The Short Stormtrooper

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

Cocktail History

The Short Stormtrooper is a Novel Nightcaps original cocktail that was created in honor of May the 4th, also known as Star Wars Day. The recipe was inspired by Luke Skywalker, the young hero and eventual Jedi Knight in the original Star Wars movie trilogy that was released in the 1970s and 1980s. The recipe’s backbone comes from a unique dragon fruit syrup and a base of mezcal, both of which were chosen to pay homage to the Krayt Dragon and desert landscape seen on Luke’s home world of Tatooine. It then adds citrus, tropical bitters, and soda water, as well as blue curaçao to turn the drink a color similar to that of Luke’s hand-me-down lightsaber from Episode IV: A New Hope.

Cocktail Ingredients

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

Mezcal: This is a spirit made in Mexico with agave, sugar, and alcohol that is aged in an underground pit lined with wood. I used Creyente Mezcal Joven.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. I used freshly squeezed lime juice.

Blue Curaçao: This is a liqueur made with oranges, sugar, spices, blue food coloring, and alcohol. I used Bols Blue Curaçao.

White Dragon Fruit Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white dragon fruit slices, white sugar, and water. I made mine using this sous vide recipe.

Toasted Coconut, Pineapple, & Allspice Bitters: This is a food product made with coconut, pineapple, allspice, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. I used Crude Bitters & Sodas “Tropi-500” Toasted Coconut, Pineapple, & Allspice Bitters.

Soda Water: This is a type of water that has been infused with carbon dioxide gas under pressure. I used Topo Chico Sparkling Mineral Water.

Orange Peel: This the peel of an orange that has been cut into a strip.

Bartending Tools

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

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

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. I used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2025-01-13.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Bright blue color with an ombré effect

• Aroma: Smoky mezcal and citrus

• Taste: Well-balanced mixture of exotic fruit, sour orange, and earthy mezcal

• Finish: More fruity orange

Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kendall’s Take: “Meant to be the light side to my Darth Vader cocktail‘s light side, this sweet and smoky recipe is quite good, and it’s definitely a far cry from the usual ‘blue milk’ drinks you see inspired by Luke Skywalker. I’m not big on mezcal but loved it as the choice of base spirit as a nod to Luke’s origin on the desert planet Tatooine. And even though the blue curaçao is a little kitschy, it adds the right amount of citrus flavor and wouldn’t be quite as striking without it. Give The Short Stormtrooper a try alongside his father’s drink to see if you’d be on the light side or the dark.”

Recipe