Cocktail 1: The Raven

Therefore it’s not surprising that, after its publication in January 1845, Poe became famous throughout the land. And yet, he was only paid $9 by The American Review, which published the poem. Once upon a midnight dreary, indeed.

This poem is so well-known and euphonious that it has spurred innumerable parodies and burlesques. Lisa Simpson’s version on The Simpsons is especially worthy, and yet I will always remember when I was first introduced to “The Raven” in a Bullwinkle cartoon in the 1960s.

The full poem is available here.

So I got me some Van Gogh Double Espresso vodka. It’s a surprisingly tasty liquor on its own, particularly suited for those of us who like our depressants delivered with stimulants. This vodka has two things going for it: (1) it has a dark color, evocative of a raven (or a crow). To be honest, it’s not quite black; rather, it’s a dark brown. But we have a black cat (Vincent) who, as he’s aged, has taken on a somewhat brown cast. So maybe dark brown in the ballpark of black? (2) It’s said that Van Gogh was an avid and enthusiastic reader of Poe. It’s further said that his “intensive reading of Poe’s works helped him to process and internalize his thoughts and emotions, which then manifested in his art.” I take all this as confirmation that the Van Gogh vodka would make a great starting point for this drink. Let’s get to work!

Ingredients:

The bottle of Van Gogh already has a syrupy sweetness to it, even though it’s marketed as a vodka. So, this will have to be counterbalanced with something to keep it out of the land of the cloying. For this, I added a shot of straight espresso for its bitterness and roastiness, and a little bit of mezcal for its earthy, smoky flavor. Truth be told, I found this formulation to be a bit too harsh, so I then added a little Kahlua to take the edge off. This seems to be the sweet spot.

So far, the drink presents a dark brown color. But to make it more raven-y, I added two pinches of edible black glitter. This gives it a deeper black color and that shimmery, sparkly gloss that ravens are so well known for. Not.

But as if that doesn’t drive home the point strongly enough, we’re going to add a black feather–a “black plume as a token of that lie thy soul has spoken.” Simply proceed thus:

1. Remove a single black feather from a nearby raven (or, in a pinch, a crow will do). Alternatively, you can go to your nearest craft store. Place this feather point-down in a small glass with about an inch of water, and stick it in the freezer. You may need to use some tape to keep the feather upright. This is going to serve as your ice cube/garnish.
2. Make yourself a shot of espresso, and put it in the fridge to cool for a few minutes.
3. In a mixing glass, combine the vodka, Kahlua, mezcal, and espresso with ice. Stir, and strain into a bar glass of your choice.
4. Add a few pinches of the black glitter, and stir.
5. Finish it off by adding the ice cube/feather. (You may have to briefly warm it in the microwave to loosen the ice from the glass.)
6. Will you ever go back to your old Dark N Stormy? Nevermore!