Cocktail & Other Recipes By Spirit Vodka Cocktails

Death Star

By
Alex Frane
A man with dark hair and beard with a long mustache and glasses leans against a gray wall. He is holding a cocktail and wearing a blue shirt with white dots.
Alex Frane
Alex Frane is a freelance writer who has been writing about food, drinks and local culture since 2013, with a primary focus on spirits, cocktails, and bartending. He has interviewed dozens of bartenders from across the country, and visited some of the country’s top cocktail destinations.
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Updated 02/23/22
A Collins glass with a metal straw rests on a ringed mat. The drink within has a few ice cubes and is dark brown.
Tim Nusog

Life may be all sunshine and Disney magic in Orlando, but at Greek restaurant Taverna Opa, bartender Alex Attart likes to take a walk on the dark side of life. Here, his homage to the imperial super weapon in the Star Wars franchise skews the color of Darth Vader’s cape with good use of Jägermeister digestif and Coca-Cola. He also makes a nifty little ice orb replica of the Death Star for extra empirical effect, but if you’re not the sort of person who has Star Wars molds in your freezer, regular cubes will do just fine.

The Death Star (in this context, not that of the movies) is essentially a twist on a Long Island Iced Tea, with three different liquors plus triple sec, sour mix and Coca-Cola. Of course, like with all modern cocktails, it’s better to create your own sour mix rather than rely on the pre-packaged kind. The best way to do so is to make a quick simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar, dissolved to combine), then add lemon and/or lime juice to taste. It should be a good balance of sweet and tart.

For the base spirits, Jägermeister is the only one that can’t be substituted with a different brand, as its botanicals are unique. Swapping it for another amaro will lead to a different overall flavor profile. However, though Attart uses Gentleman Jack Tennessee whiskey, another Tennesse whiskey can stand in its place. Similarly, while he uses Grey Goose, you won’t throw the balance off in the Death Star if you use a different vodka brand. Whichever brands you use, the drink will be fully operational.

As for the soda that gives it some of its Sith Lord coloring, that is one item that drinkers will never agree on. Some might say that anything similar to Coca-Cola will work, others will say it needs to be that brand and no other, and still others will say that another kind of cola would work even better.

Keep in mind that this drink has a solid four ounces of liquor, though it might not taste it with the sour mix and cola. You’ll likely want to stick to one drink, or risk falling to the power of the Dark Side of the Force.

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce Jägermeister digestif
  • 1 ounce Gentleman Jack Tennessee whiskey
  • 1 ounce Grey Goose vodka
  • 1 ounce triple sec
  • 2 ounces sour mix
  • 2 ounces Coca-Cola
  • Garnish: straw

Steps

  1. Add the Jägermeister, Tennessee whiskey, vodka, triple sec, sour mix and Coca-Cola in a Collins glass over ice and stir.

  2. Garnish with a straw.