Annual Drink Competition 2026: Shakespeare

Titania’s Votaress

L took inspiration from A Midsummer Night’s Dream Act 1, Scene 2:

Set your heart at rest:
The fairy land buys not the child of me.
His mother was a votaress of my order:
And, in the spiced Indian air, by night,
Full often hath she gossip’d by my side,
And sat with me on Neptune’s yellow sands

lime juice, black tea, spices, club soda

Chai spiced fresh lime spritzer.

The Insane Root

Kr drew on Macbeth Act 1, Scene 3:

Were such things here as we do speak about?
Or have we eaten on the insane root
That takes the reason prisoner?

root beer, vanilla ice cream

A classic root beer float.

Of All Flowers Methinks A Rose Is Best

I turned to The Two Noble Kinsmen Act 2, Scene 2:

EMILIA
Of all flowers
Methinks a rose is best.

WOMAN Why, gentle madam?

EMILIA
It is the very emblem of a maid.
For when the west wind courts her gently,
How modestly she blows and paints the sun
With her chaste blushes! When the north comes near her,
Rude and impatient, then, like chastity,
She locks her beauties in her bud again,
And leaves him to base briers.

black tea with rose, lavender syrup, gin, lemon juice

Dogberry’s Ass

N went with Much Ado About Nothing Act 4, Scene 2:

Dost thou not suspect my place? Dost thou not suspect my years? O that he were here to write me down an ass! But, masters, remember that I am an ass; though it be not written down, yet forget not that I am an ass. No, thou villain, thou art full of piety, as shall be proved upon thee by good witness. I am a wise fellow, and, which is more, an officer, and, which is more, a householder, and, which is more, as pretty a piece of flesh as any is in Messina, and one that knows the law, go to; and a rich fellow enough, go to; and a fellow that hath had losses, and one that hath two gowns and every thing handsome about him. Bring him away. O that I had been writ down an ass!

oat milk, hibiscus tea, raspberry syrup

Grind Their Bones To Powder Small and With This Hateful Liquor Temper It

I myself chose Titus Andronicus Act 5, Scene 2:

Hark, villains! I will grind your bones to dust
And with your blood and it I’ll make a paste,
And of the paste a coffin I will rear
And make two pasties of your shameful heads,
And bid that strumpet, your unhallow’d dam,
Like to the earth swallow her own increase.
This is the feast that I have bid her to,
And this the banquet she shall surfeit on;
For worse than Philomel you used my daughter,
And worse than Progne I will be revenged:
And now prepare your throats. Lavinia, come,
Receive the blood: and when that they are dead,
Let me go grind their bones to powder small
And with this hateful liquor temper it;
And in that paste let their vile heads be baked.

mezcal, Cherry Heering, Campari, rapid aged blood, blood orange juice

Blood and mezcal gelées garnished with a panna cotta skull.

Recipe here.

Mercutio’s Blade

J perused Romeo and Juliet Act 3, Scene 1:

Good king of cats, nothing but one of your nine lives; that I mean to make bold withal, and as you shall use me hereafter, drybeat the rest of the eight. Will you pluck your sword out of his pitcher by the ears? Make haste, lest mine be about your ears ere it be out.

tequila, blackberry syrup, lime juice, sage

Very Notably Discharged

Ka looked to A Midsummer Night’s Dream Act 5, Scene 1:

No epilogue, I pray you; for your play needs no excuse. Never excuse; for when the players are all dead, there needs none to be blamed. Marry, if he that writ it had played Pyramus and hanged himself in Thisbe’s garter, it would have been a fine tragedy: and so it is, truly; and very notably discharged. But come, your Bergomask: let your epilogue alone.

soju, Calpis, ginger ale

Citrus and ginger with a salt and sugar rim.