A Shot of Ice and Fire

To celebrate the imminent return of the HBO series Game of Thrones

It gets cold on the wall. While the Lord Commander and the other high born stay in Castle Black and drink the imported Arbor golds and Dornish reds, we watchers on the wall get our ale rations. But ale does not keep the body warm now winter is indeed coming. Instead we smuggle in fire water, distilled by the women of Mole town. Grapes won't grow here up north, but there are tubers that will grow even in the bleakest of weather. The resulting drink is clear and strong. To add extra fire we sometimes get our hands on dried peppers from the south. These Dornish red devils add an extra kick of heat that is always welcome. 

We will be whipped if the Commander finds out, but on special occasions we will use the otherwise useless dragon glass to cut chunks of ice from the wall. With a bit of whittling these transform into glistening vessels for our drink. The drink itself is so strong it will catch fire with just a spark. For a second we let it burn 'We are the watchers on the wall' then blow it out and knock it back. The heat spreads from our throats to our bellies and finally our whole being. That our fingers are cold from holding the ice will soon be forgotten. 'Bwarp...... Bwarp.................... Bwarp'.

If you don't happen to live near the Wall this might be an acceptable alternative.


Get a pint glass, preferably plastic and fill it for three quarters with water. Now drop a shot glass into it. You can cover it with cling film to keep the shot glass floating in the middle. Freeze it. Use hot water in the shot glass and around the pint glass to release it.

Use some of your finest Valyrian steel to chip away at the ice for that 'hewn from the wall' look. Fill with chilli vodka. Infuse this a couple of days or so in advance, or use the flash method described here. Light up the vodka for a second or so and slam back.

Valar Morghulis, Valar Dohaeris.

 For my other geeky drinks; Tesseract shots, Thor and Loki cocktail, Smaugtail.