Spirits Lifted

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Cocktail History

The Spirits Lifted is a Sips From Scripts original cocktail that was created for the release of the Marvel television show WandaVision. It’s a boozy interpretation of paprikash, Wanda Maximoff’s favorite dish that Vision attempted to make in one of their first scenes together in the movie Captain America: Civil War. It’s made using the classic Martini formula with a split base of peppered gin, Russian vodka, and garlic vodka and is flavored with vermouth, a homemade paprika tincture, smoke and salt bitters, and cocktail onions.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Peppered Gin: This is a spirit made with pepper, juniper berries, botanicals, and alcohol. We chose Uncle Val’s Peppered Gin because it has a juniper-forward taste with notes of red pepper, black pepper, and pimento. For a mocktail version of this drink, try MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin in place of the gin.

Russian Vodka: This is a spirit made with grains, vegetables or fruits, and alcohol. We used Russian Standard Gold Vodka because it’s smooth, easy to sip, and fairly inexpensive without compromising the quality. For a mocktail version of this drink, try STRYKK Not V*dka in place of the Russian vodka.

Garlic Vodka: This is the third base spirit. It adds garlic flavor. We used Chippewa River Distillery Trumie’s Garlic Vodka because it has a potent garlic flavor. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Strykk Non-Alcoholic Not V*dka in place of the garlic vodka.

Blanc Vermouth: This is a fortified wine made with grapes, sugar, botanicals, herbs, sugar, and alcohol. We used Dolin Blanc Vermouth de Chambéry because it has a light and airy flavor profile with notes of Alpine herbs. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Apéritif Dry in place of the dry vermouth.

Paprika Tincture: This is a concentrated extract made with paprika and alcohol.

Smoke & Salt Bitters: This is a food product made with lapsang souchong tea, sea salt, botanicals, and alcohol. We used Crude Bitters “Pooter” Smoke & Salt Bitters.

Cocktail Onions: These are miniature onions that have been preserved in vinegar.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Mixing Glass: This is used to hold the ingredients while they’re being stirred. We used the Viski 17 oz Cocktail Mixing Glass.

Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. We used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.

Julep Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is stirred. We used the A Bar Above Julep Strainer.

Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. We used one from the Homestia Stainless Steel Cocktail Pick Set.

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Tasting Notes

The Spirits Lifted features the tingling aroma of paprika and savory onion and has a very rich and flavorful taste of pepper, garlic, onion, and sharp paprika spice on the swallow that stays in the throat.

Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Thanks to its spicy alcoholic punch, we like to think the Spirits Lifted would comfort Wanda just as much if not more than the meal from her homeland.

Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“I’ve never tried paprikash, but judging from the list of ingredients, we couldn’t get much closer to creating a version of it in cocktail form if we tried. It’s fairly dry and very savory, so I don’t know that I’d request this one again, but I love how much this cocktail pays homage to the beginning of Vision’s and Wanda Maximoff’s relationship, of which we get to see even more in WandaVision. If you’re a fan of the show or paprikash in general, this is worth trying at least once!”

Recipe