Cocktails for the Chakras

Chakra translates to “wheel” in Sanskrit and the chakra system refers to energetic wheels that are mapped throughout the entire body, similar to a spiritual nervous system. The seven main chakras run from the base of the spine to the crown of the head, with each one governing a different aspect of our life. When our seven chakras are operating at optimum capacity, we feel secure and safe (root chakra), in touch with our desires and ability to create (sacral chakra), confident and capable (solar plexus chakra), worthy of giving and receiving love (heart chakra), able to express our unique truth (throat chakra), guided by our intuition (third eye chakra), and connected to our higher selves.

When we feel out of balance in any of these areas, we can lean on wellness practices like yoga, meditation, automatic writing or drawing to support our chakra health. We can also ingest food and drinks that carry the energy of the chakra that is out of balance.

However, there doesn’t need to be a deficit in order for us to pay attention to a specific chakra. Perhaps you’re setting aside time to write or paint and want to tap into your creativity. Maybe you want to attract a new lover or learn new ways to get yourself off. Feeling called to express yourself in a new way? These are all things that specific chakras can assist with.

The cocktails listed below offer an unconventional option for invoking the chakras. See what recipe you’re drawn to and consider what that might say about your motivations.

The following recipes are provided courtesy of Chicago bartender and writer Lori Hidalgo. To sample her creations in person, visit The Booze Hound at Grayland Station (3734 N. Milwaukee, Chicago, 60641) or Paddy Long’s Beer and Bacon Pub (1028 W Diversey Pkwy, Chicago, 60614).

ROOT

Pimm’s Cup

2 oz Pimm’s No. 1 (a British gin-based and herbal infused liqueur).
5 oz simple syrup
.75 oz lemon juice
2 cucumber slices
Ginger Ale

Muddle cucumber slices with simple syrup before adding lemon juice and Pimm’s. Shake and strain over ice. Top with ginger ale.

Low in alcohol, refreshing and easy to make. Add strawberry slices or mint to muddling to make it your own.

SACRAL

Blood & Sand

.75 oz Scotch whisky
.75 oz Rosso vermouth
.75 oz Cherry Herring
.75 oz orange juice

Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass, preferably a sexy coupe.

Named after 1922 silent film starring Rudolph Valentino as a dashing bullfighter unlucky in love. There’s room for fun with this guy, like try substituting blood orange juice, but if so scale back on the sweet Italian vermouth and Cherry Herring.

SOLAR PLEXUS

Champagne Cocktail

5 oz champagne
1 angosturas bitter-soaked sugar cube

Pour the champagne into a chilled champagne flutes. Drop the bitters-soaked cube in. Enjoy with strawberries.

Nothing instills confidence as much as a glass of brut champagne. Generally considered a celebratory cocktail, you can toast to life and sip easily. However, take it easy or you’ll have the bravado of someone swaying away from a long brunch.

HEART

Good Tidings

1.5 oz vodka
1 oz Cointreau
1 oz lemon juice
1 oz cranberry juice
1 barspoon of allspice dram
Soda water

Shake and strain over ice in a collins glass and top with soda.

Best drunk in warm spaces, this is ordinarily a fall/winter cocktail, which is cuffing season (in my mind, at least).

THROAT

Last Word

.75 oz gin
.75 oz green Chartreuse
.75 oz lime juice
.75 oz maraschino liqueur

Shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Old as Prohibition. Requires exact measurements due to the strong flavors of the individual ingredients. I’ve yet to meet a person to drink one of these and retain tension in their shoulders or back.

THIRD EYE

Corpse Reviver #2

1 oz gin
1 oz Cointreau
1 oz Lillet Blanc
1 oz lemon juice
Dash of absinthe

Rinse a chilled cocktail glass with the absinthe (add dash of absinthe to glass, roll it around to coat the inside then discard the excess). Shake and strain the remaining ingredients.
Dry, bold and you only need one. Gets rid of hangovers, gives you energy and keeps you sharp.

“Four of these taken in swift succession will revive the corpse again.” – Harry Craddock

CROWN

Absinthe Drip

4 oz cold filtered water
1.5 oz absinthe
1 sugar cube

Pour the absinthe into a chilled glass and place a slotted absinthe spoon over the rim. Set the sugar cube in the bowl of the spoon. Slowly drip the water over the sugar cube into the glass. When the mixture is completely cloudy, the drip is ready for consumption.

Easier to find at a bar as the equipment is pricy and generally sought after by fanatics. Best enjoyed with friends.

Feature Image by Disco Cubes

Disco Cubes is a frozen art project by Leslie Kirchhoff, offering photo and video content, as well as installations, recipes, music curation, custom orders and more!