All October posts are part of the Countdown to Halloween!
Friends don't lie. But they DO share killer cocktail recipes with each other just in time for season 2 of "Stranger Things" on Netflix, which is exactly what you're in for today.
I'm usually not a jump-on-the-Netflix-bandwagon kinda gal, but last summer Hawkins, Indiana - and The Upside Down - sucked me in. I love a good story with a major, "Um, WTF is going on here?!" vibe, and that's just what "Stranger Things" delivers.
If you're reading this, I'm going to assume you're a fan as well, so I'll save waxing poetic about the series use of music, brilliant actors and, of course, killer special effects in The Upside Down for another day.
Let's get straight to the point of this post - the "Stranger Things" cocktail I've created and dubbed The Eleven:
It's a whiskey sour with a twist...a bit of maple syrup to complement THE perfect garnish for a "Stranger Things" viewing party - a mini waffle! (Eggo, of course.)
It might sound a bit weird at first, but once I mixed one up, I loved how the sweet syrup and sour lemon juice played off each other.
Here's my recipe for The Eleven:
The Eleven
Ingredients
- 2 oz whiskey
- 1 1/2 oz egg whites (sub: aquafaba)
- 1 oz lemon juice
- 3/4 oz maple syrup
- 2-3 dashes bitters
- Eggo mini waffle for garnish
Instructions
- Add whiskey and eqq whites to a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds until frothy.
- Add lemon juice, maple syrup, and bitters, and shake gently to combine.
- Pour into a glass over ice. Garnish with a toasted Eggo mini waffle.
Notes
Egg whites are used to give this drink texture. You can substitute aquafaba for egg whites OR replace the egg whites and lemon juice with 1 1/2 ounces of sour mix instead.
How to make The Eleven, step-by-step:
Gather your ingredients. Christmas light backdrop so you can talk to your friends in The Upside Down is optional.
First, measure out two ounces of whiskey.
Second, use 1 1/2 ounces of egg whites. (Wondering why egg whites? Read more here!)
You can substitute aquafaba for the egg whites, if you prefer.
Put both in a cocktail shaker. I didn't have my fun fancy one with me at my parents' house when I made these, so I made do with Tupperware instead. (I feel like it added to the authenticity of a cocktail inspired by a show set in the 80s.)
Shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds or until the mixture is frothy like this!
Next, measure one ounce of lemon juice. Don't forget, you can substitute sour mix for the egg whites AND lemon juice, if you prefer.
Add three-quarters of an ounce of maple syrup. After all, our garnish needs a little syrup to enjoy with it!
I grabbed mine at Trader Joe's because they always have great quality products at awesome prices. That's not an ad, I just genuinely like shopping there.
Toss it all in the cocktail shaker - or Tupperware - and throw in 2-3 dashes of bitters. Then shake gently to combine.
Fill a tumbler glass with ice.
Pour!
Then toast one Eggo mini waffle and allow to cool. Remove one mini waffle, make a small slit halfway through the waffle and slide it onto your glass.
And there you have The Eleven.
Cheers to a new season of "Stranger Things"!
See you in The Upside Down!
