Continuing our celebration of Star Wars Day with cocktails for Episode V…

EPISODE V – THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

Where we learn that you should NEVER come out of hyperspace early and things get a bit chilly, especially for Han Solo.

Hoth

Home of the Rebel base is the planet of snow and ice, Hoth. You’ll want a blanket whilst you drink this one.

Recipe
50ml Vodka, 25ml White Creme de Menthe (or a few drops of peppermint essence)
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and stir without ice, then carefully pour over a glass full of crushed ice.

Exceptionally – almost uncomfortably – cold, the vodka in this cocktail takes on a lovely viscosity, whilst the Creme de Menthe quickly makes itself known with striking notes of spearmint and peppermint. Pleasant, faint echos of the mint continue on the finish, along with hints of the underlying vodka.

Dagobah

Another planet that we see for the first time in Episode V is Dagobah, a swamp planet populated largely with indigenous wildlife. The film’s atmospheric scenes make it a great inspiration for cocktails.

Recipe
35ml Herbal Gin (we really like Shortcross Wild Clover Edition), 10ml Midori, 120ml Cloudy Apple Juice)
Line a glass with the cucumber peel and fill with ice, before adding the gin and juice (it works better if they have already been mixed). Add ice and carefully pour the Midori down the side of the glass to create the “Midori sink”.

This drink is smooth and fruity to start, with a hint of sweet melon giving the apple juice an unexpected, slightly alien flavour. The cucumber garnish adds aroma, as well as a wonderfully atmospheric feel that there’s foliage (or some kind of creeping vine) in your drink – this one really matches its on-screen scenes well. Finally, the gin contributes a delicious, herbal complexity as the apple notes fade, and this builds with every sip. This is definitely Mrs. B’s favourite from the cocktails for Episode V.

Cloud City

The gas giant of Bespin is home to the floating mining colony of Cloud City. In addition to its purpose as a base to mine Tibanna gas, it was also a tourist attraction; imagine sipping one of these in one of its casinos.

Recipe
60ml Dry Gin, 30ml Blue Curacao, 30ml Lemon Juice, 15ml Egg White
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled glass.

Exceptionally smooth, with the creamy froth from the egg white adding even more silkiness. The underlying cocktail has a welcome tartness to it, with an array of vibrant, revitalising citrus notes: first fresh orange, then more zesty lemon. A clean and refreshing drink.