Cocktails for Astrology Aficionados
Who needs horoscopes when you can have a monthly cocktail prescription? As part of our Mixstrology series, astrologer/bartender Patricia Clark Hippolyte created twelve cocktails, each uniquely suited to a sign of the zodiac.
See more: Best Classic Cocktails
Aquarius: Absinthe Frappé
Fresh mint and anise-flavored absinthe combine over crushed ice for a pleasantly refreshing cocktail perfect for cool, smooth Aquarians.
Ingredients
5 mint leaves, plus more for garnish 1½ oz. absinthe
½ oz. simple syrup
1 egg white
1½ oz. club soda
Instructions
Muddle mint in a cocktail shaker. Add absinthe, simple syrup, egg white, and ice; shake vigorously and strain into a collins glass filled with crushed ice. Top with club soda and garnish with a mint leaf.
See more: Variations to Suit Your Sign
Pisces: The Pekel
Pickle brine replaces the olive juice in this twist on a dirty martini; its slightly murky appearance is a subtle nod to the water sign.
Ingredients
FOR THE PICKLED GRAPES:
½ cup apple cider vinegar
2½ tbsp. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. allspice
½ tsp. black peppercorns
½ tsp. coriander seeds
8 cardamom pods
3 cloves
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1 (1”) piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup grapes
FOR THE COCKTAIL:
3 oz. vodka
1 tbsp. pickling juice
Pickled grapes, for garnish
Instructions
1. Pickle the grapes: Combine vinegar, brown sugar, salt, allspice, peppercorns, coriander seeds, cardamom pods, cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, ginger, and ½ cup water in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, 2 minutes, until sugar has dissolved; let cool. Pour over grapes and leave to infuse for 3 hours. Makes about 2 cups juice.
2. Make the cocktail: Combine vodka and pickling juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice; shake vigorously and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with pickled grapes.
See more: 6 Floral Cocktails
Aries: El Jefe
Jalapeño and chile-infused bitters add a spicy kick to a fruity cocktail made with muddled strawberries and blueberries, perfect for fiery Aries.
Ingredients
2 oz. gin
1 oz. simple syrup
½ oz. lime juice
5 blueberries
3 strawberries
3 cilantro stems
3 dashes strawberry chili bitters
3 thin slices red jalapeño pepper
Instructions
Muddle gin, simple syrup, lime juice, blueberries, strawberries, cilantro stems, bitters, and 2 slices of jalapeño in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously; pour into a tumbler filled with crushed ice and garnish with remaining jalapeño pepper.
See more: Warm Weather Whiskey Cocktails
Taurus: Prairie Gold
A simple syrup flavored with bacon and popcorn sweetens this over-the-top cocktail made with vodka, caramel liqueur, and scotch—an over-the-top drink for “more is more” Taurus.
Ingredients
FOR THE BACON-POPCORN SIMPLE SYRUP:
1 cup sugar
¼ cup un-popped popcorn kernels, lightly toasted
2 slices crispy bacon
FOR THE COCKTAIL:
¼ cup popcorn
5 slices crispy bacon
½ oz. bacon-popcorn simple syrup, plus more for rim
2 oz. vodka
1 oz. caramel Irish cream, such as Bailey’s Crème Caramel
¼ oz. scotch
Instructions
1. Make the bacon-popcorn simple syrup: Combine sugar, popcorn kernels, and 1 cup water in a 2-qt. saucepan over high heat; bring to a boil and remove from heat. Add bacon and infuse overnight before straining through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding solids.
2. Make the cocktail: Combine popcorn and bacon in a food processor and pulse until fine; place in a bowl and set aside. Dip the rim of a rocks glass in simple syrup, then into bacon mixture; set aside. Combine vodka, caramel Irish cream, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice; shake vigorously and strain into prepared rocks glass. Top with scotch.
See more: Juleps and Smashes
Gemini: La Puella y El Puer
This is a two-fisted drink, and its lemon and lavender flavors are versatile enough to pair with either vodka or gin—one spirit for the first half of the sign, the second for the other.
Ingredients
2 oz. vodka
2 oz. gin
2 oz. lavender simple syrup, divided (see note)
1½ oz. lemon juice, divided
2 egg whites, divided
Club soda, to top
instructions
Combine vodka, 1 oz. lavender simple syrup, ¾ oz. lemon juice, and one egg white in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled champagne coupe. Top with splash of club soda and spoon egg white foam from shaker over the top. Repeat process with gin for the second drink.
Note: Lavender Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp. dried lavender
Bring sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a 1-qt. saucepan. Cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in lavender; let cool to room temperature and strain. Makes about 1 cup, will keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
See more: 10 Spicy Cocktails
Cancer: the Summer Alexander
Made with herbaceous Licor 43 and nutty Frangelico, this sweet, comforting summer cocktail is perfect for nostalgic Cancers.
Ingredients
1½ oz. Licor 43
¾ oz Frangelico
1 oz. whole milk
Pinch of cinnamon
Lime zest
Instructions
In a shaker half-filled with ice, combine the Licor 43, Frangelico, and milk. Shake well. Strain into glass and garnish with cinnamon and lime zest.
Leo: The Kentucky Devil
This smooth, fiery bourbon and watermelon libation is sure to please any Leo: It’s bold and red like the heart, the body part ruled by this sign.
Ingredients
1½ tsp. sugar
3 oz. seedless watermelon, cut into 1” cubes (about ½ cup)
2 oz. bourbon
½ oz. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. adobo sauce
Edible gold flakes, as garnish (optional)
Instructions
Place ½ tsp. sugar on a small plate; wet rim of cocktail glass and press it into sugar to coat rim. Combine watermelon, bourbon, lemon juice, adobo sauce, and remaining sugar in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until well chilled. Strain into the rimmed cocktail glass filled with ice. Garnish with gold flakes, if you like.
Virgo: Celery Martini
Fresh celery and lemon juices, Lillet, celery bitters, and gin combine for a clean and vegetal cocktail with a bright green hue that health-conscious Virgos are sure to enjoy.
Ingredients
2 oz. gin
1 oz. fresh celery juice*
½ oz. fresh lemon juice
Celery bitters
Lillet Blanc
Celery leaves (for garnish)
Instructions
Combine gin, celery juice, lemon juice, a dash of bitters, and a dash of Lillet in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with celery leaves, if you like.
*To juice celery, use an electric juicer and follow manufacturer’s instructions or purée roughly chopped celery stalks in a food processor until smooth. Pour over a cheesecloth-lined sieve set over a bowl; press on solids until all the juice is drained. Combine lemon and celery juices immediately to prevent browning.
Libra: Rosewater Fizz
This champagne-based cocktail is simple, fruity, and slightly floral, well-suited to a Libra’s delicate sensibilities.
Ingredients
Champagne
3 dashes rose water
1 oz. pomegranate juice
Pomegranate seeds, for garnish
instructions
Add rose water and pomegranate juice to champagne flute; top with champagne. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.
Scorpio: Second Circle
Port, bourbon, and maple syrup come together in a cocktail that matches the intense and sometimes biting personality of a Scorpio.
Ingredients
2 oz. bourbon
1 oz. ruby port
1 tsp. maple syrup
Dash of Angostura bitters
3 Luxardo cherries for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Combine bourbon, port, syrup, and bitters in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled champagne coupe; garnish with cherries, preferably pierced by a plastic sword.
Sagittarius: Ginger Margarita Squares
These mouth-puckering Jell-O shots turn the classic margarita on its head. Ginger simple syrup adds a bit of Asian-inspired flavor, a nod to Sagittarius’ love of travel.
MAKES ABOUT 30 CUBES
Ingredients
1 cup fresh lime juice
2 envelopes Knox gelatin
¾ cup reposado tequila
½ cup ginger simple syrup
Instructions
Put lime juice into a 1-qt. saucepan and sprinkle with gelatin. Allow gelatin to soak for 1-2 minutes. Heat over very low heat until gelatin dissolves, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in tequila and simple syrup. Pour into 8” x 4” loaf pan or ice cube trays and refrigerate until set. Cut into 1” squares; garnish with shredded mint leaves.
Capricorn: Light Infantry
Moscato-based Cocchi Vermouth di Torino lends a complex sweetness to a twist on a classic Manhattan made with rye and Lillet that tradition-loving Capricorns can appreciate.
Ingredients
2 oz. rye whiskey
1 oz. Lillet
½ oz. Cocchi Vermouth de Torino
4 dashes orange bitters
1 large, thick orange peel, for garnish
1 maraschino cherry, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Place rye, Lillet, vermouth and bitters in a shaker with ice and stir. Rub orange peel around rim of a chilled martini glass; strain drink into glass. Twist orange peel over drink to release its oils and add to glass. Garnish with a cherry, if you like.
