Euphoric Stage

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Cocktail History

The Euphoric Stage is a Sips From Scripts original cocktail that we created that was inspired by the music video for the song “Tonight Tonight” by Celeste. The video, which aims to capture the euphoric feeling of being in a new relationship, is often dark and moody with lots of red and black and the occasional bizarre goings-on, so we wanted to use an equally unique list of ingredients.

To start, we chose elderberry shrub for its distinctive bittersweet taste and dark color as well as cherry liqueur as a nod to the cherry red themes throughout and then paired both with gin, lemon, hibiscus, lavender, oak, and ginger.

Cocktail Ingredients

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

London Dry Gin: This is the base spirit. We used Broker’s Premium London Dry Gin because it’s versatile, high-proof, and a chameleon that adds the distinct flavor of juniper while still allowing the other flavors to shine. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Dry London Spirit in place of the gin.

Elderberry Shrub: This is an apple cider vinegar-based ingredient that adds elderberry flavor and bitterness. We used Sweet’s Elderberry Shrub (gifted) for its deep flavor and notes of ginger that pair well with the ginger bitters.

Cherry Liqueur: This gives the drink its deep cherry flavor. When a recipe specifically calls for Heering Cherry Liqueur, it does so because this liqueur has a very distinct taste that can’t be replicated by substitutes. For a mocktail version of this drink, try cherry syrup in place of the liqueur.

Lemon Juice: This adds sour citrus flavors that balance out the other sweet and spiced ingredients. We always use fresh citrus juice because it’s less bitter than the bottled stuff and tastes better.

Hibiscus, Lavender, & Oak Bitters: This is a type of spirit infused with florals and botanicals. They add hibiscus and lavender notes, oaky flavor, and spice to the drink for more complexity. We used Crude Bitters Bitterless Marriage Bitters.

Ginger Bitters: These add ginger flavor and even more complexity. We used Infuse Bitters Ginger Bitters for their rich and robust flavor profile.

Seltzer: This stretches the drink. We used Polar Seltzer because it’s one of Alex’s favorite brands.

Tasting Notes

The Euphoric Stage features the faint aroma of elderberries with a flavor that initially features cherry sweetness and a bit of gin botanicals before fading into a combination of the shrub’s unique bittersweet berry flavor along with a touch of ginger, while the aftertaste leaves a slightly bitter note including berry, oakiness, and other botanicals.

Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: This cocktail is unique and a great alternative to those made with sugary soda. We had a ton of fun coming up with the Euphoric Stage and think it turned out great not only in taste but also in concept.

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Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“The video for this song is a crazy trip of ups and downs, so Kendall and I came up with the idea of using a dark and brooding cocktail alongside a happy and light background designed as a nod to one of the scenes early on in the song. By using a few different dark ingredients we had lying around, namely Sweets Elderberry Shrub, we were able to create this cola-like concoction that featured the flavors of bitter elderberry, sweet cherry, gin botanicals, and just a bit of ginger, oak, and florals to top it off. It’s meant to be more on the dry side since the cherry liqueur and shrub are its only sweeteners, while the lime combined with the shrub for some pleasant bitterness and the soda brought effervescence and lightness to what otherwise feels pretty heavy with flavors.”

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Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“If you’re not used to the vinegary taste of shrubs, they can be tough to sip at first, but I honestly can’t imagine a more palatable way to drink an elderberry shrub than this cocktail. And it comes with a cool background to boot! Alex did a great job developing a recipe that captured the dark moodiness of Celeste’s video for “Tonight Tonight,” and I wanted its photo to nod to it as well, hence the choice of background. This was a fun challenge, and the drink is worth a try if you’re a fan of the singer or elderberry’s deep flavor.”

Recipe

AuthorSips From Scripts

Make It a Mocktail: Use Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Dry London Spirit in place of the gin and cherry syrup in place of the liqueur to try a booze-free version of this drink.

Tools & Glassware We Recommend

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More Shrub Cocktails

If you like this shrub-based cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:

Rosemary Gin & Tonic: A gin cocktail made with grapefruit shrub, lime juice, grapefruit tonic water, grapefruit slices, and rosemary

Sweet’s Dream Martini: A gin and sherry cocktail made with elderberry shrub, rosemary, grapefruit, and peppercorn bitters, and maraschino liqueur

Oxford Comma: A gin cocktail made with dry vermouth, Green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, celery shrub, and lemon

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