Loki -- or as it is more properly called "Loki's Revenge" -- is a liquer consisting of Everclear, water, sugar and a variety of flavorings which is allowed to age for anywhere between three weeks to three years before drinking. As its name implies, this drink is truly a sly trickster. For one thing, it's always light and sweet. For another, it's very flavorful, with various extracts, fruit juices or sweet spices added to give it a distinctive character. Loki is also very, very smooth without the slightest hint of an alcohol "bite." AND IT IS POTENT! Needless to say, it would be very easy for the uninitiated to throw back a couple of 8oz. glasses quickly, without hesitation or forethought -- at least until the ALCOHOL POISONING caught up with them!!!
My introduction to Loki started at faire, as might be expected. In particular, it came at the Great Loki Tasting held at the Public Campground (partyside) at the Texas Renaissance Festival six years ago. It was hosted by a merchant couple of my acquiantance who provided at least a dozen different flavors and colors of Loki for us to sample. Since this was a real "Tasting", not a party, none of us were tossing the drinks back neat but taking small sips and holding it momentarily on our tongues before swallowing. In this way we could not only savor the cascade of flavors in each sip but also appreciate the true, individual "nature" of each type of Loki.
Now out of those twelve bottles of Loki, I managed to taste half of them in the space of an hour or so. Alas, but all I can remember of them now is that there was a bright blue Loki, a dark brown Loki and a Loki which tasted of strawberries. They were all DELICIOUS and I'm sure they were quite tasty, too, but my memory of that night isn't all that clear. Understand, I am not a novice drinker: I've had the "trash can" Sangria mixed by the SeaBees in Spain; Greek Ouzo in a run-down taverna in Athenai; moonshine courtesy of the 13th Alabama at the re-enactment of Petersburg; and the usual commercial hard ciders/meads offered by many Faire pubs in the Midwest. Based on that, I'm pretty confident that I know my limits and can hold my liquor, easily. Pride, however, DOES go before a fall...
...and fall I very nearly did, too!
So there we were, just sitting in a circle around the firepit -- this was way back when TRF still allowed campfires provided they were contained in a pit or brazier -- taking a sip of Loki, discussing the "feel" of it, both the tastes and aftertastes; socializing; then taking another sip of Loki and repeating. Suddenly I realized that the "Knights of Chaos" would be starting their new member induction soon: if I seriously wanted to watch the initiations, then I really needed to hurry over to their encampment NOW! or I was going to miss it. So quickly thanking my hosts both for their hospitality and generosity, I rose to leave -- and THAT is when the Loki hit me!!!
What can I say? It was like a super "head rush," with my head feeling like it was suddenly telescoping upward at light speed before snapping back into place. WHOA! It literally staggered me -- but the worst was yet to come: I actually found myself weaving and staggering as I tried to walk through the campground. Not only was my balance off but my eyes kept unfocusing, which made navigating in the dark from the merchants' camp to Chaos a truly difficult task. Quite honestly the only other time I was in that kind of condition was right after my first experience, drinking.
That night I developed a very healthy respect for Loki -- especially since I had to leave my truck in partyside and get a ride from a friend to my campsite in the family campground. There was no way I could drive safely even at 5mph after that! Unfortunately, back then (2005) I could not find a recipe to brew up my own Loki: each brewmaster guarded their personal recipe jealously, often requiring a year's indenture before sharing it with anyone else. Nowadays, of course, a simple Google search for "Loki Drink Recipe" will bring up enough recipes to keep the home brewer very busy -- and happily inebriated! -- for many, many moons to come. There are even regular Loki Competitions now with ribbons and awards given for the best varieties!
The real secret to great Loki, however, lies in the flavorings. Extracts, juices, spices, liquers, candy flavorings and even certain kinds of candy themselves can be used in any combination to produce the exact flavor(s) you want. Remember, tastes vary. Since the base for Loki remains pretty much the same -- water, sugar and Everclear -- the way you flavor your own personal brew(s) will give you your own "secret" Loki recipe(s). The only hard and fast rule as far as flavoring goes is to make it robust enough to mask the taste of the alcohol used in this process. By way of example, here is the ORIGINAL RECIPE I used:
One gallon, distilled Water
two pounds, sugar
two fluid ounces, Vanilla Extract
One cup, Amaretto
two fifths, Everclear
Add sugar to warm water in a LARGE container, stir until all the sugar dissolves. Distilled water is highly recommended: tap water contains minerals, flouride, chlorine and other additives which can change the taste of your finished product, unexpectedly. Allow this mixture to cool to room temperature, then add extract, Amaretto and Everclear. Stir, bottle and age in a cool, dark place for at least three weeks -- more if you're particularly patient. This Loki starts out as stout as homemade cough syrup but gets progressively smoother and mellower with age. This recipe will produce about two gallons of Loki.
LUZIANNA SWAMP WATER
One gallon, distilled Water
two fluid ounces, Vanilla Extract
two fluid ounces, Strawberry Extract
One Fifth, Seagram's Gin & Juice (Blue Beast)
One Fifth, Everclear
This is my own version of Loki, so named due to the olive-drab color of the drink. Make no mistake, tho: this one is POTENT. Even before aging, it's already very smooth with nary a hint of alcohol to it. Which makes it immediately drinkable: BE WARNED!!!
The following recipes were found through a quick Google search. These were posted by Nunyafb on http://www.dragonsquest.com/forums/showthread.php?584-Loki-Recipes on August 2nd, 2009:
APPLE PIE
One Gallon, Fresh Apple Cider
1/2 Gallon, Apple Juice
One Liter, Everclear
One Nutmeg
One Bag, Cinnamon Sticks
Pinch of Anise, Allspice & Clove
Heat all but Everclear at just under boiling for 45 mins to one hour. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Add Everclear. Serve hot or cold. Recipe found on the net and later modified.
RED HOT "APPLE PIE"
One Gallon, Fresh Apple Cider
1/2 Gallon, Apple Juice
One Liter, Everclear
One Bottle, Cinnamon Schnapps
One Pound, "Red Hot" Candies
One Bag, Cinnamon Sticks
Heat all but Everclear, Schnapps and half the candy at just under boiling for 45 mins to one hour. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Serve hot or cold. Based off another recipe. Made once, didn't last the night.
CHRISTINA
3/4 bottle, White Grape Juice
~250 ml Everclear
~100 ml Citron Vodka
Top off with Triple Sec
Named for the friend who had to drive me home that night. Randomly mixed together once, well liked.
The Brewing of Thor's Hammer:
http://ryleh.7hunters.net/brew/brew.htm
For a variety of recipes:
http://www.guntheranderson.com/liqueurs.htm
For further discussion and recipes:
http://www.renaissancefestival.com/forums/index.php?topic=358.0
Standard Disclaimer: All opinions expressed are strictly this author's own. Unless noted otherwise, all photographs are copyright ©2000-2012 by George Laking.