Lit & Liquor

WARNING: Downton Abbey spoilers ahead. What does that have to do with Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express"? We have no idea, but Lit & Liquor still went there. This week we talk mustaches, Dan Stevens' sexy French accent, and all things Hercule Poirot. Grab a hot Avalanche cocktail for the 2010 BBC TV series with David Suchet and then chase it with a Sparkling Cyanide for the new 2017 version with Kenneth Branagh. Warm or cold, one of these is sure to tickle your fancy and get you thinking for our in-depth and completely intellectual discussion.

Don your boxing gloves and jump into the ring--or just grab a Kernel of Truth cocktail--because it’s time for another romance novel face off. Our three time champion, a Native American hero, faces off this week with a brawny pirate. Or maybe not so brawny. You’ll have to listen to find out our thoughts on the matter as we pit Cynthia Wright’s “Silver Storm” against “Walk Into the Night” by Beverly Bird. No matter who you’re rooting for, our Pineapple Mint Mojito will fortify you against a win or a loss. Find all our book pictures, drinks, and recipes on LitandLiquor.com! Next week tune in for our book-to-movie-comparison of "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie!

Psycho killers abound in this week's Halloween episode--so be sure to check over your shoulder. No murderers? Good. Grab yourself a Bitch's Brew cocktail and sit with your back to the wall for our first book, "Gone Girl", by Gillian Flynn. We talk book and movie with our latest guest star, Momma Kush, before moving on to "The Kind Worth Killing" by Peter Swanson. Both feature unreliable narrators and crazy female killers, and we can promise our Gin Martini won't clarify the plot at all. Don't worry--the goal is just to make it out alive, not sober!

Pirates.Scottish Pirates?Irish Pirates?Leprechaun Pirates?In this week's episode, you dissect our (terrible) accents and decide! Over a beverage of the liquor variety, of course. We crack open our first anthology, "Shiver Me Timbers," by a variety of independently published authors. The ratings are all over the place for the eight stories we discuss, but our Arghh Matey Mojito, Vanilla Dark and Stormy, and Bushwacker cocktails are easily five-shot ratings all around.

Tonight we close the hallowed chapter (see what I did there?) on Harry Potter with "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"--at least until our Harry Potter fan fiction episode, where we can all read our preferred couple ships. Until then, however, make do with today's episode comparing the book to movie and the closing of Harry Potter's tale. If you need some emotional support to get you through this, look no further than our Bourbon Butterbeer cocktail. Or, if you need something stronger or just want to live on the edge, try our original cosmopolitan variation, The Dark Lord. Tears will be shed, final romance couples hotly debated, and a thrilling series will come to end for Lit & Liquor. Find all our drink recipes and pictures on our website, LitandLiquor.com and join us next week for a pirate anthology episode--you don't want to miss our attempts at pirate accents, matey!

Join us as Kassandra plays Georgie Denbrough's death dirge--just to get you in the mood for his death within the first 16 pages of our book-- and we venture into unknown territory for at least one of our trio. Perhaps you've heard of It--by which we mean "It" by Stephen King. We travel to Derry (if you're smart, you'll skip right over and wait for next week because you know the perils of this small town) to investigate both this 1986 book, the mini-series in 1990, and the 2017 movie. If death makes you anxious, we have Apothic Inferno wine or, if you need something stronger, a Bloody Old Fashioned to get you through the night. Recording. Whatever tickles your fancy.Join us for childhood nostalgia, clowns, and as always, some good old fashioned (excuse the pun) liquor tonight as we explore the world of the exalted Stephen King!

In our penultimate Potter book, emotions run high; luckily, the liquor was there to save the day and keep us all calm. In an homage to the title, Sam presents a Half Blood Daiquiri--beware the jumping pineapples as garnish--as well as his thoughts on the saga thus far. Our second drink, the Felix Felicis, sadly didn't bring any winning lottery tickets, but still tasted lucky indeed. Grab your own drink and gather round as we close in on the end of Harry's tale.

Rump Shaking. The Terrors of a Haunted Funhouse Mirror Maze. Groping by a Ten Year Old Boy. Classic Films, Classic Literature—Bashed. Songs That Make You Sob. We cover a lot of bases in our first liquor-only episode in several months, so whether you favor the Grapefruit Martini, Peppermint Espresso Martini, or Strawmelon-Kiwi Surprise while listening, you’re sure to be entertained.

BOOK DOWN! This week, find out who committed the sin of dropping a book and very nearing destroying it (no drama here, we assure you!) while we discuss the books of Janet B. Taylor, a local Arkansas author. Her books focus on Hope Walton, a time traveling teenager with an eidetic memory. "Into the Dim" features a trip to the grimy and grim London of 1155, filled with Henry the II's courtly political intrigue--though sadly not our delicious Earl Grey Fizz cocktail. It's sequel, "Sparks of Light", centers on the journey through 1890's Manhattan, parts of which are equally unclean but an accompanying drink, a Svedka of Light martini, that is no less delicious. Join us in a race of rescue, magic stones, and a collection of highly recognizable historical icons all without leaving your own home.Find all our recipes, pictures, and blog posts at Lit & Liquor.com, and join us next week for the next round of Harry Potter, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"!

It's Lit & Liquor, back at it again with the white...hillbilly accents. Join us in Ancient Rome this week, and whether you arrive via the Martial Empire or spaceship, you'll still fit right in. Sabaa Tahir's "An Ember in the Ashes" is up first, exploring the horrors of war and young (but totally hunky) soldiers in a thrilling adventure tale. We've paired it with an original drink by the same name, using our Liquor of the Week, Bayou Satsuma Rum. Second on the agenda is the critically acclaimed (by us, anyway) sci-fi novel "Killer" by David Drake and Karl Edward Wagner. In a bizarre pairing, we see alien forces clash with the gladiators of Ancient Rome, all while enjoying some Killer Sangria like the civilized book club we truly are.Join us next week for our next Harry Potter installment, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" and find all our recipes and pictures at litandliquor.com

We all have a little pyromania inside ourselves, and this week we got to unleash ours, because how do you read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire without making a Goblet of Fire cocktail?! Sadly, we didn’t record the experience for your listening pleasure, but the visual results are still fantastic. We had our second drink, a healthy Gillywater Cocktail, close at hand for dousing flames just in case. Hop on your broom or grab a Portkey and here we go to the Quidditch World Cup!Find all our drink recipes and pictures on litandliquor.com, Pinterest, and our Instagram, and don't forget to join us next week for a trip through time to ancient Rome--or something close to it, with "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir and "Killer" by David Drake & Karl Edward Wagner!

Just when you thought you had Lit & Liquor pinned down, we throw another curveball at you--welcome Brandi, our latest guest star! This week we delve into several universes, beginning with a character known around the world: Sherlock Holmes. We read his introductory work, "A Study in Scarlet," paired with Brandi's Scarlet Goblin drink. Next up is a crossover between HP Lovecraft and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle entitled "A Study in Emerald" by Neil Gaiman, an interesting yet confusing piece for those not familiar with all the work. Unfortunately, our Emerald Elixir drink will probably not help clear the muddy waters. We round it out today with "Stardust", also by Neil Gaiman, and throw in a movie comparison just for fun. If you're still standing at this point, we'll congratulate you by passing over the pitcher of Starfruit Sangria. Hopefully you'll be sentient for the rest of our scintillating conversation. Next week join us for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire! Find all drink pictures and recipes on litandli

BEWARE THE DEMENTORS! But bring on the chocolate, we say. In fact, chocolate would have been entirely preferable to our cocktail this week. To match Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, we chose a Red Moon Over Manhattan cocktail (for obvious reasons)--but we don’t recommend it. Unlike our book, of course! With scary dementors, a shady rat, and a serial killing convict on the loose, why wouldn’t you want to hop on this train back to Hogwarts?Check out litandliquor.com for drink pictures, recipes, and plenty more bookish content, and don't forget to join us next week for a Neil Gaiman spectacular!

Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-DUM. Ba-DUM. BA-DUM BA-DUM-BA-DUM-BA-DUM SHARK! Just kidding, it’s just a Shark Bite cocktail coming to hit you hard (that’s what she said) while you struggle through the novel-version of “Jaws” by Peter Benchley—trust us, you’ll need it to make it through part two. By the time you get through the dinner party in Chapter 7, you’ll wish it was you getting eaten by the shark. For the movie version, go light on your Monkey Wrench so you can absorb the awesomeness of the nip slip at 1:15. It’s jawsome!! Join us as we quiz Michael on his shark knowledge and how he got so awesome. I mean, seriously, he is the best. Walk, not swim, to our podcast and enjoy!Next week join us for “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” and find all our drink recipes, pictures and the like on LitandLiquor.com.

Ding! Ding! Ding! It’s round two of our romance novel hero face off, back again this time with Indian versus Highlander. Will the fierce but surprisingly gentle nature of Hunter of the Wolf be a match for the hot blooded and passionate Morgan McDonald? Only listening to this podcast will clue you in to our vote for the winner of this battle of lust, seduction, and of course, true love. A Blue Moon Cocktail—a first foray into the mix of beer and spirits for Lit & Liquor—makes a great companion for Catherine Anderson’s “Comanche Moon.” Join us for the tasting notes on our Liquor of the Week, Highland Mist Whiskey, courtesy of a Reddit User since this questionable whiskey has no website with tasting notes of its own. Regardless, the taste is masked well in our drink for Teresa Madeiros’ “A Whisper of Roses,” a Whiskey Rose. Next week we're back at Hogwarts with "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." Find all our drink recipes, pictures, and other links of interest on litandliquor.com

We’re back for round two, year two of Harry Potter, once again hearing Sam’s opinion on experiencing the book and movie for the first time. Things turn heated with Fireball as our Liquor of the Week (and enjoy Sam coming up with an impressive jingle for the product), used in our Phoenix shot. If Big Red-flavored whisky isn’t up your alley, we also have a Whomping Willow Martini to tempt you—just watch out since like it’s namesake, it hits back. Grab a chip and some of Sam’s tomatillo dip and listen in. Next week join us for round two of our Romance Novel Face Off, Highland Lord vs. Native American, using Teresa Madeiros’ “A Whisper of Roses” and “Comanche Moon” by Catherine Anderson. Find all our drink recipes, pictures, and the like on litandliquor.com

Come one, come all to the epic throw down during our Indie Author week. In Lit & Liquor’s biggest upset thus far, Sam has the nerve to rate a gitchy romance higher than both Ashley and Kassandra. His reasons? Well, you’ll have to listen to find out. We highly suggest doing so with a Sonic Screwdriver or Lemondrop Martini in hand, or just go straight to the source and sip our Liquor of the Week, Skyy Blood Orange Vodka, straight from the bottle if you need something a little stronger. Our books this week feature “Entreat Me” by Grace Draven, an excellent Beauty and the Beast retelling if you need something more now that the movie hype has died down, and the hotly controversial book that sparked our disagreement over ratings, “#nerd” by Cambria Hebert. Next week join us for the continuation of our Harry Potter series with “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.” ‘Nuff said.

It takes true talent to fit five-plus bad accents into an episode that doesn’t even leave American soil, but the Lit & Liquor crew rises admirably to the challenge. Weigh in on our first ever romance novel face off, pitting the classic cowboy rebel against the more spiritual but no less ferocious Indian (hereafter referred to as Native American because we’re politically correct like that). Jamison, our Liquor of the Week, is featured in our Cowboy Cocktail and paired with “Robbing Banks and Stealing Hearts” by Kathleen Rice Adams. On the other side of the ring is our first attempt at a ‘shrub cocktail’ with a Butternut Squash and Sage Shrub cocktail to go with Madeline Baker’s “The Spirit Path.” Who will win and make it to Romance Novel Face Off Round Two against the Highland Lord? Listen to find out!Next week join us for the continuation of our Harry Potter series with “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.” ‘Nuff said.

Gryffindor. Hufflepuff. Slytherin. Ravenclaw. The names are iconic and the series already hailed as a classic. These days, it’s hard to believe anyone hasn’t read about the wonderful wizarding world of Harry Potter. Except there is a traitor hiding among the ranks of Lit & Liquor. Our very own Sam has never read nor seen any Harry Potter. Hold back your pitchforks and torches! Soothe your unsettled nerves with a Slytherin or The Dursley cocktail as Kassandra and Ashley swoop in on broomstick to save the day, gently leading Sam to the doors of Hogwarts and guiding him through the wonders within. Come along with us and re-live the magic as if for the very first time as we read and watch J.K Rowlings “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” (Or “Philosopher’s” if you’re hoity. As we frequently remind you, we are not.) Visit us at LitAndLiquor.com for recipes and pictures, and join us next week for a Cowboys Vs. Indians romance novel face off!

Swords clash and wizardry reigns supreme as we return to Sam's favorite genre of fantasy. "The Heroes" by Joe Abercrombie is our first foray into the world of "grimdark" fantasy, an intriguing combination of humor and cynicism. And what better to go with a book about a three day battle than a classic Bloody Mary? Two favorites make a return, Chima with "The Demon King" and limoncello in our Gin and Thyme cocktail. If these books don't delight, our tales of taking book pictures in an apartment parking lot with a sword, drinks, and dog is sure to do the trick.Join us next week as we dive into Harry Potter, which Sam has never read. As always, find us and extras on LitandLiquor.com and our drink recipes on our Lit & Liquor Pinterest page.