“Drinking Up Daisies” Cocktails

It must be stressful to live in a town like Carsely in the Cotswolds, where there seems to be murder around every corner. I wouldn't judge Agatha Raisin one bit for needing to unwind every now and then with a nice cocktail or two.

So, relax with a variety of delicious cocktails for this week's Pick Your Poison—where we create a cocktail inspired by a recently published mystery, thriller, or crime novel—“Drinking Up Daisies,” an ice-cold sour made with your spirit of choice, inspired by M.C. Beaton's 27th Agatha Raisin Mystery, Pushing Up Daisies!

Pushing Up Daisies by M.C. Beaton
Pushing Up Daisies by M.C. Beaton

M.C. Beaton's Pushing Up Daisies is book #27 in the Agatha Raisin series (Available September 20, 2016).

When Agatha Raisin left behind her PR business in London, she fulfilled her dream of settling in the cozy British Cotswolds where she began a successful private detective agency. Unfortunately, the village she lives in is about to get a little less cozy. Lord Bellington, a wealthy land developer, wants to turn the community garden into a housing estate. When Agatha and her friend Sir Charles Fraith attempt to convince Lord Bellington to abandon his plans he scoffs: “Do you think I give a damn about those pesky villagers?” So when Agatha finds his obituary in the newspaper two weeks later, it’s no surprise that some in town are feeling celebratory.

The villagers are relieved to learn that Bellington’s son and heir, Damian, has no interest in continuing his father’s development plans. But the police are definitely interested in him—as suspect number one. His father’s death, it seems, was no accident. But when Damian hires Agatha to find the real killer, she finds no shortage of suspects. The good news is that a handsome retired detective named Gerald has recently moved to town. Too bad he was seen kissing another newcomer. But when she is also found murdered, Gerald is eager to help Agatha with the case. Agatha, Gerald, and her team of detectives must untangle a web of contempt in order to uncover a killer’s identity.

Read Kristen Houghton's review of Pushing Up Daisies!
 

PICK YOUR POISON

“Drinking Up Daisies”

Daisy cocktails are basically ice-cold sours that can be made with any base liquor. I tend to prefer gin and whiskey in mine, but the same can be said with just about any drink I consume…

Ingredients:

– 2 oz. gin (though any liquor will work)
– 1 oz. lemon juice
– 1 teaspoon grenadine
– 1/2 teaspoon simple syrup
– 4 oz. seltzer

How to make the cocktail:

  1. Pour all ingredients (except seltzer) into a mixing tin. 
  2. Add ice and shake well.
  3. Add seltzer to mixing tin and stir gently (do not shake again).
  4. Fill a julep cup with cracked ice and strain cocktail into it.
  5. Garnish with various berries and a mint leaf (optional).

You don't necessarily need to serve this cocktail in a julep cup, but if you want to channel your inner Agatha Raisin, you wouldn't be caught dead without it—although I'm sure someone in the town will… So drink up, and don't forget to order a copy of Pushing Up Daisies by M.C. Beaton!

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To learn more or order a copy, visit:

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M. C. BEATON, who was the British guest of honor at Bouchercon 2006, has been hailed as the “Queen of Crime” (The Globe and Mail). In addition to her New York Times and USA Today bestselling Agatha Raisin novels, Beaton is the author of the Hamish Macbeth series and several Edwardian mysteries. Born in Scotland, she currently divides her time between the English Cotswolds and Paris.