Happy US Thanksgiving to you

Lo Howlers, both domestic and imported (?),

Patreon Guy Carl here on behalf of the PB and the whole-ass Lit Escalates crew wishing you and yours a very happy US Thanksgiving if you observe, a happy Thursday if you don't.

We here at Lit Escalates are so, so grateful for your generous support. We would not be doing this without you.

I (Carl) am not in very many fan spaces, but it amazes me how kind, supportive, and generally good to each other the RR fandom is. We do not live in a kind time, darlings, but the consideration and friendliness that you lot show to each other is inspiring and the kind of thing we need more of here on Terra.

Anyway, enough sap from me. Let's drink.

(Note: a mocktail alternative is at the bottom of this post for sober Howlers. Good for you!)

So I gave you a shopping list on Tuesday, that being

-Crème de Violette

-Gin or Mezcal (I personally prefer the latter, in particular Del Maguey Vida if available, but follow your muse: if you are to get a nice gin for this purpose I would recommend Aviator or Bombay Sapphire. Don't waste a shot of Botanist on a cocktail, I implore you.)

-Fresh lemon juice, strained (premade is fine, fresh is better. If you're juicing on your own, save some peels, you'll need them later)

-Egg Whites (separate these on your own, please, don't buy separated egg whites, they're never the same)

-Bubbly (not used in cocktail proper, just nice to have on hand)

-Angostura Bitters

These components (except the bubbly), combined in the proper proportions and shaken, create a Patreon Guy Carl Original called a

F I L T H Y V I O L E T

Ingredients:

1.5oz Gin or Mezcal

1oz Crème de Violette

0.75 oz Lemon juice

1 (one) egg white (crack over the edge of your mixing tin and use the shell to catch the yolk. Discard*.)

Toss all those in a mixing tin/glass, add ice, shake till the metal sticks to your fingers (usually about 45sec). Strain into a coupe or martini glass (or you can do a coffee cup if you want, nothing is real and the only certainty is death).

If you've done it right, there should be a thick foam on top of the liquid. Express lemon peel (that is to say, squeeze so that the oils spritz out) over foam.

Dealer's choice of garnish: Either a) plunk that lemon peel down in the motherfucker, b) skewer a luxardo cherry** and suspend over mouth of glass, or c) (recommended) do a couple light dashes of angostura bitters and use a cooking thermometer or probe to swirl. You should end up with something sort of like this:

Now give that a lil sip. If you like it, awesome! You have a recipe and can make them any time you want! If you don't, that's what the champagne is for. LOOK OUT MOTHERFUCKS IT'S

A BONUS RECIPE

Some people call this an Elizabeth Taylor, but you have my blessing to call it whatever you want, it's easy.

Ingredients:

Bubbly (we recommend no more than 4oz per serving, but do as the spirit moves you)

Crème de Violette

Lemon Peel (garnish)

Pour 0.5-0.75oz crème de violette into a coupe or champagne flute. Add bubbly on top of that. Stir a little if you must, but the bubbles should move the liqueur around enough that you won't need to. Express lemon peel on top, toss peel in cocktail if you like it a little more bitter, otherwise discard.

If this one doesn't do it for ya either, you can just neck the mezcal and tell your mom how lucky you are to have such a beautiful parent. Tell your dad you're just as disappointed in yourself as he is, and how could he have let you fall this far. Punch your sister. Throw up in the bushes and hide in a drainage ditch. Go feral. Be Free.***

US THANKSGIVIIIIIIIIIING

Anyway. Thank you all so very much for all you've done for us. We're so grateful to get to share this work with you.

If you have any recipes or pics from this season you want to share, toss em in the group chat! We'd love to see 'em.

Next week, a visit from PB and a brief behind the scenes HBO moment from yours truly, then Ep3 begins posting on 9 Dec. You have been apprised.

Till Tuesday, then.

H.L.H.Y.

pgc

*You could also retain this for other cooking purposes or give it to your dog, who cares.

**These are very fancy, these Luxardo cherries: do not seek them out unless you are a very fancy drinker. PGC himself is not a fancy drinker and has been known to empty a 12er of Coors Banquet in an evening, so like, no judgement. You can use a normal-ass maraschino cherry, but the overwhelming sweetness is likely to fuck up the flavor balance here.

***don't do these things

PS.

if you don't drink alcohol, by inclination, obligation, or litigation, 1.) I applaud you, alcohol is literally poison, and 2.) allow me to provide the following mocktail, a holiday themed concoction called a

S O L I N V I C T V S

1oz chai syrup (creation instructions to follow)

Orange juice(low pulp if you're a coward, high pulp if you're nasty)

Club soda to taste

Luxardo or maraschino cherry for garnish.

To make the chai syrup: I usually use my kettle and a food service quart container (not sure if these are of different sizes outside the US, let me know in the comments!). Fill half the quart container with sugar. I personally prefer a demerara sugar, it allows the more complex flavors of the tea to come through. Toss 3-4 bags of chai in there too, but tie the strings to a chopstick or something so you don't have to fish them out later. Bring 16oz (~0.5L) of water to a boil, pour into quart container. Stir as necessary, making sure to zhuzzle the chai from time to time. Let cool. This will give you more chai syrup than you will need for anything ever, but maybe you’ll like this mocktail enough to drink a BUNCH of them.

Once the syrup is cool (usually about 20m, depending on ambient temperature), toss 1oz into a shaker with ice and 2oz OJ. Shake it like a Polaroid picture. Strain over fresh ice in a highball glass, top with club soda. Hurl a couple cherries in there too for funzies.

I don't have a photo for this one, so if you make it, share it with the class!

Thank you so much!

Xoxo

pgc