Stick ‘Em in a Stew

This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy here.

Cocktail History

The Stick ‘Em in a Stew is a Novel Nightcaps original cocktail that was created in honor of the release of The Rings of Power, a prequel to the original The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. Inspired by Samwise Gamgee’s iconic quote about potatoes in The Two Towers, this drink uses the Bloody Mary template but adds several stew ingredients, including carrot juice, potato-based vodka, celery bitters, and an array of savory veggies.

Cocktail Ingredients

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

Vodka: This is a spirit made with fermented grains or potatoes and water, which are distilled and then filtered to develop a clean, neutral flavor.

Tomato Juice or Bloody Mary Mix: This is the liquid juice of a tomato or a liquid mixture made with vegetable juices, vinegar, sugar, and spices. If you prefer tomato juice, I used Clamato Tomato Cocktail. If you prefer Bloody Mary Mix, I like Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix.

Carrot Juice: This is the liquid extracted from fresh carrots that has a naturally sweet, earthy flavor and vibrant orange color.

Celery Bitters: This is a concentrated flavoring made with celery, herbs, spices, botanicals, and distilled alcohol, which are macerated or steeped to develop an earthy, slightly bitter flavor.

Worcestershire Sauce: This is a condiment made with molasses, spices, anchovies, and vinegar, which are blended and cooked into a sauce with a tangy, umami heat.

Saline Solution: This is a flavoring made by dissolving salt in water to develop a salty flavor that’s used to enhance other ingredients.

Meat Stick: This is ground and seasoned meat that has been stuffed into a casing, cooked, and dried. I used Crescent Meats Original Meat Sticks.

Canned Potato: This is a vegetable made by cooking and preserving mini potatoes in water in a sealed can to develop a softened texture and mild, earthy flavor.

Cocktail Onion: This is a vegetable made by preserving small onions in vinegar or brine to develop a sharp, tangy flavor.

Baby Carrot: This is a type of carrot with a smooth texture and mildly sweet flavor that’s been peeled and cut into a small, uniform size.

Cherry Tomato: This is a type of fruit grown on vines that has smooth, red skin and sweet, juicy flavor.

Thyme: This is an herb with small green leaves that has an earthy, slightly minty flavor.

Celery Salt: This is a seasoning made with ground celery seeds and salt that has a fine texture and savory, slightly bitter flavor.

Bartending Tools

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

Chef’s Knife: This is used to cut larger fruits and vegetables into slices for the garnish. I used the OXO Good Grips 8-Inch Chef’s Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus, fruits, and vegetables. I used the Hamilton Beach Large Juicer.

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

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

Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. I used one from the I-MART Stainless Steel Cocktail Pick Set.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Vibrant orange color

• Aroma: Fragrant vegetables and herbs

• Taste: Savory flavor kickstarted with celery salt and a non-acidic mix of carrot, tomato, tangy sauce, and celery

• Finish: More carrot and celery with a slight alcohol burn

Kendall’s Take: “When deciding which The Lord of the Rings characters would be the inspiration for custom drinks, I knew I wanted to create a Samwise Gamgee cocktail because of his iconic ‘po-ta-to’ quote in The Two Towers. In said quote, he mentions using them in a stew, so naturally the Bloody Mary came to mind as its inspiration since that drink is essentially soup. I could absolutely picture the resulting variation being served at breakfast or second breakfast in The Shire. The Stick ‘Em in a Stew has a nice dose of veggie flavor with a hint of savoriness that makes sipping it feel like you’re drinking a garden.”

Recipe