Well, this is fun. As I started to blog this recipe, I realized that I probably need an "Elvish" category. 🙂 I nested it under my Ethnic Foods category, LOL!
Anyway. A couple months ago, I started work on a recipe for as-legit-as-possible Miruvor. I'd seen recipes out there for cocktails called Miruvor, but nothing that seemed really canon. So...
Miruvor (or Miruvórë) is an elvish drink, from Tolkien's writings. "Miruvor" was mentioned in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, as "Cordial of Imladris". Made by the Rivendell elves, its purpose in the stories is to revive those who drink it... sort of an elvish energy drink.
"As soon as Frodo had swallowed a little of the warm and fragrant liquor he felt a new strength of heart, and the heavy drowsiness left his limbs. The others also revived and found fresh hope and vigor." - Fellowship of the Ring
Elrond gave it to Gandalf, who shared it with the Fellowship - in small doses - explaining it to be precious.
Miruvor was based, in-world, on Miruvórë - a drink created and imbibed by the Valar, in Valinor. Miruvórë was made from flowers grown in Yavanna's gardens, and has been referred to as "A kind of nectar" by Tolkien, and as a sweet mead by Galadriel. So, enough information to use and build on, but still fairly vague.
While my *serious* Miruvor is indeed a mead recipe, next week's "One Last Party" seemed like an ideal occasion to break out a bottle of Miruvor... but my brewing batch will not be ready for several more months. I decided to do a "quick" version: liqueur, rather than mead. So... Miruvor, rather than Miruvórë. As with the in-world beverages, my Miruvor will similarly be inspired by my upcoming Miruvórë 🙂
So, as I do not personally have access to flowers from Yavanna's gardens in Valinor - and because pretty much no information was ever created in terms of the actual FLAVOUR of said flowers, I had to get imaginative. In my mind, it would be a light floral flavour, almost fruity. I didn't picture it as anything heavy, like rose or lavender, for instance.
In running through my knowledge of edible flowers that were also readily accessible, and deciding whether any were suitable as what I was picturing, it hit me: ELDERFLOWERS. Not only is their flavour pretty much exactly what I was picturing, the name is perfect. Elder flowers... Eldar flowers!
Ok, yeah, Rivendell elves aren't technically "Eldar" elves, but Elrond WAS captured and raised by Maedhros and Maglor, who WERE Noldor, and therefore "Eldar", so ... Whatever, it's headcanon now. Elderflowers = elvish.
For this recipe, I decided to use elderflower syrup, as it's available year round and just a few clicks away on Amazon. You can use IKEA's Elderflower syrup for a budget version, but I find the D'Arbo White Elderflower Syrup to be vastly superior in taste. Plus, you know... it's SUPPOSED to be a precious drink, go ahead and spend the extra money to get the really good stuff!
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Miruvor Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 ml Elderflower syrup
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup water
- Peel of 1/2 lemon
- peel of 1 orange
- 1 vanilla bean split
- Pinch salt
- 2-3 cups GOOD vodka
Instructions
- In a large pot, combine Elderflower syrup, honey, water, citrus peels, vanilla bean, and salt, whisking until well combined. Bring JUST to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Stir about 2 cups of vodka into the cooled syrup mixture, and taste. Continue adding vodka, to taste, until desired flavour / alcohol level is reached.
- Strain through fine cheesecloth or a coffee filter, discarding peels. Funnel into clean wine or liqueur bottles.
- After bottling, you should let it age for about a week in a cool place before drinking it – IF you have that kind of patience! Aging results in a smoother, more mellow flavor.
Notes
Hi!
I came across this recipe looking for Miruvir recipes, and yours is so simple I need to try it! I just have one question before trying it: is it ok to leave it to age more than a week? Or the result will change?
Thanks!
Laura.
You can age it as long as you like, as long as it's a very clean container that you put it in, and you seal it well.
Hi! Allow me to preface my question with this disclaimer: very rarely do I cook so the lingo is a bit lost on me at times. That being said, when you call for "peel of 1/2 a lemon" and "peel of 1 orange", does that mean I use the peel right off the fruit or should I get dehydrated peel to avoid the pith?
Thanks!
Use a vegetable peeler to get just the rind, no pith!
My miruvor is still aging, but it has cloudy spots that are getting denser and starting to look completely unappetizing. What can i do? Did I do something wrong?
How long have you been aging it for? Was the bottle clean when you put the Miruvor in?
I love this recipe! It's so warm, and tastes like a floral honey. Listening to Lothlorien ambiance as I sip it makes me feel kind of like I'm in middle earth!