Okay, so today I wanted to mess around with making a Grateful Dead. Sounds pretty intense, right? I’d seen this drink around online and it looked wild, so I figured, why not give it a shot?
First things first, I had to gather all the stuff I needed. And let me tell you, this drink has a lot of ingredients. I grabbed some tequila, vodka, rum, gin, and this raspberry liqueur that I found at the back of my liquor cabinet. Then I remembered I needed some sour mix, which I didn’t have, but I did find some lemons and limes, so I figured I could make a makeshift sour mix with those and some sugar. Oh, and of course, a ton of ice.
Now, I don’t have a fancy cocktail shaker or anything, so I just used a big glass. I started by pouring in about an ounce of each of the liquors. Honestly, I didn’t measure exactly, just kind of eyeballed it. I mean, who needs to be precise when you’re making a drink called the Grateful Dead, right?
- Tequila – Made sure to grab a decent one, didn’t want the cheap stuff messing up the flavor.
- Vodka – Just regular, nothing special here.
- Rum – I used a light rum, seemed like it would mix better.
- Gin – This is where it gets interesting, adds a nice botanical kick.
- Raspberry Liqueur – This stuff is sweet and adds a nice color, though not sure it’s totally necessary.
After the booze, I squeezed in the juice of a lemon and a lime. Then I added a spoonful of sugar and hoped for the best. I filled the rest of the glass with ice and started stirring. It was a bit of a workout, but I wanted to make sure everything was mixed well and super cold.
Once I felt like I had stirred it enough, I took a sip. Whoa, this thing is strong! You can definitely taste all the different liquors, but it’s actually not bad. The sour mix I made worked out okay, it cut through the alcohol a bit, but I think next time I’d try to get a real sour mix just to see how it changes the flavor. The raspberry liqueur gives it a weird purplish color, which is kind of cool, I guess.
The Result
So, would I make this again? Maybe. It’s definitely a party drink, not something you’d sip on a quiet evening. It’s fun to make, especially if you have friends over and you want to try something different. Just be prepared for a strong kick and maybe a headache the next day!
All in all, it was a fun experiment. Making cocktails at home is always a bit of an adventure, and this Grateful Dead concoction was no exception. If you’re feeling brave, give it a try. Just make sure you have all your ingredients lined up and maybe some aspirin for the morning after.
