The Lush Presents: Drinks for the Coming Apocalypse!

In case you’ve been living under a rock somewhere, tomorrow is Judgment Day.  Through numerology (author’s personal note: REALLY?!?), the Doomsday prophet Harold Camping has declared May 21st, 2011 (6pm, apparently, if you were wondering) to be the day when the big man comes and “all that are in the graves shall hear his voice.”  Frankly, all this grave-opening rapture stuff got me thinking of Romero flicks but inevitably I wound up working up some fun apocalyptic cocktails.  For those of you partying it up tomorrow, enjoy!

Silver Rain (as inspired by The Taking)

Rim a cocktail glass with silver sanding sugar and set aside.
In a shaker with ice add:
1 oz Prickly Pear Cactus Juice or 1/2 oz Syrup
1 oz Light Agave Nectar
2 oz Silver Tequila (I personally suggest Milagro)
Shake and strain into prepared cocktail glass.

The Red Weed (as inspired by War of the Worlds-the movie adaptations)

Fill a shot glass with Vodka.
Drop 3-4 drops of your choice red liqueur or liquor slowly into the shot glass.  (I used Hot Damn! but you can also use things such as Campari, which has a nice orange-y Mars color to it, or grenadine.)

The Fallen Angel (as inspired by Legion)

1 1/2 oz Vodka
1/2 oz Pama or similar Pomegranate Liqueur
1 can (12 oz) Red Bull
Stir gently in a highball glass and garnish with a black swizzle stick.

The Romero (Do I really need to put an inspiration for this one?)

Fill a tall glass with ice.
In a shaker, add:
1 oz Spiced Rum (Captain Morgan is The Lush’s good friend)
1 oz Kraken Black Spiced Rum
1/2 oz Apricot Brandy
Dash of Grenadine
2 oz Orange Juice
2 oz Pineapple Juice
Shake and strain into prepared glass.  Top with 1/2 oz of 151-proof rum (optional).

The Blood Substitute (as inspired by Daybreakers)

1- 750 mL bottle (standard size) Rioja or Tempranillo (a dry red wine, usually Spanish)
1/4 c Brandy
1/4 c Triple Sec
4 Slices of a Blood Orange
2 c Blood Orange Juice (it is likely you will have to juice these yourself)
2 c Ginger Ale

In a large bowl or pitcher, combine the wine, brandy, triple sec, blood orange slices, and blood orange juice.  Allow to sit overnight in a cool place (the refrigerator is perfect if you have the room).  The next day, float fresh garnishes of thinly sliced blood orange and maraschino cherries before (just before serving) adding the ginger ale.  I found this recipe needs no additional sugar, but adding sugar to taste is an option.

The Twinkietini (as inspired by Zombieland)

1 oz Vanilla Vodka
1 oz Amaretto
1 splash Pineapple Juice
1 egg white (optional)
Mix ingredients in a shaker with ice.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Top with whipped cream (in the center!).  (Note: the egg white will make the cocktail a bit frothier and more like sponge cake.)

Disclaimer: Yes, it was kinda pretty.  Yes, I went overboard on the whipped cream.  Yes, it was yummy.

The Body Snatcher Fizz (inspired by Invasion of the Body Snatchers)
Fill a tall glass with ice, then add:
2 oz Gin (Hendrick’s is one of the best for this cocktail)
1/4 Cucumber, thinly sliced (about 8-9 slices)
A small piece of Ginger, thinly sliced (about 6-7 slices)
A dash of lime juice
Stir ingredients and then top with a Sparkling Tonic Water (such as Q Tonic).  As an added bonus, you can freeze beans in the ice (Pod People!), place your guests’ pictures on the glasses, or even cut the cucumber slices into little human shapes.  Have fun with it!

The Black Mesa Incident (as inspired by Half-Life)

Fill a tall glass with ice and add:
1 oz Blavod Black Vodka
1 oz Southern Comfort
A splash or two of sour mix.
Top with a few drops of grenadine.

If you cannot find Blavod Black Vodka, you may use regular vodka and dye your sour mix or, alternately, just serve this one in a black glass.

Enjoy these, feel free to post your own, and you can ALWAYS play up the garnishes.  I’ve seen a lot of basic cocktails turn extraordinary with a little bit of creativity.  Anyways, what’s everyone’s favorite apocalypse/post-apocalypse movie?

See you all Sunday (Lord knows I‘m not headed anywhere).