This post contains affiliate links. See our disclosure policy here.
Cocktail History
The Chosen One is a Sips From Scripts original cocktail that was created in honor of May the 4th, also known as Star Wars Day. The recipe was inspired by Darth Vader, the primary villain formerly known as Anakin Skywalker in the original Star Wars movie trilogy that was released in the 1970s and 1980s. The concept for the drink was built around a unique prickly pear syrup, which was chosen to pay homage to the desert landscape shown on Anakin’s home world of Tatooine. It then calls for gin as the base spirit and pairs it with sweet vermouth, cherry liqueur, smoky bitters, and soda water, as well as Campari to turn the drink a color similar to that of the Sith Lord’s red lightsaber.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Gin: This is a spirit made with juniper berries, botanicals, and alcohol. We used Brockmans Intensely Smooth Gin because it has a crisp botanical flavor with notes of blueberry and blackberry. For a mocktail version of this drink, try MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin in place of the gin.
Sweet Vermouth: This is a fortified wine made with grapes, sugar, botanicals, herbs, sugar, and alcohol. We used Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth because it’s a high quality vermouth with dark notes of herbs, figs, licorice, cinnamon, and cocoa. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Apéritif Rosso in place of the sweet vermouth.
Prickly Pear Syrup: This is a sweetener made with prickly pear slices, white sugar, and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s sous vide recipe.
Campari: This is a liqueur made in Italy with gentian root, rhubarb, citrus, herbs, aromatic plants, fruit, and alcohol. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Giffard Non-Alcoholic Bitter Syrup in place of the bitter liqueur.
Heering Cherry Liqueur: This is a liqueur made in Denmark with Stevens cherries, baking spices, almonds, sugar, and alcohol. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Monin Premium Cherry Syrup in place of the cherry liqueur.
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.
Soda Water: This is a type of water that has been infused with carbon dioxide gas under pressure. We used Topo Chico Sparkling Mineral Water because it’s light, essentially flavorless, and refreshing.
Cherry: This is a fruit that has been soaked in brandy and rich syrup. We used Luxardo Maraschino Cherries because they’re high quality and delicious.
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 I-MART Stainless Steel Cocktail Pick Set.
Tasting Notes
The Chosen One starts with earthy aromas that features a light smokiness with a hint of fruit, and it has a mostly sweet taste comprised of cooling aloe-like flavor with cherry notes, all of which fade into a slight Campari bitter-orange taste toward the end with a touch of dryness and salinity throughout.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: It was a labor of love to develop this recipe, but we both thought The Chosen One turned out extremely palatable for a Campari drink and was even a little sweet for Alex’s palate. It also does an excellent job of embodying Darth Vader in drink form thanks to not only our its color but thanks to its bitter and smoky notes as well.
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: ⭐⭐⭐
“Making a bright red cocktail that has plenty of exotic flavors without just ripping off a Negroni can be a bit of a challenge, and Kendall had to step in to assist on this one. Using the template of the classic cocktail Remember the Maine, she threw sweet vermouth and Heering cherry liqueur in with the Campari and gin mix to create a fairly sweet Manhattan-style drink, which becomes super palatable once topped off with soda water. The prickly pear gives the entire thing a cooling quality, drawing parallels to watermelon, while the smoke and salt bitters provide a bit of salinity and earthiness throughout. Between its deep red color, its slight bitterness, its callback to a desert land, and the underlying touches of smoke and fire, it certainly hearkens towards Darth Vader as well as his origins as Anakin Skywalker.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This original recipe was probably our most difficult creation yet. It ended up taking eight tries to get it right, and the ingredient list went through quite the revolution before we landed on this final recipe. Originally, we were going for a coffee Negroni-style drink so it would be dark, brooding, and bitter like the character, but those flavors ended up clashing too much, in our opinion. In the end, we ended up with a Remember The Maine crossed with a Negroni variation that adds in the prickly pear syrup and stretches it all with soda water to fit a highball. Alex might’ve found it too sweet, but I think the result is right on the mark for palatability and concept. Anyone could drink this Darth Vader-inspired cocktail and enjoy it!”
Recipe
Add gin, sweet vermouth, prickly pear syrup, Campari, cherry liqueur, bitters, and cubed ice to a mixing glass.
Stir for 30-45 seconds.
Strain into a highball glass over fresh cracked ice.
Top with soda water.
Stir gently for 3-5 seconds.
Garnish with cherry.
Ingredients
Directions
Add gin, sweet vermouth, prickly pear syrup, Campari, cherry liqueur, bitters, and cubed ice to a mixing glass.
Stir for 30-45 seconds.
Strain into a highball glass over fresh cracked ice.
Top with soda water.
Stir gently for 3-5 seconds.
Garnish with cherry.
Make It a Mocktail: Use MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin in place of the gin, Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Apéritif Rosso in place of the sweet vermouth, Giffard Non-Alcoholic Bitter Syrup in place of the bitter liqueur, and Monin Premium Cherry Syrup in place of the cherry liqueur to try a booze-free version of this drink.
Shop Glassware & Tools
Find collections of cocktail glassware and bartending tools we recommend for your home bar in our Amazon shop.
More Star Wars Cocktails
If you like this Star Wars-inspired cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Tatooine Sunset: A tequila cocktail made with blue curaçao, pomegranate juice, grenadine, orange juice, lemon juice, and cherries
The Short Stormtrooper: A mezcal cocktail made with lime juice, blue curaçao, white dragon fruit syrup, toasted coconut, allspice, and pineapple bitters, soda water, and an orange peel
Yub Nub: A spiced rum cocktail made with passion fruit syrup, lime juice, pineapple rum, aromatic bitters, and passion fruit seeds
My Only Hope: A rum cocktail made with star fruit syrup, lime juice, brandy, ginger liqueur, and a star fruit slice
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 2024-04-18.
