Every Friday, I craft a cocktail inspired by one of our favorite fantasy characters—because sometimes, the best way to celebrate a story is to drink it in.
Welcome to Fantasy Friday on the Rocks, where the pours are bold, the ingredients are enchanted, and the vibes are strictly bookish. Each drink is a tribute—not just to a character’s aesthetic, but to their soul.
And this week? It’s all about Nesta Archeron.
Why Nesta?
Because she’s the rock.
Because she broke—and still chose to rise.
Because sometimes strength looks like getting back up.
This drink is for the ones who feel too much, love hard, and still show up when it counts.
Nesta is one of the most complex, beautifully broken, and brutally powerful characters in the ACOTAR series. Her journey is rage and sorrow and slow-burning redemption. She’s not here to be liked—she’s here to survive, to rise, and to protect those she loves with teeth bared and blades drawn.
That deserves a drink as sharp and strong as she is.
So I give you: Flame of the Valkyrie—a bourbon-based cocktail with a cinnamon kick and a flame-curled citrus twist. It’s fierce. It’s fiery. It doesn’t apologize for its strength.
Just like Nesta.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz bourbon
- 0.75 oz cinnamon simple syrup (see additional recipe below)
- 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
- 1 dash orange bitters
- .5 oz orange liqueur (like Cointreau)
- Garnish: orange twist + cinnamon stick
Instructions:
- Add bourbon, syrup, lemon juice, bitters, and liqueur to a shaker with ice.
- Shake until well chilled.
- Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube.
- Garnish with your Flame of the Valkyrie twist—an orange peel curled like a flickering flame (see instructions below)—and a cinnamon stick for your blade.
How to Make the “Flame of the Valkyrie” Twist:
- Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to slice a long orange peel. Trim one end into a point or flame shape.
- Wrap the peel around a cocktail straw or spoon handle. Let it sit briefly or secure with a twist tie for a longer set.
- Release for a dramatic, fiery curl worthy of a Valkyrie.
Cinnamon Simple Syrup:
Simmer ½ cup water, ½ cup sugar, and 2 cinnamon sticks until sugar dissolves. Cool and strain. Keeps in the fridge up to 2 weeks (or 3 with a splash of vodka).
Try Flame of the Valkyrie this weekend and tag me @amy.olszak on Instagram if you make it!
And if you missed previous Fantasy Friday drinks, check out:
- Spill the Tea – The Suriel, clever and strange (and a little minty)
- To the Stars – A violet shimmer for Rhysand and the Night Court
- Wings & Wildflowers – A lavender bourbon beauty for our favorite flower sniffing wyvern
- The Brooding Buzzard - A an earthy sangria for Rowan Whitethorn, broody and strong
- The Manorian – Broody, smoky, and kissed with cherry
- Fireheart Espresso Martini - Aelin Galathynius in liquid form: bold, spiced, and impossible to ignore
If you're a Nesta fan like I am, you might want to check out some of my Nesta inspired products like these stickers of her epic quote "I am the rock against which the surf crashes" and her magically imbued sword Ataraxia.
Stay tuned each week for more character-inspired cocktails to bring a little magic into your weekend. Because books aren’t the only thing you can escape into.
Comment below if you try this cocktail, and let me know who you want to see next!
