange, and the tart ichor of lemon. Agitate with fervor until the chill seeps into your very bones. Strain the unearthly elixir into the awaiting chalice, and dare to partake… if your mind can withstand what lurks beneath its silken surface.

White lady (of sorrow)

• 2 ounces gin
• ½ ounce orange liqueur or triple sec
• ½ ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 egg white

Pour the gin, the infernal orange liqueur, the bitter kiss of lemon, and the ghostly albumen of an egg into a shaker. With no ice to temper the ritual, shake with desperate intensity, as though warding off unseen horrors. Then, introduce ice—frigid as the grave—and shake once more, the frost creeping into your fingers, the eldritch alchemy reaching its final form. Strain the otherworldly concoction into a waiting, frost-laced chalice, and behold the pale, unholy froth that rises.

Death in the afternoon

• 1½ ounces absinthe
• 4½ ounces chilled Champagne

Decant the absinthe into a coupe, its emerald tendrils swirling like the dreams of the mad. Then, with solemn reverence, pour forth the Champagne—slowly, ever so slowly—lest the effervescence awaken that which should remain undisturbed. Watch as the golden bubbles rise, merging with the verdant abyss, forming a spectral mist that lingers at the surface.

The Gloom That Came To Sarnath

Stormy and dark, this gorgeous concoction is almost too beautiful to desecrate by imbibing-but you know you must...

The wealth of Sarnath

• 2 large basil leaves
• 1 ounce Hendrick's gin
• ½ ounce simple syrup
• Champagne or sparkling wine
• 6 blackberries for garnish

From out of the depths

To shreds they were cut, those soft green things! Thrown in to be berried, mangled, and muddled under the spirit, under the syrup! And a single frozen block on top to shake them with. This was poured without strain over the ice, and with bubbled wine did they celebrate, pouring it blasphemously on top of those they had vanquished. One of their heads and soft green bodies on a skewer did they leave, to show the Kingdoms of Kadatheron, Thraa, and Ilarnek what they had done to the Beings of Ib.

From: Lovecraft Cocktails: Elixirs & Libations from the Lore of H. P. Lovecraft

Sidecar

"A sidecar a day keeps the doctor away."
— Mary O'Sullivan

Cryptic infusions

• 1½ ounces cognac
• ¾ ounce orange liqueur
• ¾ ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• Garnish: orange twist

Summon forth the cognac, dark and ancient as forgotten tomes, pouring it into a shaker—a vessel of cold steel, indifferent to mortal hands. Add the orange liqueur, a syrup distilled from sun-drenched groves now lost to time, and the sharp, alchemical bite of lemon juice, freshly torn from the fruit's fragile vessel. Introduce shards of ice, crystalline relics from the abyssal depths, and shake with fervor. Strain the spectral elixir into a prepared glass. Crown this potion with an orange twist, coiling like the tentacle of some unseen beast, its fragrant oils a fleeting charm against the unknowable.

Missionary's downfall

"If religion were true, its followers would not try to bludgeon their young into an artificial conformity; but would merely insist on their unbending quest for truth, irrespective of artificial backgrounds or practical consequences."
— H P Lovecraft

Essences and herbs required

• ½ ounce fresh lime juice
• ½ ounce peach brandy
• 1 ounce white rum
• 1 ounce Don's honey mix (one part honey, one part water)
• 2 ounces diced fresh pineapple (1 ring)
• 10 leaves fresh mint
• 6 ounces crushed ice

Eldritch Tempest

Summon all forbidden essences into a vessel of whirring blades—a device designed to rend matter from form. Engage the mechanism, allowing it to roar like an ancient god awakening from aeons of slumber. Let it churn and howl until the chaotic vortex has merged the elements into a smooth, unholy concoction. Decant the resulting froth into a cosmic hurricane glass.

As the final rite, crown this abyssal brew with the tip of a mint sprig—three or four verdant leaves trembling like fragile wards against the encroaching madness—placed solemnly at the drink’s heart, marking the threshold between the known and the unknowable.

Sip carefully, lest the abyss sip back.

The Eldritch Rite of the Negroni

Deep within the abyssal tomes of forgotten mixology lies a ritual most arcane—the summoning of the Negroni. A libation both bitter and sublime, its origins whisper of ancient revelers who sought forbidden pleasures at the cost of their mortal souls. To conjure this eldritch elixir, one must proceed with great care, lest the spirits beyond take notice."

The Offering

• 1 ounce gin (The Essence of the Unknowable)
• 1 ounce Campari (The Blood of the Betrayed)
• 1 ounce sweet vermouth (The Whispered Pact)
• An orange peel (A Seal Against Madness)

The Ritual

1. The Invocation of Spirits – In a consecrated vessel of glass, place a handful of icy echoes of the Abyss, ensuring they glisten like the frozen void beyond time.
2. The Triune Binding – Pour, in equal measure, the gin, Campari, and vermouth—three spirits entwined in an unholy trinity. Stir with reverence.
3. The Mark of the Devourer – Take the orange peel, express its essence over the surface of the concoction and allow the oils to shimmer.
4. The Final Offering – Lay the peel upon the surface as a final tribute. Raise the chalice, whisper an incantation of your choosing, and partake.

Thus concludes the Rite of the Negroni. May its bitter embrace fortify your spirit against the horrors that lurk in the shadowed corners of existence.

Aviation

“After midnight, the moon set, and I was alone with the stars. I have often said that the lure of flying is the lure of beauty, and I need no other flight to convince me that the reason flyers fly, whether they know it or not, is the esthetic appeal of flying.”
— Amelia Earhart

Blasphemous components

• 2 ounces gin
• ½ ounce maraschino liqueur
• ¼ ounce creme de violette
• ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice

Combine the ingredients into your chalice of alchemy and add a handful of antediluvian ice chunks harvested from the frozen Plateau of Leng when the moon is gibbous. Shake vigorously whilst ululating "Tekeli-li! Tekeli-li!" repeatedly until your eldritch elixir is cold like the frozen body of an Elder Thing. Then filter your concoction by exorcising the remaining ice and pour the remnants into your vessel of vice.

Pallid Carcosa

A mellow, yellow classic with a double moon's shine over its frozen waves.
A delight fit for a King — and that's the Truth!

Inhabitants

• 5 ounces pineapple juice
• 3 ounces coconut cream
• 2 ounces spiced rum
• 2 ounces peach moonshine
• 1 ounce sweet and sour mix
• Cherries for rim

Drink in Yellow

In a blender with ice all mix.
To edge of glass cherries afix.

"Along the shore the cloud waves break,
The twin suns sink beneath the lake"
— Robert W. Chambers, The King in Yellow

From: Lovecraft Cocktails: Elixirs & Libations from the Lore of H. P. Lovecraft