Harry Potter Series: Veritaserum Cocktail

Just before fall begins, something shifts in the atmosphere and you can almost hear the owls delivering the Hogwarts acceptance letters if you really listen. That familiar theme song begins to chime in your head, and you remember that magic is very much real. 

Harry Potter is one of the most vibrant parts of my childhood, because I find it every bit as magical now, as I did then, 17 years later. There is something untouchable in that nostalgia, and I can’t help but always return to one home that’s forever a constant: the Wizarding World. 

I grew up in a conservative Christian home, and like many at the time my parents believed that there was something “evil” about Harry Potter. I think a lot of that idea came from the fact that children were whisking off to a school to learn to become witches and wizards…  but aren’t there witches and wizards in Lord of the Rings and The Wizard of Oz? Two things that never seemed to be an issue - but I digress. 

I totally drank the conservative kool aid. I thought it was ridiculous how obsessive people were over this clearly offensive series. It was my generation that was buying into it, and I was pleased as punch to think I was above such hogwash. 

The Harry Potter craze had been going on for about 3 or 4 years, when my mother finally caved and bought the first couple books. My  brother hated to read, and she heard that no child could resist reading Harry Potter, so she wanted to see if they would tempt him. He gave a couple chapters a go, but it still wasn’t his cup of tea. 

Then one day, when I was 13 years old - months before Order of the Phoenix was published - I was finally lured into the wizarding world through my own haughtiness. The Chamber of Secrets was on TV and, guffawing, I marched out of the room, grabbed my brother’s copy of Chamber of Secrets to see what was “oh-so-wonderful” about this fantasy fad, and was instantly hooked. 

I flew through all the books, and waiting at the midnight release for each of the remaining novels in the series - once I got the copy, I would lock myself away until I had read it cover to cover (which was mildly terrifying when I was reading the cave chapter of Half-Blood Prince at 3 in the morning). 

The hubs is a fellow Potterhead, and we never grow tire of listening to the audiobooks over and over again. So for the better part of my life, I’ve known and belonged to the magic that is Harry Potter. 

Naturally, there are soooooo many recipes I want to recreate from the superb series, but here’s a fun cocktail twist on the intimidating Veritaserum! Gin and absinthe are a deadly combo that’ll “have you spilling your innermost secrets” if you have too many!

Harry Potter inspired Veritaserum Cocktail

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 ½ ounces gin

½ ounce absinthe*

½ ounce Luxardo maraschino liqueur

½ ounce lemon juice

Ice 

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a shaker full of ice, shake for a solid moment, until your hands feel like they’ll never be warm again, then strain into a coupe or Nick and Nora glass. 

Optional garnish: star anise, lemon peel, maraschino cherry, etc. 

*If you don’t like absinthe - I know it has a very strong licorice flavor, which tends to divide people in extreme camps of “love” or “hate”, you can always substitute it for something else! Other liqueurs that would be a great sub: violet liqueur, green chartreuse, any floral or herby kind of liqueur would do the trick!