The Gamer’s Bar: Cocktails and Mocktails for an Epic Game Night

This nostalgic love letter to video games from Geeky Chef blogger Reeder (The Official Westeros Cookbook) and Axe of the Blood God podcaster Oxford doubles as a playful Bartending 101. The authors break down the finer points of mixology, giving home bartenders a crash course on layering cocktails, for example, that comes in handy when making a Rainbow Road–themed take on a classic painkiller. Oregon Trail gets a nod in the form of a whiskey float, mushroom bourbon evokes The Last of Us, and a garnish of lemon peel is cut to resemble the Triforce for a Legend of Zelda–themed cocktail. While most libations lean sweet, modifications abound to accommodate various tastes and alcohol tolerances, and all recipes include a virgin option. Instructions for homemade blue curaçao (to honor Sonic the Hedgehog) and grenadine elevate the offerings. Full page photos evoke a retro arcade, and the authors infuse their recipe introductions with gaming lore and nerdy in-jokes (a drink they’ve punningly named Baldur’s Grape promises to be “better than rotting in the shadowcursed lands”). Though the myriad requisite ingredients amount to a potentially prohibitive shopping list, the breadth of recipes and references means this handy collection can sustain a lifetime of game nights. It’s the perfect gift for the mixology-curious gamer. (Mar.)