ANNIE VANDERMEER : Designer / Writer / Narrative
(a.k.a. Murderblonde)
Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons
Named after the cathedral-like structure of House zu Heltzer: the one-time resting place of the Urn of Saint Viktor, collapsed into a ruin in Guild Wars: Factions. Rebuilt as first a home base for the guardians of Echovald - the Kestrels - and then as a hub for the player character in Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons. It is the final of the drinks crafted in tribute for the game (the other four created about a year prior for the Extra Life Charity stream).
Meant to evoke the sprawl of the great forest and the bright flavors of the country, this drink draws its inspiration from the classic flavors of the Bramble and the Aviation, and ends up with a flavor all its own.
-
2 oz plum gin
-
0.75 oz lemon juice
-
0.5 oz ginger syrup
-
0.25 oz blackberrry liqueur
-
sage leaf or edible flower (garnish)
1. Fill a mixing glass about a quarter of the way full with ice cubes.
2. Pour all the ingredients and mix until chilled, about 20-30 seconds.
3. Strain into a coupe glass, garnish, and serve.
The Echovald Forest is one of the great wonders of Cantha: a vast forest of immense trees, once petrified by the magical cataclysm known as the Jade Wind, and now slowly reverting back to its original wooded form. This cocktail strives to emulate both the mineral tang of the petrified forest, and the herbaceous nature of the regrowth. Created as a reward incentive for the Extra Life fundraiser in November 2020.
-
2 oz Islay scotch
-
0.25 oz Fernet Branca
-
0.5 oz honey syrup
-
2 oz club soda
-
2 dashes orange bitters
-
3 thyme sprigs (garnish)
1. Add a large cube of ice to a rocks glass (optionally chilled).
2. Add Fernet Branca, scotch, syrup, and bitters, and mix gently.
3. Top with club soda and garnish with thyme.
Inspired by the vast body of water turned into gemstone, the Jade Sea is inspired by tropical tiki-style drinks, and meant to match the beautiful blue-green hue of the frozen waves.
NOTE: recommended rums include Plantation 5 Year and Appleton Estate 12 Year.
-
2 oz gold rum
-
1.5 oz pineapple juice
-
0.25 oz Blue Curacao
-
1 oz lime juice
-
0.5 oz orange joice
-
2 oz ginger ale
-
1 wedge lime (garnish)
1. Add crushed ice to a tall highball or hurricane glass, and one large whole & crushed ice to a cocktail shaker.
2. Add curacao, rum, and juices to shaker and shake until until chilled, about 20-30 seconds.
3. Strain into glass, and top with ginger ale.
4. Garnish with lime wedge.
In Guild Wars: Factions, Kaineng City was a sprawl of wooden temples and rickety slums: hundreds of years later, in Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons, it is a technological hub, a powerhouse of magic and wonder, a cosmopolitan capital. This cocktail pays it homage by using both adapted and "local" ingredients to give it a sophisticated flair, inspired by a whiskey sour.
NOTE: The yuzu is the star here: do not skimp on getting a second pressing or cheap type!
-
2 oz Japanese whiskey
-
0.5 oz yuzu juice
-
2 dashes Angostura bitters
-
2 oz ginger beer
-
ginger slice (garnish)
-
lemon wheel (garnish)
1. Chill a coupe glass.
2. Add ice to a mixing glass, then add whiskey, yuzu juice, and bitters. Stir gently until cold.
3. Strain into coupe glass, and top with ginger beer.
4. Garnish with thinly-cut lemon wheel and ginger slice, carefully notched to perch on the rim of the glass.
2. Pour all the ingredients and mix until chilled, about 20-30 seconds.
3. Strain into a coupe glass, garnish, and serve.
The peaceful island of Shing Jea holds both the Imperial Palace of Cantha, as well as the ancient Monastery of the same name. Here, amidst swaying bamboo groves and delicate cherry trees swarming with pale blooms, is both beauty and stillness. Though it contains no peach, this beverage evokes the gentle hue of the fruit as the bitters gradually spread their warm colors into the rest of the drink.
NOTE: this presentation is in a Turkish tea glass, but any small cordial or rocks glass will do. Also, the original preparation of this drink was with junmai-style sake, but shochu is also an excellent core spirit.
-
2 oz sake (or shochu)
-
1 oz dry vermouth
-
0.5 oz green tea syrup
-
0.5 oz lemon juice
-
10 drops Peychaud's bitters
-
2 pineapple fronds (garnish)
1. Add a few small ice cubes to a small glass, or chill the glass beforehand.
2. Add sake, vermouth, lemon juice, and syrup to glass and stir gently to combine.
3. Carefully drip the Peychaud's bitters on the top of the drink to create a thin red float that gradually dilutes into a pleasant peach hue.
4. Garnish with pineapple fronds (or if it is available, a sprig of bamboo leaves).