Square

Recover from the week’s injuries with this sparkling Aperol Spritz variation inspired by Final Fantasy.

You’ll need

2 ounces Aperol

1/2 ounce ruby grapefruit juice

1/2 ounce lime juice

Prosecco

Add the first three ingredients to a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously to chill. Strain into your vessel filled with ice. Top with prosecco. Serve!

“The undying phoenix is said to call back souls from the heavens, but to win the attention of such fabled bird, you must give up a feather as an offering. The best are the downy feathers of the tail… hence the term phoenix down, see?” – Kirrik, Pugilist

Fun fact about the Phoenix Down item from Final Fantasy: it was only when coming up with this drink that I realised that the “down” referred to an actual feather. Like an absolute moron, I thought it was just a quirky item name, perhaps a remnant of the translation from Japanese to English, that referred to “down” as in the direction.

But no—it’s a literal feather, and I’m a literal idiot. But we live and learn. Who says you can’t learn something new over a few cocktails, eh?

Try a different grapefruit beverage with the Portal Gun from… well, Portal. Not every name is a winner, okay?

Like most of the drinks I make, I was inspired by this item because it’s an iconic part of the Final Fantasy series. It appears in every game (that I’ve played at least), and it’s a must-have for any party that doesn’t want to end up with a downed (haha, geddit?) member.

Of course, it would’ve been nice if it worked on Aerith, but we can’t have everything I suppose…

So when you’re feeling down and out, mix up this Aperol spritz variation that tones down the sweetness and adds a little zingy sour. Very drinkable—try adding some dry gin as well if you fancy something with a little more oomph.

Hope you enjoy!

If you want to keep seeing video-game-inspired cocktails and get a hold of some exclusive recipes, head on over to Experience Bar’s Patreon page and consider slinging me a credit or two. You help keep this blog going!

