Yellow Brick Road: A 'Wicked' Cocktail With Elphaba And Glinda Floaters Recipe

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Calling all "Wicked" fans — if seeing the musical come to life on the big screen just isn't quite enough, then perhaps a Wicked cocktail will make your movie-watching experience a little more magical. Enter recipe developer Patterson Watkins' "Wicked" cocktail recipe, a yellow brick road-inspired beverage that comes with bright pink and green Glinda and Elphaba floaters to boot. There's no debate over good or evil here, just a deliciously fruity and sweet mango pisco cocktail with either a green melon and Malibu or watermelon and Malibu shot, depending on which "Wicked" character you resonate with the most.

Watkins is delighted by how fun this cocktail-shooter combo is, all the way down to the edible glitter for that extra bit of pizzazz. "The swirly, shimmery, sparkly, colorful shots allow guests to pick their favorite 'Wicked' character in a whimsical, 'choose your own adventure' kind of way," she says. And, in case you're worried that the mango pisco cocktail combined with the pink-green floaters might turn into sweetness overload, fear not. As Watkins explains, "The mango pisco sour (our yellow brick road) has that perfect fruity tartness that is nicely balanced by the sweeter, coconut rum-spiked floaters." Both easy and fun to make, this cocktail recipe is obviously ideal for "Wicked" fans everywhere, though you don't need to be even remotely familiar with the musical to enjoy the pisco sour-inspired fun.

You're essentially making three distinct drinks/shooters with this recipe, so you'll need a handful of ingredients to make the magic happen. The main cocktail is a mango pisco sour, so you'll need pisco, mango juice, lime juice, and egg whites. Watkins tells us that pisco ranges from sweet to dry, like a fortified wine, but with a bold and fruity profile, "think of it like a Peruvian brandy." When selecting a pisco, Watkins advises to look for bottles labeled quebranta, which is a type of grape, to give you the best result for this specific recipe. "This single grape origin pisco is the traditional choice for making sours — smooth, balanced with a nice tartness (sometimes a little peppery, which is cool too)." Puro, acholado, or mosto verde piscos will also work well. To garnish the mango pisco cocktails, you may want pineapple leaves, lime slices, and grapefruit slices on hand. 

As for that green Elphaba shooter, you'll need Midori (which is a type of green melon liqueur), Malibu coconut rum, and edible green shimmer dust (we'll touch more on how to source edible glitter down the line). And, for that pink Glinda shot, you'll need watermelon liqueur, Malibu coconut rum, and pink edible shimmer dust. 

To make the green shimmer shot, place the melon liqueur, coconut rum, and green shimmer dust in a shaker. (Do not use ice for the shots.)

Shake or stir the mixture and distribute between four shot glasses.

To make the pink shimmer shot, place watermelon liqueur, coconut rum, and pink shimmer dust in a shaker. (Do not use ice for the shots.)

Shake or stir the mixture and distribute between four shot glasses.

Work in batches to make the mango pisco sour (unless you have an extra-large shaker). Place the pisco, mango juice, lime juice, and egg whites in a shaker filled with ice.

Vigorously shake and divide the cocktail between rocks glasses.

Garnish the glasses with pineapple leaves, lime slices, and grapefruit slices.

Serve with the shimmer shots on the side for DIY floaters.

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Before we delve into exactly where you can find edible shimmer dust or edible glitter, it's important to stress that you can't simply use pink or green glitter that you find at the craft store and call it a day. The shimmer dust that Watkins uses in this recipe is food-grade and completely edible, so make sure that you, too, are sourcing actual edible glitter for your "Wicked" cocktails.

Now, as for where to find edible glitter or shimmer dust, there is no shortage of options, especially if you're an online shopper. "I was able to source my edible shimmer dust (glitter) on Amazon," she says. "There were oodles of options to choose from, just make sure to find the food-grade, food-safe varieties." And, if Amazon or another online retailer isn't an option, then a large liquor retailer like Binny's might have edible glitter available to purchase in-store. 

Also, keep in mind that a little edible glitter goes a long way. As Watkins explains, "Even if you are planning on serving more than this recipe serves (doubling or tripling this recipe), a little tub of the stuff will get you there," so don't feel like you need to buy a huge tub of edible glitter to bring these "Wicked" floaters to life.

If you've ever enjoyed a pisco sour before, then you may be well aware that it's the type of cocktail that calls for an egg white. When shaken, the egg white is responsible for that silky, thick, frothy foam that forms on top of the cocktail, and as long as you're using a pasteurized egg white, it's perfectly safe. As it turns out, the egg white in this mango pisco cocktail recipe also aids in flavor balance. "Adding egg whites is a way to balance the sourness of the cocktail with creamy smoothness," Watkins explains. "The mouthfeel is silky with this lovely, eye-appealing foam topper." But if you aren't too keen on the egg white (or have an allergy concern), Watkins notes that you can omit it.

For those who want to avoid egg whites but still want that foamy cocktail finish, Watkins recommends using aquafaba, AKA chickpea liquid. "This vegan alternative (made from chickpeas) creates that same silkiness without the eggy-ness," she explains. She also assures us that, egg white or no egg white, aquafaba or no aquafaba, this cocktail is going to be a crowd-pleaser regardless, taste delicious, and delight any "Wicked" fan all in one go. 

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