The Evil Queen Appletini

This beautifully enticing beverage is inspired by evil queen Regina from the ABC series Once Upon a Time. The colors are based on her jet black hair and red lips, while the spherical ice cube resembles her weapon of choice, a shiny red poison apple. This recipe does contain activated charcoal which is a controversial ingredient. In doing my own research, I felt it was safe for consumption in moderation, and you only need a tiny bit to get that rich dark color. But don’t just take my word for it, do your own research and decide how you feel. You can always opt for black food coloring stead if you’re unsure.

Ingredients:

• spherical ice cube mold

• cranberry or other red juice for ice cube

• 2 oz vodka

• 2 oz sour apple schnapps

• .75 oz apple juice

• .75 oz simple syrup

• 1/4 tsp activated charcoal

• pinch of pearl dust

1. Fill the ice cube mold with cranberry juice and freeze until frozen all the way through. Pop cube out of the mold and place in a martini or coupe glass.

2. Add all other ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Strain into glass. Pairs well with an episode of Once Upon a Time🍎