Chapter 217

With Arisa’s agreement, I started to get excited about the idea of serving her a cocktail.

But I couldn’t stay excited forever.

I immediately began preparing the cocktail in case she changed her mind.

The first ingredient was the cheap, strong liquor I had just recommended to Arisa, which had no aroma.

Originally, it was a mix of various raw materials, producing a foul-smelling liquor. I suggested filtering it through charcoal to remove the odor.

“But surprisingly, such cheap liquor can be a good fit for cocktails.”

In my past life, cocktails had a luxurious image, but that was a result of modern media portraying them as sophisticated.

In reality, cocktails were quite working-class and closer to a drink for the poor.

The concept of cocktails became popular in the mid-18th century.

This was when sugar plantation farming became viable, causing sugar prices to plummet, leading to the rise of rum, a cheap Western liquor made with sugar, in the 17th century.

Considering that gin, a cheaper and stronger liquor than rum, appeared shortly after, it’s clear why the concept of cocktails only became popular after the 18th century.

Exaggerating a bit, cocktails evolved to make cheap liquor taste better.

Thinking this, I looked at the cheap liquor in my hand.

It was high in alcohol content but lacked the unique taste or aroma that typically signifies quality, only emitting an alcohol smell. Even Serena, who was an adventurer, rarely touched it except to get drunk.

But in cocktails, being tasteless and odorless can be a strength rather than a weakness.

Its lack of distinct character allows it to be combined with numerous ingredients.

“Although it does have a bit of an alcohol smell…”

Still, it would be better if it didn’t have the foul alcohol odor.

But then, it wouldn’t be called cheap.

I took out a large Dwarven Iron Cup and poured an appropriate amount of the liquor into it.

Arisa mentioned she liked dairy products…

Thinking this, I immediately added milk, sugar, and essence extracted from evening primrose petals.

The ingredients were those typically used in a milkshake.

But instead of ice, I substituted it with the liquor.

To mask the alcohol taste, I added a spoonful of cream.

Then, I took a smaller Dwarven Iron Cup and inverted it over the larger cup.

By stacking two cups of different sizes in opposite directions, I created a makeshift shaker.

If you don’t have a shaker, you can use a bar spoon substitute like a teaspoon, but the feel of making a cocktail with a shaker versus a bar spoon is quite different.

Then, relying purely on grip strength, I shook the cups vigorously to mix the contents without spilling.

After shaking for a while, I opened the stacked cups.

*Pop*

The pressure inside caused the tightly sealed cups to open with a sound, and I poured the completed cocktail into another cup for Arisa.

“…This is.”

“It’s a cocktail. Loaded with the milk and cream you like.”

As I handed her the cup, Arisa took it with curious eyes.

From the moment I started making the cocktail, Arisa couldn’t hide her curiosity, peeking occasionally. By the time I was shaking the makeshift shaker, she was completely entranced.

Well, showing the cocktail-making process is also a kind of performance.

It’s her first time seeing a cocktail being made, so it’s natural to be curious.

Anyway, it was a good sign for me.

Arisa seemed to have completely forgotten it was alcohol, captivated by the curiosity and novelty of the cocktail I made.

Then, holding the cup carefully with both hands, Arisa took a cautious sip.

*Gulp*

“It’s sweet…!”

She perked up her ears and smiled.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes…! It doesn’t taste like alcohol at all! It’s just sweet and smooth!”

The cocktail I made was inspired by one of the Lady Killer Cocktails, the Bailey’s Milk.

Bailey’s Milk is a cocktail made by mixing Bailey’s, a chocolate-flavored liqueur, with milk and cream, tasting almost like chocolate milk.

The strong flavors of milk and chocolate make it almost indistinguishable from alcohol, making it appealing even to those who dislike alcohol.

Of course, in this world, there’s no Bailey’s or any similar chocolate-flavored liquor…

Wait. Maybe there is?

….

Anyway, since I didn’t have such liquor, I had to substitute it with the cheap liquor Serena had.

So, I improvised the recipe to taste like a milkshake by using sugar and evening primrose essence instead of chocolate.

Even though it’s a substitute, using a shaker to mix the cocktail incorporates air, creating a smoother texture and diluting the alcohol’s aroma, making it easier to drink.

Although it hardly feels like alcohol and has a low alcohol content, seeing her enjoy it, I think she’ll get drunk if she drinks enough.

My goal isn’t to get Arisa drunk and knock her out but to get her tipsy enough to have an open conversation.

Watching Arisa happily sipping the milkshake cocktail, I turned my head to look for the next target.

Let’s see.

Next is…

As I looked up, I noticed people who had been unconsciously watching Arisa sip the milkshake cocktail suddenly turn their heads away, startled.

It was like they were caught peeking at something they shouldn’t have.

Looking around, I soon spoke to Daria, who had the most curious expression.

“Do you want a drink too?”

“Huh? Oh, no. I…”

Daria visibly flustered but couldn’t bring herself to say no.

“Aren’t you curious about how it tastes?”

*Startle*

“I, I am curious, but as a priestess, drinking isn’t really recommended…”

Stimulating her thirst for knowledge, Daria immediately reacted.

From what I observed earlier today, between Aila and Daria, she seemed to play the brainy role, quickly figuring out Albert’s identity and Liche’s true nature, showing her vast knowledge in various fields.

And while not always the case, such knowledgeable people tend to show interest when presented with something new and intriguing.

As I thought, successfully stimulating her curiosity by serving Arisa a cocktail.

“This isn’t just alcohol; it’s a drink made by mixing alcohol with other ingredients, right?”

“I, is that so?”

Of course, you can’t really call it that.

“If you don’t like dairy, I can make it with other ingredients.”

“O, other ingredients?”

“Of course. Like fruits, for example.”

“…Fruits.”

She reacted to the word “fruits” coming from my mouth.

“So, between dairy and fruits, which would you prefer?”

“I, I…”

Daria began to ponder with a troubled expression.

Unconsciously, her dilemma shifted from whether to drink the cocktail to which cocktail to drink.

“T, then I’d prefer fruits over dairy…”

“Good choice.”

I smiled slyly.

Quickly cleaning the cup I used as a shaker, I started on the next cocktail.

The next cocktail I made was the most widely known Lady Killer Cocktail.

I poured the liquor halfway into the cup and added citrus squash (fruit juice concentrate) instead of orange.

To adjust the alcohol’s strength, I added water and, instead of shaking, stirred it with a long metal skewer.

This way, I completed the most famous Lady Killer Cocktail, originally made by mixing vodka and orange juice.

It was a Screwdriver.

“Here. It’s done.”

“This seems quite simple…”

“But it shouldn’t taste bad, right?”

Daria carefully brought the cup to her lips and took a cautious sip.

“…How is it?”

“It doesn’t… taste like alcohol at all.”

“Right?”

The base of this cocktail is vodka, famously tasteless and odorless.

The liquor I used wasn’t exactly vodka, but it had very similar characteristics.

The sourness of the citrus juice and a slight bitterness masked the alcohol’s aroma.

So, the cocktail tasted almost like orange juice.

Daria, too, began sipping the pseudo-Screwdriver with curiosity.

Daria’s done too.

Now, then next…

Having successfully served Arisa and Daria Lady Killer Cocktails, I turned my gaze to find the next target.