Mystic Libations: Critical Cocktails For The Thirsty Adventurer is so much more than just another recipe book waiting to sit on the shelf by your liquor selection! Mixologist Roy Hanzel joins forces with Brandon Kleyla (a.k.a. Trader Brandon) and The Nerd Circus‘ Todd Stashwick to bring gamers and beverage enthusiasts alike 100 different RPG-inspired drink recipes. Mystic Libations not only features amazing illustrations from several artists but also includes a well-thought-out narrative in the guise of a journal that ties it all together that can be used as source material for the included RPG assets at the end of the book.

Here at The Cardboard Cantina, we have long done immersive, themed game nights where we pair full menus with our game selections for the evening. When Mystic Libations appeared on Kickstarter back in January of 2021, we were immediately drawn to it due, in part, to our own interests in mixology. It wasn’t until we saw Shelby Denham‘s hand-drawn illustrations, however, that we knew we had made the right decision by taking part in the campaign. Denham’s art really stood out and fit the concept of presenting the project in the form of a faux journal in such a way that we couldn’t resist getting a copy for ourselves. Further art for the book was provided by the very talented group comprised of Zelda Devon, Julia Maddalina, Mike Schwalm, and Skipper Hoss. Thanks to Mystic Libations, we are not only provided with materials for our game nights but also further inspiration and recipes for our own creative refreshments.

The tome also contains elements of story and lore to draw you into the world that is the Bloodthorn (though it is said it resides in several at once). It all begins with a foreword by renowned author and Game Master Satine Phoenix and continues through the pages with lush character backgrounds, elegantly described settings, and adventurous tellings of the escapades that inspired the drinks that adorn the other pages within. This all continues until page 172, at which point the reader is presented with the crowning jewel in the form of a one-shot (pun intended?) adventure that pulls together all the previous ingredients and sets the stage for a party’s inauguration to the Bloodthorn and its patronage. There is also a new class to be taken on by the enterprising adventurer; the Arcane Mixter and the College of Arcane Mixology. Grab your dice and character sheet, or as we do pull up D&D Beyond on your tablet, and get ready to take in all this setting has to cast before you.

Playing with underage gamers or perhaps others in the group who don’t drink? Are you taking on the role of the designated driver as well as the cleric? Don’t worry, Mystic Libations still has you covered with its great selection of mocktails too! As with the rest of the recipes in the book, the mocktails are stunning to see at the table and packed full of flavor. Most of these non-alcoholic drinks are made with common ingredients that will be easy to find when putting together your game night plans.

The Cardboard Cantina keeps a fairly well-stocked inventory for our bar and we are no strangers to making our own syrups and infusions. even though the book does a great job of explaining these methods early on in its pages This being said, as a head’s up in this review, some of the harder-to-find and uncommon spirits, used somewhat consistently throughout Mystic Libations, were not available and could not be ordered by even our most diversely-stocked local liquor stores. For some of the beverages we were able to find suitable substitutions when trying out these recipes, but not for all. This is a shame, as it means that several tasty-sounding cocktails from this publication were not able to be sampled. We don’t entirely hold this against the mixologist or creators of this project, however, as it also has to do with our location and its lack of resources. All of the drinks we did make were delicious and exciting. Mystic Libations does an excellent job of catering to various levels of aspiring mixologists with each set of instructions ranked for difficulty and thus making it easier to find something you can both forge and enjoy. Grab a glass, grab some friends, and grab a frosty Owlbeer, because Mystic Libations is ready for both your bar and your game table!

All photos for this article were taken and edited by Krista.