The Prince That Was Promised – a Game of Thrones Cocktail with “Lightbringer” Garnish

“When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt” – The Prince That Was Promised is a delicious Game of Thrones Cocktail inspired by the prophecy and those characters that may just be this promised saviour.  This Game of Thrones Cocktail pairs Honey Bourbon with fiery Ginger Beer, topped with tart Red Currant Syrup and a smokey Mezcal Lime Garnish that you set alight to become Lightbringer and really complete this awesome cocktail. Whoever you think will end up being The Prince That Was Promised, this Game of Thrones inspired Cocktail is sure to impress!

WARNING! This post WILL contain Game of Thrones Spoilers all the way through season 7! 

Jump Straight To The Recipe!

"When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt" - The Prince That Was Promised is a delicious Game of Thrones Cocktail inspired by the prophecy and those characters that may just be this promised saviour. Whoever you think will end up being The Prince That Was Promised, this Game of Thrones inspired Cocktail is sure to impress!

Recipe video: 

2022 update side note: the final season certainly wasn’t worth the wait! And my predictions did not age well 😅 House of the Dragon is about to start though, let’s hope it lives up to the hype!

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So, who’s having Game of Thrones withdrawals already?! I know I am! 7 episodes is just not enough, and now we have to wait until 2019 for the next and final season ?! Not fair! But while we re-watch and re-read the series, I have made an amazing Game of Thrones Cocktail to tide us over, and help us along in theorising just who The Prince That Was Promised is! I have my ideas for sure, and they were who inspired the flavours and spirits of this Game of Thrones Cocktail!

"When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt" - The Prince That Was Promised is a delicious Game of Thrones Cocktail inspired by the prophecy and those characters that may just be this promised saviour. Whoever you think will end up being The Prince That Was Promised, this Game of Thrones inspired Cocktail is sure to impress!

Now, I’m not here to bring you some ground breaking new theory on who The Prince That Was Promised is, like most people I believe it is Daenerys Targaryen or Jon Snow, *ahem*, I mean Aegon Targaryen. Personally, I think it should be Daenerys – she fits the prophecy the best and, as has been pointed out, the word for “prince” in High Valyrian is genderless so her gender does not disqualify here. Plus, I just really want her to be the one who saves Westeros! However, I think the show (and I assume the books, but I guess we’ll see how different those end up being) will have Jon be the one. Either way, I’m not too fussed who actually ends up being the saviour, as long as it doesn’t result in Jon sacrificing Daenerys to create Lightbringer. Daenerys is my favourite and I will avenge her death if it happens! I have my suspicions that Daenerys falls pregnant and they sacrifice the unborn (or born, depending on timelines) to create Lightbringer and kill the Night King – but that’s just a random guess. 

Anyway – theories and ideas aside – I created this Game of Thrones Cocktail using both Daenerys and Jon as inspiration, to bring them together into The Prince That Was Promised with a Lightbringer Garnish. It starts with a rocks glass filled with crushed ice (this is a song of ice and fire after all), and some Honey Bourbon for Jon Snow, it’s sweet with a deep rich flavour – just like Jon 😉 

"When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt" - The Prince That Was Promised is a delicious Game of Thrones Cocktail inspired by the prophecy and those characters that may just be this promised saviour. Whoever you think will end up being The Prince That Was Promised, this Game of Thrones inspired Cocktail is sure to impress!

Next, we add a little lime juice and some fiery ginger beer. The ginger beer is spicy and full of bold flavour, this is for both Daenerys and Jon as they have such fiery personalities don’t you think? 

"When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt" - The Prince That Was Promised is a delicious Game of Thrones Cocktail inspired by the prophecy and those characters that may just be this promised saviour. Whoever you think will end up being The Prince That Was Promised, this Game of Thrones inspired Cocktail is sure to impress!

Then we drizzle on some red currant syrup (recipe included). The tart red currant syrup not only balances out the fiery ginger beer, it creates the bleeding red star visual that is an important part of the prophecy this cocktail was inspired by. Red Currants are full of pectin, so the syrup is more a thin jelly allowing it to sit in the drink without blending (until you mix it up). At this point of the cocktail creation, you have a perfect Halloween cocktail – such an awesome look I think! But we’re not done with this Game of Thrones Cocktail yet!

"When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt" - The Prince That Was Promised is a delicious Game of Thrones Cocktail inspired by the prophecy and those characters that may just be this promised saviour. Whoever you think will end up being The Prince That Was Promised, this Game of Thrones inspired Cocktail is sure to impress!

Last, but certainly not least, we have the Lightbringer garnish. This is what really takes this Game of Thrones Cocktail to a whole new level! We start with a hollowed out lime half (save the lime halves when you juice them!) and we smear some brown sugar inside it. We then place it hollow side up on top of the drink and fill with Mezcal – this spirit is for Daenerys, it’s smoky and has a lot of depth to it, Mezcal is perfect for Daenerys! Now, here comes the fun part – we’re gonna light this baby on fire! This garnish isn’t just for looks (despite it creating an amazing visual), but the charred lime, slightly caramelised sugar, and smokey aroma add amazing flavours to this Game of Thrones Cocktail – after you’ve let it burn for about 10 seconds, you dunk it into the drink to put out the flame and let the mezcal combine with the rest of the cocktail – make sure to leave the lime in the drink to get that smokey aroma experience! 

"When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt" - The Prince That Was Promised is a delicious Game of Thrones Cocktail inspired by the prophecy and those characters that may just be this promised saviour. Whoever you think will end up being The Prince That Was Promised, this Game of Thrones inspired Cocktail is sure to impress!

A few important points to note here! First is safety – honestly, if I didn’t burn the house down during my testing and photographing of this cocktail I think everyone will be fine, but it’s always good to be on the safe side so keep a large bowl of water close by in case of any mishaps and, please, don’t try and make this Lightbringer garnish when you’re already very inebriated – fire and drunkness don’t mix! The other  point to note here is, despite what the movies show you, drinking alcohol doesn’t burn all that brightly – to get these awesome looking flames you need food grade citrus essential oils! They are absolutely optional, you can still light this baby up without them but it won’t burn very brightly or for very long. If you don’t have, or don’t want to use, essential oils, I recommend using a cooks blow torch to burn the garnish – it will give you that perfect smokey aroma and charred lime very nicely! However, if you’re looking to really impress grab some food grade (very important that they’re food grade!) essential oils, you only need a little bit on top of the mezcal and around the rim of the lime to get it to burn brightly (I’ll include these instructions properly in the recipe, don’t worry). Please also wear gloves when handling essential oils, I learned the hard way that they can cause burns on the skin if applied directly and is then exposed to heat!

So, here we have it! The Prince That Was Promised with Lightbringer Garnish – my Game of Thrones Cocktail, and I couldn’t love it more! It not only looks insanely impressive, the taste is amazing. Sweet honey bourbon, fiery ginger beer, tart red currants, smokey mezcal, and a smokey aroma – perfection. And, in my humble opinion, I feel it captures this mysterious prophecy perfectly! So, why not mix up a few of these Game of Thrones Inspired Cocktails at your next re-watch party and really open the floor up on who The Prince That Was Promised just might be! And I would absolutely love to hear who YOU think it is – Jon or Daenerys? Somebody else? Let me know in the comments! 

And now for the recipe…

"When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt" - The Prince That Was Promised is a delicious Game of Thrones Cocktail inspired by the prophecy and those characters that may just be this promised saviour. Whoever you think will end up being The Prince That Was Promised, this Game of Thrones inspired Cocktail is sure to impress!

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The Prince That Was Promised with Lightbringer Garnish

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A Game of Thrones Cocktail that embodies the mysterious prophecy of The Prince That Was Promised and the characters I think the prophecy may be referring to! With an impressive Lightbringer Garnish, this cocktail is a must at your next Game of Thrones re-watch sesh! 

Ingredients

For the red currant syrup:

  • 1 cup (150g) red currants (de-stemmed) 
  • 1/4 cup + 2tbsp (75g) sugar
  • 5 tbsp (75ml) water
  • 1 oz (25ml) vodka or gin

For the cocktail:

  • Crushed ice
  • 50ml honey bourbon
  • 15ml lime juice
  • Ginger Beer to top (about 150ml)
  • 1 tbsp red currant syrup 

For the garnish:

  • 1 hollowed out lime half (save the lime when you juice it for the cocktail)
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 15ml mezcal
  • Couple drops pure orange extract (optional)

Instructions

To make the red currant syrup:

  1. Put the red currants in a small saucepan and muddle well to release the juices.
  2. Add the sugar and water, and bring to a boil. Let boil for 3 minutes. 
  3. Reduce to a simmer and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vodka or gin. 
  4. Leave to cool then strain twice, store in the fridge until ready to use.

To make the cocktail and garnish:

  1. Fill a rocks glass with crushed ice.
  2. Shake the honey bourbon and lime juice over ice, and strain into glass
  3. Fill almost to the top with ginger beer
  4. Drizzle the red currant syrup over the top (you may need to shake the container of syrup up a little to loosen it for pouring). 
  5. Put the teaspoon of brown sugar in your lime half, and use the back of the spoon to spread the sugar all around the inside. Gently place the lime half on top of the drink, hollowed out side facing up
  6. Fill the lime half with mezcal. If using, put a couple of drops of the orange extract (if using) over the top of the mezcal
  7. Use a cooks blow torch** to set the garnish alight. Let it burn for 10 seconds, then use a spoon to dunk the lime half into the drink to put out the flame and get the mezcal into the drink. 

Notes

*As mentioned in the post, essential oils will help get you the big, impressive flame that burns. However, if you don't want to use essential oils just use a cooks blow torch to burn the mezcal and lime - you'll get the same smokey taste and aroma, it just won't burn as high or as long. 

**You can also use a gas/candle lighter but I find the blow torch the most effective, it's a must if you're not using essential oils too. I don't recommend a regular lighter or match, you may risk burned fingers!

Safety first - keep a large bowl of water nearby just in case of any mishaps (unlikely, but best to be on the safe side). And please don't make this garnish if you're already very inebriated - drunkness and fire aren't a good combo! 

Please wear gloves when handling essential oils - if applied directly to the skin and then exposed to heat, they can on occasion cause chemical burns (I may or may not have learned this the hard way!)! 

Calorie information is approximate and really only for google's benefit! 

Courses Cocktails

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 drink

Amount Per Serving

Calories 500

% Daily Value

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

 

6 comments

  1. jane @ littlesugarsnaps says:

    This is exceptional Michelle. I am not a GOT person at all (scared off early on when I saw too much gruesome punishments being administered) but, but, but, BUT… my husband is. And we both love a fabulous, exciting and well thought out cocktail. This one is my must make. I don’t have mezcal but I’m sure as hell out to get some now. I love your write up, love why the fire is important and not just for visual effect and I love your photos. This cocktail deserves to go far. I’m also sure it will.

    • Michelle @ Giraffes Can Bake says:

      Aww thank you so much Jane, this comment just made my day! I’m so happy you like the cocktail despite not being a GoT fan (it can get a bit gruesome, but I do so love it, at least there’s less nudity now haha!). I really hope you guys give it a go, the flavours are amazing and it’s so much fun to make and drink!

  2. Christina says:

    HOT DAMN, your fire, and smoke shots are incredible! The recipe looks amazing too. I’m so sad GOT season 8 won’t air for another billion years (OK, 2 years, but come on, 2 years is a long time for us to wait). All around, great job!

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