Pokemon Go Cocktails Are a Thing

It's been just a little more than a week since Pokémon Go was unleashed on the world.

The app, which turns your neighborhood into a virtual-reality playing field filled with fantastic creatures, has taken over Miami.

#gottacatchemall !!!!! This #pokemon are #zuukingitup @pokemon @pokemongofollow , #thanks @samaguilar1 for sharing your #catch

A photo posted by zuuk mediterranean kitchen (@zuukkitchen) on Jul 14, 2016 at 2:05pm PDT

The game has spawned several bar crawls, and restaurants such as Zuuk Mediterranean Kitchen, Burrito San, and MC Kitchen have been tagged as PokéStops. So how does one drink in all of this Pokémon excitement?

With Pokémon shots and cocktails, of course.

Sebastian Dominguez has invented a host of cocktails inspired by the creatures and teams of the game. The South Florida-based chef and beverage consultant most recently created specialty cocktails for Ghostbusters and Star Trek Beyond. He tells New Times that the next natural progression was to make Pokémon drinks. "I have quite a few bartender friends who wanted to incorporate some Poké-cocktails into their menus, so I had some fun experimenting." 

Though Dominguez isn't sure yet which bars and restaurants will serve the libations, he did say to look out for the hashtag #PokeGoShots, which bars will use to promote the drinks.

In the meantime, Dominguez shared the recipes so you can enjoy them at home this weekend.  

There are 11 shot recipes — each named for a Pokémon creature. Like the characters, some of the recipes evolve into other drinks. Take, for example, the Pidgey, a blend of tequila and Licor 43. Add some grenadine and you've got a Pidgeotto. Up the ante with some bitters and you've made yourself a Pidgeot. Says Dominguez: "Once you catch a monster and you feed it candy, it evolves. I wanted to evolve the shots to replicate the game."
In addition to the shots, there are three cocktails, each named for the Pokémon teams: Valor, Instinct, and Mystic.

So before you and your friends head out to catch creatures this weekend, make a batch or two of these cocktails. You may not catch Pikachu, but at least you can drink him.

Pikachu

• 1 oz. Sobieski Cytron vodka
  
• 1 oz. lemon juice
  
• 1 oz. triple sec
  
• Splash Arizona Energy and passionfruit juice
  
• Pop rocks rim

Charmander

• 1 oz. apple juice
  
• 1 oz. Black Velvet Cinnamon Rush
  
• 151 rum float
  

Light the rum floater and shoot.

Evolution to Charizard

• 1 part Jim Beam Apple
  
• 1 part Black Velvet Cinnamon Rush
  
• 151 rum float 
  

Light the rum floater and shoot.

Arbok

• 1 oz. Crown Royal Regal Apple
  
• 1 oz. crème de cassis

Kakuna