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The Sentinel

by | Jul 17, 2021 | Elizabeth's Blog

A Themed Drink for The Dimension Door Podcast​, Season 1 Episode 18

It has been a long while since I did a proper entry in my Dressing Up Drinks series here on Briarbook Lane, and I felt it was only fitting to revisit one of the drinks I created to commemorate an episode of the Pathfinder 1E Actual-Play podcast in which I play a part.

A little over a year ago, I created a very complex spectacle of a cocktail in honor of a very complex spectacle of an episode. Season 1 Episode 18 of The Dimension Door Podcast is one of our most memorable episodes, and I hope that the cocktail creation inspired by it is similarly memorable. You can read more about what inspired this cocktail below, or skip straight to the recipe.

image credit for background: Dremmer S's Night Vision. Text on top reads: Sentinel. Image is of a snow-covered cabin in a dark forest

Picture

The Sentinel
aka
The Molten Fey
The Sentinel cocktail is named for the High Sentinel Lodge, where the events of Episode 18 of The Dimension Door Podcast take place, and for the fact that those events occur while one of the characters (the hired gun, Valdeen) is standing sentinel over the rest of his sleeping party. Alternatively, you could call this drink the Molten Fey.

*Spoiler Warning*

To avoid spoilers, skip to the recipe.

For those of you who have already listened to The Dimension Door Podcast up through Season 1 Episode 18, or those who do not mind some spoilers from that episode: All of the elements of this cocktail were carefully selected in honor of the characters and events involved.
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This is a spectacle of a drink in which the three carefully-arranged and peaceful layers are, much like the three sleepers in the episode, roughly interrupted. The characters in this episode have their rest disturbed by a combat full of blood, chaos, fire, and a chilling realization; the layers of this cocktail are interrupted first by the molten orb spell-inspired flaming sugar cube and then again when ice is added and the drink is stirred.

I selected grenadine both to evoke the spilling of blood with its deep crimson hue, and to remind of the sweetness of the Gundersons (everyone’s favorite ratfolk couple) with its flavor. The orange juice adds to the fiery color palette of the drink and brightens the mix with a splash of citrus evocative of the type of bright, warm weather–and bright, hot spells–preferred by the summer witch, Vasilisa Morozova. The rye whiskey stands in for the gunslinger, Valdeen, who has a wry demeanor and carries a flask of whiskey. The absinthe represents the fey involved in the combat, and the lighting the absinthe-soaked sugar cube is reminiscent of using the spell molten orb​ against them.

This is a presentation cocktail; watching the process crafting the cocktail is an important part in enjoying it. Build this drink in front of the person to whom it will be served, and allow them to appreciate the appearance of the cocktail through the steps involved.

Ingredients & Tools

  • 1 oz grenadine (I highly recommend using high-quality grenadine, such as the type you can make for yourself following my recipe)
  • 1.5 oz rye whiskey (I used Rittenhouse Rye Bottled-in-Bond)
  • 1 oz fresh-squeezed orange juice
  • 1 sugar cube
  • 1 oz absinthe
  • bar spoon
  • absinthe spoon (or other heat- and fire-safe slotted spoon)
    • do not use your favorite absinthe spoon for this; ideally, select one which you will use repeatedly for drinks which call for burning/melting sugar over the glass, as it can be very difficult to fully clean any resulting caramelized sugar remnants or scorch marks
  • a chilled glass (I recommend a Nick & Nora glass)
  • ice (preferably crushed or pebble)
  • a match or food-safe lighter

Instructions

  • Add 1 oz grenadine into the frosted glass
  • Float 1.5 oz rye whiskey on top of the grenadine by pouring over back of a bar spoon set against the inside of the glass
  • Float 1 oz fresh orange juice on top. It should settle between the grenadine and the rye, leaving three distinct layers
    • Note: You can layer in the orange juice before the whiskey, but the layer between your grenadine and your orange juice may not be as clean
  • Place an absinthe spoon over your glass. (Any fire-safe slotted spoon will work.) Place a sugar cube atop the spoon
    • Note: You can pre-soak your sugar cube in absinthe for a short time to promote a longer burn
  • Slowly drizzle 1 oz absinthe over the sugar, letting it soak into the cube as much as possible
  • Light the absinthe-soaked sugar cube with a match and let it burn until the sugar has begun to carmelize and drip into the glass. When it burns out, tip the remainder of the sugar into the glass and stir
  • Add ice, stir to chill, and serve