Moonriver Bar #30 - A Pair Of Aberrations

Recently I had another opportunity to fulfill a trust exercise.
  Sometimes my friends and allies ask me to make them a drink or two.  By now I've earned a decent mixologist's reputation, and have succeeded in the creation of enough drinks that many friends ask for them by name.  And yet, with all of this training, there will come times where I feel no inspiration.  No flavors come to mind, and I don't feel a modicum of motivation to try things out; like there are so many possibilities that I enter a choice paralysis.
  To combat this "writer's block" of mixology, I wrote up a little exercise to jumpstart my creative process.

An Act Of Trust And Rapport

To place your libation fate in the hands of a person can be scary.
  People often covet their liquor, and personal imbibing, after a certain degree or within a certain mood, personal exploration and surprise are avoided.  But if you've built a measure of trust, empathy, and satisfaction among one another, one becomes much more adventurous, on both sides of the bar.  
  In truth, a good bartender isn't trying to make a buck.  The act of serving another a drink made FOR them is an act of service and trust.  If they enjoy it, there is no feeling like that satisfaction.  If they don't, it becomes a personal mission to find the flavors that they will.  We're always learning from each other, and that effort adds huge value to a relationship.  

Rolling For Aberrant

I split my thoughts into three categories.  
Roll a D6 to decide the Core liquor.  Doesn't have to be the one with the most volume, but it is going to be the star of the mix.
Roll a D4 to decide the finish of the mix - the Dagger that you may or may not see coming.
Roll a D8 to decide the binding theme or agent to wrap the mix in; maybe it's a feeling, maybe it's a flavor, we'll see what you roll.  It's a mystery!  Like a...Cloak.

Roll a D6 (CORE)
  1 - Tequila
  2 - Rum
  3 - Gin
  4 - Whiskey 
  5 - Vodka
  6 - Brandy

Roll a D4 (DAGGER)
1 - Sweet
2 - Sour
3 - Fruity
4 - Decadent

Roll a D8 (CLOAK)
1 - Holiday
2 - Cream
3 - Gold
4 - Nostalgia
5 - Horizon
6 - Juice
7 - Syrup
8 - Wine

Then, from this mixture of ideas, it is now my job to craft you something delicious.  I WILL NOT throw a bunch of liquor into a shaker and send something random your way, your taste buds be damned.  If anything, these randomizers act as a challenge to a theme; I get to augment and cultivate my skills by adapting to this challenge.
​  So of course I forced one of my friends to roll some dice without telling him what I was doing.  :)

The Mixes

Aberrant I - Rolls: 5-3-6
1/2 oz Blue Curacao
1/2 oz Midori
1/2 oz Triple Sec
1/2 oz Silver Rum 
1.5 oz Vodka (Core)
1 oz Gin
3.5 oz Cranberry Juice (Cloak)

THE EFFECT: First and foremost, the Curacao/Midori/Triple Sec/Silver Rum (Dagger) bomb is THE bomb.  Fruity, tasty, and sweet.  We smooth it out with the Vodka and Gin, and the Cranberry Juice thins the mix in the best way, elevating every flavor and binding them together. 

Aberrant II - Rolls: 1-2-3
3 oz Gold Tequila (Core)
1 oz Irish Honey Whiskey (Cloak)
1 oz Grand Marnier
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
4 dashes Orange Bitters
2 oz Sour Mix (Dagger)

THE EFFECT: As these are more than just a smattering of randomizers and are intended more as a writing prompt, once I had assembled the basic components, the remaining additions easily fell into place, like the words of a poem.  Good golly this one was delicious.  The tequila is easily complimented by the orange notes of the bitters and Grand Marnier, the sour mix wrapping it all into a lovely potion.  The Honey Whiskey is just icing on the proverbial cake.

If the friend on the receiving end was any indication, it was delicious.

Enjoy your randomizers, your writer's block, and here's to a new year.  May it suck just a bit less than this one.  Please.  Thank you.
-Adamus