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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.
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.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“This is a really interesting conceptual cocktail that is essentially a martini that combines a few of the flavors of paprikash, including pepper, paprika, garlic, and onion, and it came together as a very savory, spicy drink. The blanc vermouth was necessary to add a little more sweetness than standard dry vermouth would bring because I found the latter to be much too savory and not palatable enough. I probably wouldn’t make this on any given day, but it was fun to stretch my imagination with flavors that aren’t usually in a drink.”—
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
Add peppered gin, vodka, garlic vodka, blanc vermouth, paprika tincture, bitters, and cubed ice to a mixing glass.
Stir for 30-45 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with cocktail onions.
Ingredients
Directions
Add peppered gin, vodka, garlic vodka, blanc vermouth, paprika tincture, bitters, and cubed ice to a mixing glass.
Stir for 30-45 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with cocktail onions.
Make It a Mocktail: Use MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin in place of the gin, STRYKK Not V*dka in place of the vodka, and Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Apéritif Dry in place of the blanc vermouth to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Cocktails from Movies & TV Shows
If you like this cocktail recipe, here are a few others inspired by movies and shows we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Butterbeer (Harry Potter): A stout beer and spiced rum cocktail made with evaporated milk, butter, margarine, vanilla extract, brown sugar, whole cloves, whole allspice berries, cinnamon sticks, whipped cream, and nutmeg
Hot Peppermint Patty (Archer): A low-proof cocktail made with milk, white peppermint schnapps, dark crème de cacao, white crème de menthe, cocoa powder, whipped cream, and chocolate
Tatooine Sunset (The Mandalorian): A tequila cocktail made with blue curaçao, pomegranate juice, grenadine, orange juice, lemon juice, and cherries
Kuzcotopia (The Emperor’s New Groove): A pisco cocktail made with Aperol, passion fruit syrup, grapefruit juice, lime juice, Tres Amigos bitters, and a lime slice
Miruvor (The Lord of the Rings): A gin cocktail made with elderflower liqueur, white tea, honey syrup, and orange flower water
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