Roasted Blueberry Gin & Tonic (aka Unicorn Blood G&T) #NationalBlueberryMonth



Did you know that July is National Blueberry month?  The ladies from Festive Foodies hosted by Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm are getting together with an awesome blueberry bonanza!

I love tossing blueberries into my yogurt and I love me some blueberry pie, but they’re not something I cook with super often.

Luckily for me, I already had a recipe in the works for #PotterPotluck hosted by the Gingered Whisk for Fandom Foodies!  Because July 31st, as Potterheads know, is Harry Potter’s birthday!



Have I mentioned that Harry Potter is one of my two favorite fandoms?  Star Wars is the other, but Harry Potter is right up there.  I really can’t choose a favorite.  They’re both fantastic.  I even have Potter themed vanity plates on my car!

With the huge unicorn craze going on right now, I wanted to jump on the bandwagon, Potter-style.  In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, unicorn blood is described as silvery in color, because if you’re drinking something from a unicorn is has to be a fluid, right?  Umm, and also this: “…it is a monstrous thing, to slay a unicorn…Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime.  The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price.  You have slain something pure and defenseless to save yourself and you will have but a half life, a curse life, from the moment the blood touches your lips.” (p. 210, illustrated version)

Speaking of illustrated versions, have you seen the illustrated Harry Potter?  Stunning!


Also, imma just leave this here…


Bwahahahaha.

Anyhow, I’m no better, because I made unicorn blood too.  Only I made mine silvery and due to the powers of tonic and black lights, mine glows!


I mean seriously, how cool is that!?!

Now it turns out that I really don’t care for tonic.  It is way too bitter for my tastes, but you need plenty of tonic for the drink to glow.  My advice is to play around with the ratios a bit.  The interwebs suggests a 1:2 ratio of gin to tonic.

Personally, I liked a 1:2:2 blueberry sauce to gin to tonic ratio, which is a little heavy on the gin and syrup for gin & tonic purists.  I also let the ice melt considerably before consuming, so I figure the excess water balances things out a bit.

Because I wanted a sweeter drink to balance out that tonic, I roasted the blueberries with some honey and brown sugar to bring out the natural sweetness, plus some!

Enjoy these blueberry recipes!

Roasted Blueberry Gin & Tonic aka Unicorn Blood

1 cup blueberries
½ tbsp brown sugar
½ tsbp honey
1 tsp lemon juice
Additional 1 tbsp honey, optional

Ice
4-6 oz gin
¼ tsp silver luster dust, optional
6-8 oz Tonic
Blueberries

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place blueberries, brown sugar, honey, and lemon juice on a large piece of aluminum foil.  Fold the foil into a packet.  Bake for 10-15 minutes or until blueberries are cooked and juicy.  Cool completely.

Stain the blueberries and juice through a cheesecloth to remove any solids.  Taste the juice, add additional honey until desired sweetness is achieved.

To make the gin & tonics, place 1-2 tablespoons of the blueberry mixture into the bottom of each glass. 

Fill each glass with ice.

Whisk the luster dust (if using) into the gin.  Pour gin into glasses, then top with tonic and a few blueberries and serve.







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Roasted Blueberry Gin & Tonic aka Unicorn Blood G&T
Enjoy this Roasted Blueberry Gin & Tonic aka Unicorn Blood for #nationalblueberrymonth and Harry Potter's Birthday in #potterpotluck!
Ingredients
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 4 ounces gin
  • 1/4 teaspoon luster dust
  • 8 ounces tonic
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place blueberries, brown sugar, honey, and lemon juice on a large piece of aluminum foil. Fold the foil into a packet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until blueberries are cooked and juicy. Cool completely. Stain the blueberries and juice through a cheesecloth to remove any solids. Taste the juice, add additional honey until desired sweetness is achieved. To make the gin & tonics, place 1-2 tablespoons of the blueberry mixture into the bottom of each glass. Fill each glass with ice. Whisk the luster dust (if using) into the gin. Pour gin into glasses, then top with tonic and a few blueberries and serve.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 2 drinks

Comments

  1. Very cool Amy!! I love bitter so tonic is a usual for me, normally with vodka though, so I am going to roast up some blueberries and try it that way.

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  2. OMG! How cool is this, Amy?!? I actually had no idea that tonic glowed. Wow.

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  3. Omigoodness! This looks delicious and eerie all at the same time.

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  4. Is it worth losing your soul? LOL

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  5. So cool! This will be great for date day, thank you for sharing it!

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