Roasted Blueberry Gin & Tonic (aka Unicorn Blood G&T) #NationalBlueberryMonth

Did you know that July is National Blueberry month?  The ladies from Festive Foodies hosted by Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm are getting together with an awesome blueberry bonanza!

I love tossing blueberries into my yogurt and I love me some blueberry pie, but they’re not something I cook with super often.

Luckily for me, I already had a recipe in the works for #PotterPotluck hosted by the Gingered Whisk for Fandom Foodies!  Because July 31^st, as Potterheads know, is Harry Potter’s birthday!

Have I mentioned that Harry Potter is one of my two favorite fandoms?  Star Wars is the other, but Harry Potter is right up there.  I really can’t choose a favorite.  They’re both fantastic.  I even have Potter themed vanity plates on my car!

With the huge unicorn craze going on right now, I wanted to jump on the bandwagon, Potter-style.  In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, unicorn blood is described as silvery in color, because if you’re drinking something from a unicorn is has to be a fluid, right?  Umm, and also this: “…it is a monstrous thing, to slay a unicorn…Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime.  The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price.  You have slain something pure and defenseless to save yourself and you will have but a half life, a curse life, from the moment the blood touches your lips.” (p. 210, illustrated version)

Speaking of illustrated versions, have you seen the illustrated Harry Potter?  Stunning!

Also, imma just leave this here…

Bwahahahaha.

Anyhow, I’m no better, because I made unicorn blood too.  Only I made mine silvery and due to the powers of tonic and black lights, mine glows!

I mean seriously, how cool is that!?!

Now it turns out that I really don’t care for tonic.  It is way too bitter for my tastes, but you need plenty of tonic for the drink to glow.  My advice is to play around with the ratios a bit.  The interwebs suggests a 1:2 ratio of gin to tonic.

Personally, I liked a 1:2:2 blueberry sauce to gin to tonic ratio, which is a little heavy on the gin and syrup for gin & tonic purists.  I also let the ice melt considerably before consuming, so I figure the excess water balances things out a bit.

Because I wanted a sweeter drink to balance out that tonic, I roasted the blueberries with some honey and brown sugar to bring out the natural sweetness, plus some!

Enjoy these blueberry recipes!

• Blueberry Baked French Toast by Palatable Pastime
• Blueberry Sour Cream Crumb Cake by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Frozen Blueberry Pops by The Redhead Baker
• Goat Cheese Panna Cotta with Balsamic Blueberries by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Kentucky Cobbler Cocktail by Bear & Bug Eats
• Lemon Berry Dump Cake by Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Roasted Blueberry Gin & Tonic by Amy's Cooking Adventures

Roasted Blueberry Gin & Tonic aka Unicorn Blood

1 cup blueberries

½ tbsp brown sugar

½ tsbp honey

1 tsp lemon juice

Additional 1 tbsp honey, optional

Ice

4-6 oz gin

¼ tsp silver luster dust, optional

6-8 oz Tonic

Blueberries

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place blueberries, brown sugar, honey, and lemon juice on a large piece of aluminum foil.  Fold the foil into a packet.  Bake for 10-15 minutes or until blueberries are cooked and juicy.  Cool completely.

Stain the blueberries and juice through a cheesecloth to remove any solids.  Taste the juice, add additional honey until desired sweetness is achieved.

To make the gin & tonics, place 1-2 tablespoons of the blueberry mixture into the bottom of each glass. 

Fill each glass with ice.

Whisk the luster dust (if using) into the gin.  Pour gin into glasses, then top with tonic and a few blueberries and serve.

print recipe

Roasted Blueberry Gin & Tonic aka Unicorn Blood G&T

by Amy's Cooking Adventures July-26-2017

Enjoy this Roasted Blueberry Gin & Tonic aka Unicorn Blood for #nationalblueberrymonth and Harry Potter's Birthday in #potterpotluck!

Ingredients

• 1 cup blueberries
• 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 4 ounces gin
• 1/4 teaspoon luster dust
• 8 ounces tonic

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place blueberries, brown sugar, honey, and lemon juice on a large piece of aluminum foil. Fold the foil into a packet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until blueberries are cooked and juicy. Cool completely. Stain the blueberries and juice through a cheesecloth to remove any solids. Taste the juice, add additional honey until desired sweetness is achieved. To make the gin & tonics, place 1-2 tablespoons of the blueberry mixture into the bottom of each glass. Fill each glass with ice. Whisk the luster dust (if using) into the gin. Pour gin into glasses, then top with tonic and a few blueberries and serve.

Details

Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: Total time: 30 mins Yield: 2 drinks