To experience a temporary yet extraordinary surge of luck and success, this golden shimmering cocktail, Felix Felicis, offers all the liquid luck you could want!
Pack your trunks and head over to King’s Cross station platform 9 3/4’s to catch the Hogwarts Express as we embark on our next exciting culinary adventure. Join us as we explore the wizarding world of Harry Potter and experience our very own Hogwarts Feast!
The world of Harry Potter is rich with potions and brews, perfect for inspiring new and interesting cocktails. We begin our Hogwarts feast with a sip of Felix Felicis. Difficult to make, requiring six months to brew, and highly toxic in large quantities, felix felicis is luck in a bottle. To create liquid luck, we use aromatic tonka beans which are considered toxic in high quantities and gin that has been barrel aged for 6 months.
One sip and you are guaranteed good luck and success until the potion wears off. Described as molten gold with leaping bubbles, felix felicis is just the luck we need to complete our epic Hogwarts feast!
The potion within was splashing about merrily, it was the colour of molten gold, and large drops were leaping like goldfish above the surface, though not a particle had spilled.
JK Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Ingredients
Tonka beans: Native to South America, tonka beans are the seeds of the flowering tree dipteryx odorata. They have a strong fragrance reminiscent of vanilla, almond, and a hint spice. The seeds contain coumarin which is what gives them their distinctive aroma – and also what makes them toxic in high doses. While tonka beans can be easily procured in many countries, they are currently illegal in the US despite managing to find their way onto some American restaurant menus! Despite these warnings, there is a growing push to remove these restrictions since it is highly unlikely anyone would be able to consume enough concentrated coumarin from tonka beans to cause any damage. For those living outside of the US, tonka beans can be found at gourmet food stores, baking supply stores, and online.
Barrel aged gin: Barrel aging results in a smoother gin with a slight woody flavour. I love the complexity that it adds to this cocktail. Okanagan Spirits here in BC makes a fabulous 6-month barrel aged gin, perfect for this recipe.
Apricot brandy: Golden-hued apricot brandy adds warm, sweet and slightly fruity notes to this liquid luck. While there are some true apricot brandies on the market, the term is often used for any type of apricot liqueur. Bols makes a good apricot brandy that is widely available. I particularly like Giffard’s Abricot du Roussillon, although that can be hard to track down in North America.
Whiskey barrel aged bitters: A dash of Fee brother’s whiskey barrel aged bitters adds even more complexity to the drink.
Gold luster dust: Used primarily in cake and candy decorating, luster dust is a very fine, shimmery edible powder. It has a shimmery, magical effect when added to drinks. It can be found at well stocked baking supply stores.
How to make Felix Felicis Cocktail
Make the tonka bean simple syrup
Use a microplane to finely shave the tonka beans. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Place over medium high heat and add the shaved tonka beans. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Remove from the heat and cover. Let steep for 1 hour and then strain the syrup through a coffee filter. Cool completely before using. This syrup will last for 2 to 3 weeks in the fridge.
Make the cocktail
In a cocktail shaker combine the barrel aged gin, apricot brandy, tonka bean syrup, lemon juice, bitters, and luster dust. Add ice, cover, and shake for 10 to 15 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass. Stir the cocktail just before serving to create a shimmery effect. Enjoy!
