Erlenmeyer Flask Cocktail
This X-Files cocktail is inspired by the Season 1 finale, and the alien clones who bleed a bubbling, green substance that eats away at anything it touches and is fatal to breathe. For the Erlenmeyer Flask Cocktail, we’ve replicated the green color and the bubbling texture, but not the fatal corrosive toxicity.
This cocktail requires some extra prep work, but true X-Philes will appreciate achieving the bubbling effect. The trick to making this cocktail foam and fizz like green alien clone blood is cocktail fizzers that include a small amount of baking soda, which will react with the tonic water. This recipe calls for the smallest amount of baking soda possible to still achieve the fizz, and the gin, tonic, tarragon, lime and sugar will mask the flavor of the baking soda. This can be served in a regular cocktail glass or mason jar, but using labware will give it that extra X-Files touch.
We used tarragon to flavor these cocktails, but other green herbs, like basil or rosemary might work just as well. If you’d prefer not to use the food coloring, a cool effect can still be achieved by serving the drink under a black light, as the tonic water will make it glow.
Method
To make the Erlenmeyer Flask Cocktail, finely dice the fresh tarragon. Combine sugar, powdered sugar, baking soda, minced tarragon, lime zest, and gold shimmer powder (if using) in a blender or food processor. Pulse, shaking or stirring often, until the sugar becomes fine in texture and the tarragon and lime zest are well integrated.
Transfer the sugar mixture to a medium sized bowl and stir in the green gel food coloring.
From here you have two options: you can form the mixture into cocktail fizzers, or you can leave it as a powder. If leaving in powder format, allow to air dry for a few hours, then store in an airtight container. Stir about 1/2 tbsp into each cocktail.
If creating the fizzers, add water, a splash at a time, until the mixture is damp, but not wet. You want it to be able to come together, but the drier the better. Use a 1/2 tablespoon to mold the cocktail fizzers into half spheres. Transfer to a baking sheet or plate and allow to air dry for at least 4 hours or overnight. Note: we first tried to use silicone molds to dry the fizzers because we wanted to make fun shapes, but there’s not enough air flow to dry them out, so the teaspoon & baking sheet or plate method works best.
To turn the fizzers into the Erlenmeyer Flask Cocktail
Combine 2 oz gin with 4 oz tonic water. Just before serving, add a fizzer (or 1/2 tbsp of the powder) to get the foaming effect. Add ice cubes and garnish with a lime.
Erlenmeyer Flask Cocktail
Erlenmeyer Flask Cocktail
Equipment
- blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 C sugar
- 1 C powdered sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp fresh tarragon (about 1 ½ oz packet)
- zest of 1 lime
- ⅛ tsp gel green food coloring
- ⅛ tsp edible gold shimmer powder optional
- splash water
- gin
- tonic water
- lime wedges
Instructions
Prepare the Cocktail Fizzers
- Finely mince the fresh tarragon.
- Combine sugar, powdered sugar, baking soda, minced tarragon, lime zest, and gold shimmer powder (if using) in a blender or food processor. Pulse, shaking or stirring often, until the sugar becomes fine in texture and the tarragon and lime zest are well integrated.
- Transfer the sugar mixture to a medium sized bowl and stir in the green gel food coloring. Add water, a splash at a time, until the mixture is damp, but not wet. You want it to be able to come together, but the drier the better.
- Use a tablespoon to mold the cocktail fizzers into half spheres. Transfer to a baking sheet or plate and allow to air dry for at least 4 hours or overnight. OR: Spread the baking soda mixture out on a baking sheet and allow to air dry.
To Serve
- Combine 2 oz gin with 4 oz tonic water in a highball glass (or beaker). Add ice and garnish with a lime wedge. Drop in 1 cocktail fizzer / ½ tbsp of the fizzer mixture immediately before serving.
