To celebrate the launch of the new Hearthstone Innkeeper’s Tavern Cookbook, I’m hosting a virtual drinkalong. Each week I’ll post the recipe on Tuesday or Wednesday, then we’ll make the drink on Thursday (or whenever you can!), sharing the photos of our drinks online. Be sure to tag your photos on Facebook and Twitter with #HearthstoneDrinkalong, along with the name of the weekly beverage so I can add them to each week’s gallery. This should be a blast, and give you a taste (literally) of what the new recipe book has to offer.
The Roster
Week 1: Grimy Goose
Week 2: Starseeker Sour
Week 3: Tauren Tumbler
Week 4: Deathrattle
Week 5: Mystery drink?
Week 6: Mystery drink!
So, down to business. This week’s offering is a mocktail inspired by the intrepid explorer Elise Starseeker:
This one was a fun drink to put together. I started with a simpler version of a historical lemon drink, but instead of adding the sugar in with the lemon, I opted for a flavored simple syrup. Lavender actually goes beautifully with lemon, and I added a dash of food coloring for extra pizzazz.
For the photo staging, I tried to mimic the cluttered study in that image above, with surveying tools, maps, etc. You can’t tell from the picture, but those flat maps are actually of parts of Azeroth; I spent several hours one day tea-staining them all. That lovely brass doohickey on the left is an antique surveyors compass that I couldn’t resist at a flea market when I was 15, and have been holding onto ever since.
Starseeker Sour recipe
For the simple syrup, you’ll need:
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 Tbs. dried lavender (available in many health food store bulk sections)
- violet food coloring (gel is best for pure purple)
For drink:
- 2 lemons
- a little more water
- ice
- lemon wheel for garnish
Start everything off by making up the simple syrup: combine the sugar, water, and lavender in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until the sugar has dissolved, then remove from heat, cover, and let steep for around 20 minutes. Strain into a clean container, discarding the lavender. Add food coloring and set in the fridge to chill.
Once that’s done, you can actually assemble the drink. Combine the zest and juice of the two lemons in a measuring cup. Add enough water to get up to 1 cup, then strain into a clean pitcher. Add one part each of this lemon mixture and the lavender simple syrup to a glass filled with ice, then garnish and enjoy!
The simple syrup should keep in the fridge for at least a week. If you’d like to make a stronger version, add either plain or lemon vodka to taste.