If Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream were a drink, it would be a full-on sozzler: lashings of greenery with a dash of Greek mythology, resulting in a reality-warping hangover.
Thankfully, we don't have to imagine such a concoction any longer - just as well, as we've developed one heck of a thirst and our imaginary faculties aren't what they used to be. Tim Federle's ingeniously titled Tequalia Mockingbird: Cocktails With A Literary Twist infuses timeless tipples with classic novels, inspiring a range of alternative cocktail recipes.
'A Midsummer Night's Beam' looks to avoid an alcohol-fuelled blackout and angles toward a dreamy, drowsy Shakespearean slumber that packs a sweet punch. To create this literary cocktail you will require:
Eight sprigs of fresh mint, washed
Half an ounce of lime juice
Two teaspoons of granulated sugar
Two ounces of bourbon (such as Jim Beam)
One (12-ounce) can of club soda
Ice
Directions
Muddle the mint, lime juice, and sugar in a highball glass. Add ice and bourbon, and fill to the top with club soda. Sip to your imagination's content - stopping only if your shadow begins to speak.
Tim Federle's Tequila Mockingbird is available from Waterstones