Endor

Inspired by the forest moon of Endor, this gin-forward cocktail blends woodsy botanicals, warm spices, maple, and bright citrus to evoke the lush Ewok forest where rebellion and destiny collide. (Recipe Below)

For Endor, we wanted something with forest botanicals, warm, and a touch of sweetness as the home of the furry, fighting Ewoks. This is a Terroir Gin- forward cocktail we went with St. George's which is woodsy and infused with Douglas fir and other forest floor botanicals that keep it crisp, citrusy and fresh. Adding Cinnamon, Ginger, and Maple Syrup give the cocktail a warm, rich bark flavor that really makes you feel like you're in the depths of a red wood forest. The lemon juice and the rhubarb bitters bring back some of the bright, vegetal flavors in the gin and it is served in a rocks glass with a chunky piece of Cinnamon bark for the look and feel of the thick Endor forest. Unfortunately for Luke, the forest isn't thick enough to obscure him from Darth Vader (James Earl Jones (voice), Sebastian Shaw (unmasked Anakin) and David Prowse (physical actor)). Darth Vader is there looking for his son, and he brings with him an Empire battalion to fight against the rebels.

3 oz (90mL) Terroir Gin

.75 oz (45mL) Lemon Juice

.5 oz (15mL) Spicy Ginger Syrup

.5 oz (15mL) Maple Syrup

.25 oz (7.5mL) Cinnamon Syrup

3 dashes Rhubarb Bitters

Dropper Saline

Cinnamon Bark Stick

Smoke a highball glass with a cinnamon bark stick. In a shaker, combine 3 oz of Terroir Gin, .75 oz Lemon Juice, .25 oz Cinnamon Syrup, .5 oz Ginger Syrup, .5 oz Maple Syrup, 3 dashes of Rhubarb Bitters, and 1 dropper of Saline. Add Ice, and shake until cold. Double Strain into the chilled rocks glass with a sphere, Garnish grated cinnamon bark then tuck it in.

Spicy Ginger Syrup

.25 lb (113.4 g) Fresh Ginger

2 oz (60mL) Water

.5 cup (100 g) Cane Sugar

Blender Method

In a blender jar, combine Ginger and Water. Pulse until juice can be extracted.

Strain out the solids through cheese cloth.

Juicer Method

Juice ginger, add 2 oz of water to the juice.

Combine in a small saucepan ginger juice and sugar.

Heat over medium low heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. When small bubbles start to form, remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Pour into a syrup bottle. Store in a cool, dark place.

Cinnamon Syrup

4-5 Cinnamon Sticks

6 oz (180mL/187.5 g) Water

.5 cup (100 g) Cane Sugar

In a small saucepan, combine Cinnamon Sticks and Water. Heat on medium low heat until boiling. Cover and reduce to low and allow to simmer for 30-60 minutes. Remove Cinnamon Sticks and add sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Pour into a syrup bottle. Store in a cool, dark place.

St. George's Terroir Gin

90 proof/45% ABV
St. George Spirits, Inc.
Intensely flavored gin of the forest floor. To achieve this flavor, a neutral spirit is made from wheat, rye or barley, then a unique distilling process to infuse flavor from a variety of herbs and spices including foraged Douglas Fir tips from a Mendocino County forest (California).
Rhubarb Bitters

9 proof/4.5% ABV
Fee Brothers
Made with natural and artificial flavors, these Rhubarb bitters bring a lot of lingering flavor to the front of the palate. A light vegetal flavor with hints of fennel and a berry sweet scent. These bitters have almost no color or alcohol content so several dashes will not have any effect on the cocktail color bite or bitterness, which could be surprising for rhubarb.
Lemon Juice

5-6% acidity
Less acidic than lime juice, lemon juice will add enough acidity to brighten flavors without overpowering when balanced with sweetness. Usually our preference when needing acid to emulsify with egg white, aquafaba or cream.
Ginger Syrup

Ginger add spiciness with a floral undertone. The sweetness and the spiciness helps bring flavor to the front of the tongue and carry to the middle-upper palate. A fresh ginger syrup reaps a lot of reward in a cocktail.
Maple Syrup

A natural sweetener made from tree sap. Maple Syrup will bring out wood and straw notes in a spirit while adding sweetness stronger than simple syrup.
Cinnamon Syrup

Cinnamon is a common spice around the world known for bringing out flavors while contributing an earthy and warming spice flavor. A cinnamon syrup is one of the easiest ways to deliver cinnamon flavor to a beverage for ease of mixing and balance of sweetness.
Salt

Salt is a great flavor changer. It can balance sweetness and bitterness, smoothing out a cocktail. It can also enhance citrus flavor and acidity without the need for more acid. It is most commonly used in rimming cocktail glasses, but a sprinkle in the cocktail shaker can really impact a cocktail. Make it into a saline solution to enhance stirred cocktails.

Against All Odds: Celebrating Return of the Jedi with Two Cocktails from Endor to “It’s a Trap!”

Set one year after Han and Leia declare their love, Return of the Jedi follows a wildly improbable rescue from Jabba the Hutt and a high-risk plan—mercifully excluding C-3PO’s calculations—to save the galaxy. The story culminates on Endor, where Luke confronts Darth Vader while the Rebels battle Imperial forces on the forest moon and in space above. Inspired by the Ewok homeland, the “Endor” cocktail blends woodsy gin, warm spices, and maple to evoke the depth of the forest and the brewing conflict. The ambush revealed by Admiral Ackbar’s iconic “It’s a Trap!” becomes a deceptively strong, well-balanced cocktail that hides its power behind bright, tropical flavors. With a calculated success rate of just 31%, the Battle of Endor stands as a triumph of heart, hope, and celebration—perfectly paired with two victory-worthy drinks.