The more that I explore botanicals and how they relate to witchcraft, the more convinced I am in consuming my magic. Sure, a good candle spell will solve a lot of problems but candle magic takes time. A candle spell can take weeks, months, or even occasionally years (yikes!) to manifest. When you need magic to take effect immediately – eating it is where it’s at. You are literally putting the magic into your body where it will fuse with your essence as it passes through your digestion system.
With a little bit of time and some fresh ingredients, it’s easy to make a seasonal cocktail that you can share at holiday gatherings (or keep to yourself!) that most people will love.
With a little bit of time and some fresh ingredients, it’s easy to make a seasonal cocktail that you can share at holiday gatherings (or keep to yourself!) that most people will love.
This week I crafted a Cranberry and Lemondrop Martini to Cleanse and Protect my loved ones over the holiday season. The ingredients are simple: Fresh Lemon, Fresh Cranberries, Sugar, and Gin or Vodka. The lemons act as our cleansing ingredient, the cranberries as our protection, sugar sweetens, and the spirits are just that – spirits. I personally prefer to use gin in this recipe for the added protection that Juniper provides (and because gin is super tasty) but vodka will suffice if you’re not a gin drinker.
The freshness of your botanicals is of utmost importance here – bottled lemon juice will not do for this cocktail. Take the time to make all of the individual parts of this recipe – this is where the magic lies.
Cranberry Lemondrop Martini
2 ounces Gin or Vodka
1 ounce fresh-squeezed Lemon Juice
3/4 ounce Cranberry Simple Syrup*
makes one cocktail
Place all ingredients in a shaker with ice – shake vigorously focusing on your intention to cleanse and protect all who drink your potion – this is where the magic is DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. Serve in a martini glass with cranberry for garnish.
Note: This is a well-balanced and complex cocktail. If you’d like it to be sweeter, increase the simple syrup, if you’d like it to be more tart, decrease the simple syrup. You could make this into a punch by adding sparkling water or more like a French-75 by adding to a flute and topping with chapagne.
Cranberry Simple Syrup
2.5 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
Combine ingredients in a small pot, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes while focusing on your intention of infusing the cranberries with protective energy. When cooled, strain. Simple Syrup will keep in the fridge for about 1 month. You can keep the cranberry compote left behind to use in your cocktails or eat it – it’s slightly tart and quite tasty!