Thank you for the support on Instagram for these book-themed cocktails, especially these Shadow & Bone ones! I have always loved coming up with new recipes and challenging myself to create themed drinks and desserts, but I never thought it would become a thing. Getting comments from people calling me a “bookish cocktail queen”??? So flattering! When I started posting on Bookstagram again last month, I was so not up to date on all that has happened in the five-ish years that I had been on hiatus; now, I’m kind of problematically addicted to Bookstagram again.

Honestly, I totally forgot that the Shadow & Bone series was going to be released, until my favorite bookish Discord group planned a watch party. Big shout out to the Court of Chaotic Bitches for supporting my boozy and bookish endeavors! I will definitely be posting more in the recipe section of the blog.

Disclaimer: I’m so behind on the Grishaverse

Another bit of honestly–the Grishaverse hype train didn’t start sweeping me up until now. I read read Shadow & Bone in high school, but I stopped halfway through Siege & Storm  for reasons I can’t totally remember. And I still need to watch past episode 1 of the Netflix series; I blame my master’s program. I got my dance partner to watch the whole season and read all of the books before I could even try to pick them up again (side note: I’ve received requests for a Darklina tango, but I think my dance partner and I look like Alina and Nikolai–thoughts on a potential Shadow & Bone dance??).

Now that I’m FINALLY DONE, I look forward to drooling over Ben Barnes and Freddy Carter and maybe actually catching up on Leigh Bardugo’s books. Well, if I can whittle down my TBR list. Based on what I have already seen, the special effects/acting/costumes all look great! Plus, the cultural nuance of Alina being half Shu adds some much needed diversity to streaming content. I literally studied this for my job, and the findings were rough…

Anyway, I had a lot of fun coming up with The Sun Summoner and The Darkling cocktails. Recently, I’ve been spending a lot of time exploring herbalism and kitchen witchery, so I wanted these cocktails to fit Shadow & Bone aesthetically but also through ingredients with fitting associations. Witchcraft Cocktails by Julia Halina Hadas has been an awesome resource for me, and I modified her chamomile-lavender syrup for The Sun Summoner. Buy it via IndieBound/bookshop.org to support indie book stores!

About The Sun Summoner & The Darkling Cocktails

It might be a little on the nose, but I knew I wanted to use vodka in both recipes to allude to the Russian inspiration behind Ravka, and the classic Black Russian came to mind instantly for Shadow & Bone‘s “Black Heretic.” I added maple syrup because maple, associated with immortality/longevity, is perfect for the ancient Grisha. I wanted something with a little kick, so cinnamon was my instinctive addition. Cinnamon also inspires love and lust, which makes it perfect for Darklina shippers and the hotness of Ben Barnes. Side note: Younger me had a crush on him as Prince Caspian, and adult me has not stopped swooning. I used Ketel One and Kahlua, but feel free to use whatever you prefer!

For The Sun Summoner, using ingredients (e.g., lemon, chamomile) associated with the sun seemed obvious. I liked that chamomile is also comforting as well, a bright presence on a shadowed day. The lavender in the syrup is for protection. Think of it as Alina’s protection in the Fold.

The Recipes

Print Recipe

The Darkling: A Shadow & Bone-Inspired Black Russian

Inspired by the character from Leigh Bardugo's Shadow & Bone, this twist on a Black Russian includes maple (associated with immortality) and cinnamon (for energy and lust).

Course: Drinks

Keyword: Cocktail, Coffee Liqueur, Novel-Inspired, Vodka

Servings: 1 cocktail

Ingredients

Cinnamon-Infused Maple Syrup*

• 4 oz pure maple syrup
• 1 oz water
• 1 stick cinnamon

Cocktail

• 1 ½ oz Vodka
• ½ oz Coffee Liqueur
• ½ tbsp cinnamon-infused maple syrup*
• 1 dash bitters (pick your favorite!)

Instructions

For the syrup:

• In a small saucepan, boil the maple syrup, water, and cinnamon stick over medium heat.
• When the liquid is reduced to half, remove from heat and let cool.
• Store the syrup in a bottle in the refrigerator.

For the cocktail:

• Place all of the cocktail ingredients in a shaker and shake with ice until chilled.
• Serve in a rocks glass over fresh ice.

Print Recipe

The Sun Summoner: A Shadow & Bone Inspired Lemon Drop Martini

Inspired by the character from Leigh Bardugo's Shadow & Bone, this twist on a Lemon Drop martini includes chamomile for sunlight and lavender for protection.

Course: Drinks

Keyword: Cocktail, Floral, Lemon, Novel-Inspired, Vodka

Servings: 1 cocktail

Ingredients

Chamomile-Lavender Syrup*

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp dried chamomile flowers
• ½ tsp dried lavender buds

Cocktail

• Granulated sugar to rim glass
• 2 oz vodka
• 1 ½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp chamomile-lavender syrup*
• 1 lemon wheel for garnish

Instructions

For the syrup:

• Place sugar, water, and dried flowers in a small saucepan. Boil on medium heat until reduced to half.
• Let the syrup cool before using in cocktail. Store leftover syrup in the refrigerator.

For the cocktail:

• Coat the rim of a martini glass or other preferred glass with lemon juice. Dip in granulated sugar to rim the glass with sugar.
• Use a cocktail shaker (or a mason jar) to combine vodka, lemon juice, and syrup, plus ice. Vigorously shake until the shaker is very cold outside.
• Strain the mixture into the rimmed glass, leaving leftover ice in the shaker. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

Have you watched Shadow & Bone on Netflix?
Let me know in the comments!