KIRKE (CIRCE)
Kirke, the first witch of western literature and Greek demi-goddess has influenced witchcraft for 3000 years. Join me for a deep dive into her origins, her role in the Odyssey, and where she fits into Ancient Greek gender roles.
The Kirke’s Cup cocktail is below.
Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Kirke’s Cup
2oz Rosemary or other herbaceous gin
Cucumber peeled, about 2 inches thick
1 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz elderflower liqueur
1/2 oz Herb infused simple syrup*
4-5 fresh basil leaves
Splash of club soda for a tall drink if you like but not necessary at all
*Herbal simple syrup - you’re going to use this a lot once you taste it so make the full recipe. 3 big sprigs of rosemary is enough but if you’re extra, add fresh thyme, oregano, and sage in equal amounts. Put one cup of sugar and a cup of water in sauce pot with herbs of your choice, bring to a rolling boil and immediately turn off heat and cover with a lid. Let steep for at least an hour, then strain and pop into the fridge until cool. Will keep in fridge for 3 months; throw out if you see weird scum on top or funky dudes floating around in there.
Muddle your cuke and basil together in a shaker. Mash the heck out of them. Add gin, lime juice, herbal syrup, elderflower liqueur and ice; shake it like a Polaroid picture because you want this to be icy cold. You know what to do Lucy Liu.
Strain and pour into coupe or whatever you’ve got that makes you feel fancy. Add a splash of club soda if you want; it’s good either way. Garnish with a strip of cucumber or basil or whatever herbs you’ve used. Cheers.
ANCIENT GREEK COSMOLOGY & COSMOGONY
Join me for an in-depth look at the way ancient greeks viewed their universe and the origins of the Cosmos and the gods.
This episode's Cosmic Spark cocktail is below.
Music by Michael Levy - On Spotify and www.ancientlyre.com
Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Cosmic Spark
Makes 2 cocktails
2 oz Dulce Vida Blanco organic tequila
2 oz POM pomegranate juice
1 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur
1 oz pomegranate liqueur
1 oz Cointreau or other orange liqueur
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1-2 dashes of Peychaud’s or orange bitters
Tajin for the glass rim
Ice
Whack it all into a shaker, ice last, and get out some aggression with a 20 second shake. Yell into the void if you like.
Run a lime around martini glass rim and dip into Tajin.
Strain with a fine mesh strainer into your glass.
Notes from me:
- POM is the only acceptable pomegranate juice. Shelf stable brands all were bitter and weak.
- If you hate ginger, leave out the ginger liqueur and sub simple syrup. Muddle in a few slices of jalapeños for heat if you like.
-Drink it ice cold. Freeze your martini glass if you can.
ancient greek religion
From the Paleolithic to the Hellenic period we look at the foundations, evolution, and practices of Ancient Greek religion.
The First Fruits cocktail for this episode can be found below.
Music by Michael Levy - On Spotify and www.ancientlyre.com
Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
First Fruits
1 oz hibiscus infused vodka (see below)
1 oz golden rum
1 oz hibiscus syrup (see below)
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
1/4 cup berries — I used strawberries and raspberries
2-3 dashes cardamom bitters
Club soda to taste
Muddle your berries with a sprinkle of sugar to help them macerate. Add the rest of ingredients (except club soda) to shaker with ice. Shake well.
You’ll need to double strain this one because the berries make it a little thick. Fill a rocks glass with ice, pour your cocktail and add a little club soda. Gently stir and garnish with a bit of lemon peel.
hibiscus vodka
2 cups mid-range vodka
1/2 cup dried hibiscus flowers
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 fat piece of lemon peel
Put it all into a glass jar, seal, and shake well. Stick it in a cool place for 12 hours and strain.
hibiscus syrup
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup dried hibiscus flowers
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 fat piece lemon peel
Put everything into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Give it a good stir and let continue to simmer for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and cover. Let it steep until lukewarm, then strain into a glass jar. Will keep in the fridge for 3 months. Toss it if you see any weird snotty floats.
ancient greek erotic magic
Aphrodisiac philtra, poison pharmakeia, curse tablets, amulets, womb fumigations, frogs of Hekat, and incel boys; if it’s weird or brutal, Greek love magic has it in spades. Join me for a look at ‘philia’ and ‘eros’ magic and a cocktail or two.
The Spell Bound cocktail can be found below.
Music by Michael Levy - On Spotify and www.ancientlyre.com
Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
spell bound
This is not the cocktail I had planned for this episode but the passionfruit bourbon sour sounded better than it tasted. I did want to use bourbon this week because we’ve done a lot of citrusy drinks, and I love an Old-Fashioned so I thought I’d experiment with that. I realized I’d never had a Manhattan, the sweeter cousin to the Old-Fashioned so I played around with Luxardo maraschino liqueur and I’m charmed with the results. It’s boozy, a little bitter and sweet but not too sweet with enough complexity to make it interesting.
1 1/4 oz bourbon — I used Bulleit Rye
1/2 oz Luxardo maraschino liqueur
2 dashes orange bitters
2 dashes Old Fashioned bitters
1 tsp syrup from good cocktail cherries NOT THE SUGARY RED ONES
Cocktail cherries to garnish
Fat strip of orange peel
I think normally Manhattans are stirred, not shaken, but I like an icy cold beverage and a good long shake waters it down just a tad because this is just straight booze. You can stir yours if you’re a purist.
Put everything except cherries and orange peel into your shaker with ice and shake for 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass or champagne coupe and garnish with cherries and orange peel.
the house of atreus
Betrayal. Greed. Jealousy. These are the dark threads woven into the very fabric of one of the most cursed families in Greek mythology. It’s a family whose legacy is steeped in murder, vengeance, and unimaginable acts of cruelty — setting the stage for one of history’s most infamous women: Helen of Troy.
Today we delve into the dark heart of a family whose sins would ultimately echo through the halls of Mycenae and lay the foundation for the Trojan War. This is the beginning of the end, the blood-soaked prelude to Helen’s own tragic role in Greek mythology. Welcome to the House of Atreus.
The Ivory Shoulder cocktail can be found below.
Music by Michael Levy - On Spotify and www.ancientlyre.com
Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
ivory shoulder
Murder, incest, betrayal, curses, and cannibalism—this week’s episode has it all. Inspired by a gruesome feast on Mount Olympus, we’re sipping an Ivory Shoulder, an unusual cocktail for an unusual tale.
2 oz gin—a citrusy one is nice here
1/2 oz Strega liqueur
1 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup—I used the rosemary syrup we made for the Kirke episode
Sprigs of basil
Club soda to taste
Muddle a few leaves of basil in your shaker and add everything (except club soda) along with ice. Shake it like you have delirium tremens, strain, and pour over ice. Top up with a little club soda, stir gently, and garnish with a basil leaf.