Heart Of The Dragon: A Game Of Thrones-Themed Cocktail Recipe

It seems as if eons have passed since (spoiler alert) the Iron Throne went up in flames, Arya Stark sailed off into the horizon, and "Game of Thrones" went off the air, Now, however, is the time for rejoicing: The clock has been rolled back — not just years but centuries — for the long-awaited prequel "House of the Dragon." This event is worthy of a momentous celebration. While you may be planning to crack open that bottle of mead you've been saving, we have an even better idea: a mead-based cocktail we call the Heart of the Dragon, created to commemorate the start of what we hope will be many more seasons of epic viewing.

Recipe developer Michelle McGlinn explains that this drink is "a riff on a sour" in that it combines a spirit with citrus and a sweetener. For the spirit we're going with Irish whiskey, which she describes as "sharper, more oaky, and slightly fruity" while also paying homage to the Celtic mythology that underpins much of Westeros' own lore and legend. This type of whiskey, McGlinn says, "works particularly well with the star ingredient of this cocktail, honey mead." For the citrus, we're going with oranges (a fruit known to be grown in Essos), while the real "heart of the dragon" is a red wine float that McGlinn says "produces a stunning cocktail — a gradient of gold to scarlet." As you can see, she's speaking the truth.

What, you're in between servants because the last batch was eaten by a dragon? Well, then, you may have to venture forth and gather the necessities yourself. You will need a bottle of your finest traditional-style honey mead, some Irish whiskey (Jameson, Bushmills, or the like), an egg white, simple syrup, and a navel orange — or, better yet, a fiery red blood orange if these are in season in your kingdom. A dry red wine will add the finishing touch as the dragon's bloody red heart.

Commence the drink-making by combining the whiskey, the mead, the juice from an orange, the syrup, and the egg white. Wait, you say, are raw eggs safe to drink? While life in Westeros may be nasty, brutish, and short, that doesn't mean we're willing to take any dangerous chances ourselves. McGlinn assures us that "there is very little reason to have concern for consuming one raw egg white, especially from commercial grocery store eggs, as the risk of the eggs containing salmonella is very low." She does say, though, that you can use pasteurized egg whites from a carton if you wish, pasteurize the egg yourself, or just omit the egg white altogether. Although your drink won't be quite as foamy without the egg, the dragon's heart will still float.

Once all the above ingredients have commingled, give the vessel a vigorous shaking. Cover it first, of course, otherwise you'll have a royal mess on your hands. In fact, McGlinn also suggests even suggests that in addition to the cover, you may want to wrap the shaker in a towel, explaining, "the egg froth escapes from any loose lid parts."

In Westeros, ice and snow and all things cold may be seen as portents of doom; when winter comes, it may not end for years and years, and the terrifying White Walkers creep down from the north. The ice used here has no such symbolic value, though. It's merely meant to chill the drink (phew). Add few cubes to the cocktail, then resume the shaking while you slowly count to 15 (1 Baratheon, 2 Baratheon ...)

If you're wondering why the double shake, McGlinn says the first one is to make sure the egg white combines with the rest of the ingredients and works itself into a froth. The second shake is simply meant to chill. Using both methods in this order, she says, "creates a creamy, thick froth on the cocktail, better than that of shaking once with ice."

Once the drink is chilled, strain it into a golden goblet, should you have such a thing, or make do with silver or glass if you must. To add the crowning touch, hold a metal spoon over the goblet and pour the wine, ever so slowly, so it trickles over the back of the spoon and floats atop the cocktail. ("For an extra medieval cocktail," McGlinn suggests, "use red mead instead of red wine to float.")

Now take a moment to admire your artistry, then, in the wise words Bronn once offered Tyrion Lannister, "Now go drink until it feels like you did the right thing" (which you definitely did when you dared to enter the Heart of the Dragon).