Covers & Cocktails: Knock Knock

Happy Friday! I hope everyone has some great weekend plans. Meanwhile, I’m making whiskey sours at 10am on a Thursday. Because, apparently, that’s part of my “job.” It’s March and my free time has disappeared in the wake of several exciting new releases and galleys that are sitting on my nightstand.

This month’s cocktail inspiration comes from Kit Rocha’s Ashwin! This is the first book in the Gideon Rider’s spin-off series after wrapping up their Beyond series ( A | BN | K | G | AB | Scribd ). It’s got a touch of sci-fi and it’s set in a dystopian world, but overall, it has a large, diverse, and amazing cast of characters. Plus, supportive female friendships out the wazoo.

Ashwin
A | BN | K | AB
As I mentioned above, we’re doing a whiskey sour for Ashwin. It’s mostly a traditional sour with more lemon juice and a dash of orange bitters. And, we’re calling it…Knock Knock, but more on that later.

I used Buffalo Trace Bourbon Whiskey because I used it in a previous recipe and I liked it. I’m not much of a bourbon drinker and this one works with my delicate, vodka-drinking sensibilities. The use of bourbon whiskey is an homage to the Beyond series, though Ashwin can definitely be read as a standalone. And while bourbon always gives me the impression of a stiff and serious drink, the lightness of the lemon juice and foamy egg white gives the drink a great smooth tartness.

The name “Knock Knock” is in reference to a knock knock joke. The hero, Ashwin, is a modified super soldier who has been trained not to feel emotion, so reading a particular scene where he tries his hand at telling a knock knock is pretty hilarious. It’s a perfect inspiration for a whiskey sour. A serious, deadly hero trying to bring some levity to a situation.

Now onto the recipe!

Ingredients for a whiskey sour

Shopping list:
Bourbon
Lemon
Egg
Simple syrup (sugar + water)
Orange bitters

Proportions:
2 oz bourbon
2 oz lemon juice
1 oz simple syrup
1 egg white
A few dashes of orange bitters

Recipe for simple syrup:

  1. I make my simple syrup in a 1:1 ratio.
  2. Take one cup of water for every one cup of sugar and pour it into a saucepan. Increase the amounts as needed.
  3. Stir the mixture regularly over medium heat until all the sugar is dissolved. You don’t want the water to boil or simmer.
  4. Pour into a jar or other container to let cool in the fridge. I tend to make big batches at a time, so I always have it on hand. It’s great for sweetening iced coffee, which I love, despite it being twenty-five degrees outside.

Directions:

  1. Put bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white into a shaker full of ice.
  2. Shake it like a Polaroid picture!
  3. Strain into a chilled glass with ice.
  4. Give it a few seconds for foam and bubbles to rise to the top.
  5. Add a few dashes of orange bitters.
  6. Avoid the urge to draw a dick into the foam.

Modifications and notes:

  • Feel free to use a bourbon that you like! Buffalo Trace is not necessary.
  • Serve it neat, if you prefer!
  • Since I’m not a huge bourbon drinker, I added more lemon juice. As you can see, I picked the biggest lemon that ever existed and used the all the juice it could muster.
  • If drinking something with egg white grosses you out, skip it!
  • Regular Angostura bitters will work as well, but I like the subtle added orange.
  • Pro tip: When separating the yolk from the white, do not do it over your shaker because you will inevitably drop the yolk right into the drink.

A copy of Ashwin on a bookshelf next to a whiskey sour.

Cheers!

Comments are Closed

  1. Jacqueline says:

    I’ll be ding dong damned if my non-drinking booty ain’t still 10000% here for this post.

    Not least because GIMME GIMME GIMME THIS BOOK. *cough*eventhoughiveneverreadKitbefore*cough*cough*

    BITCH IS ABOUT TO BUY THIS BOOK SO HARD YA DONT EVEN KNOW!

  2. Janet S says:

    “Shake it like a Polaroid picture!”
    Directions I can understand!!! Your post makes me want to try things I usually avoid – bourbon and super soldiers.

  3. Jacqueline says:

    @Janet S

    “I usually avoid bourbon and super soldiers.”

    Okay. I need that on a t-shirt because that shit is funny!

  4. Janice says:

    Oh, dangit! I just got my book buying (and bourbon-swilling) habit under control after blowing twenty dollars today on books and unprintable amounts on booze over the weekend, then you do this to me!

  5. Jacqueline says:

    @Janice Ain’t that how it forever be going?

    Me: I’M PUTTING THE WALLET ON FREEZE MODE
    The Internet: Bitch you thought!

  6. Joy says:

    I’ve always thought that packaged eggs whites were a great invention since I hate separating eggs. Pisco sours, whiskey(bourbon) sours, and a fluffy quick omelet the next morning. Good for the stomach.

    I’m afraid to look at my Amazon bill! You guys ought to call a moratorium on interesting books and just do cover snark and interesting podcasts for a while til my wallet recovers!

  7. Jacqueline says:

    @Joy GURL I AM 10000000000% HERE OR YOUR WORDS

    I literally just told myself, “NO BOOKS FOR YOU TODAY!”

    And then my dumbass clicked the Kindle Daily Deal post.

    My fangirl laughs in the face of fiscal responsibility.

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