'Tis the season...

...For H.P. Lovecraft-inspired cocktails. Because the stars are right. And my friend William Donohue told me about the Kickstarter to make these sweet "Horror in Clay" tiki mugs, and one needs a drink worthy of them.

My good friend, the GravyBhtch, came up with this recipeafter some discussion with us about what a Cthulhu-themed cocktail ought to be like -- i.e. appealing and delicious but also kind of wrong. Voila:

To a cocktail shaker, add:

- crushed ice - 2 jiggers amaretto - 2 jiggers Absolut pear vodka - about 1 tablespoon dry vermouth

Shake it up well, chanting all the while, "ia, ia, Cthulhu ftaghn" to keep the rhythm.

Strain liquid into a martini glass (mine are stainless steel, the way Nyarlathotep intended, kept in the freezer for extra brrr!). Add two maraschino cherries that have been blotted on a paper towel (don't want too much maraschino cherry juice overpowering the other ingredients).

Stare deeply into the drink and note the color. If it is amber, realize your mind is not yet properly attuned to the eldritch vibrations of the Great Old Ones, i.e., it's probably your first. Concentrate a spell and remind yourself that the beverage is actually green. Focus on the green.*

Repeat as necessary until you see for yourself that this is, indeed, a green beverage.

*These green tiki mugs may make that a little easier.