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Nectar of the Gods: From Hera's Hurricane to the Appletini of Discord, 75 Mythical Cocktails to Drink Like a Deity
Sip sweet libations worthy of the Gods with these Greek myth–inspired concoctions based on all your favorite Gods and Goddesses.
Care for Hestia’s Old Fashioned? Want to fall in love with Eros on the Beach? How about the Bacchic Muddled Maenad sangria, topped with a blood orange; or maybe a Labooze of Heracles—made with plenty of strong whiskey?
In Nectar of the Gods , you can sip Greek mythology-themed drinks while you enjoy your favorite ancient tales (or mythological retellings) with this collection of delicious and fun cocktails written by Liv Albert, host of the popular podcast Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby!. Now you can discover new creations along with all your favorites and drink like the God or Goddess you know you are.
Care for Hestia’s Old Fashioned? Want to fall in love with Eros on the Beach? How about the Bacchic Muddled Maenad sangria, topped with a blood orange; or maybe a Labooze of Heracles—made with plenty of strong whiskey?
In Nectar of the Gods , you can sip Greek mythology-themed drinks while you enjoy your favorite ancient tales (or mythological retellings) with this collection of delicious and fun cocktails written by Liv Albert, host of the popular podcast Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby!. Now you can discover new creations along with all your favorites and drink like the God or Goddess you know you are.
160 pages, Hardcover
Published April 12, 2022
7 people are currently reading
789 people want to read
About the author
Liv Albert
5 books245 followersLiv Albert is the host, creator, writer, editor, and producer of Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby! (read: the only person involved)! Liv is a giant nerd for a great many things, though most notably, Greek & Roman mythology.
Liv has a degree in English Literature & Classics (Classical Civilizations) from Concordia University in Montreal where she studied ancient Greece and Rome broadly. She is constantly researching new details and versions of Greek mythological stories to tell in the podcast, and especially loves speaking with experts on various ancient world subjects (always for the podcast!). Liv is devoted to the world of Greek and Roman mythology, even if it is full of bloodshed and horrible men.
She has a single mythological hill on which she will die: Medusa was a survivor and didn’t harm anyone.
Liv has a degree in English Literature & Classics (Classical Civilizations) from Concordia University in Montreal where she studied ancient Greece and Rome broadly. She is constantly researching new details and versions of Greek mythological stories to tell in the podcast, and especially loves speaking with experts on various ancient world subjects (always for the podcast!). Liv is devoted to the world of Greek and Roman mythology, even if it is full of bloodshed and horrible men.
She has a single mythological hill on which she will die: Medusa was a survivor and didn’t harm anyone.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 21, 2024
Hello. Feel like an Apollo spritz?
How about a bright eyed Athena?
Maybe a Hera’s hurricane is more your thing.
Or maybe you crave a Pandora’s jar.
Welcome to the delightful Nectar of the gods, a book that combines Greek mythology and wine recipes.
Dionysus in Greek Mythology is the God of wine and boy oh boy is this book a celebration of him!
It is also a love letter to both Greek mythology and wine in general. If this book does not make you crave some delicious wine I don’t know what will.
Personally, I might choose to have the flight of Icarus.
OK OK I’m not gonna reveal any more of the delicious wines, all named after Gods and Goddesses and Deities .
Each particular wine has its own name with its own recipe, and each one is named after a character from Greek mythology.
Honestly? I didn’t think I was going to like it because I can’t cook or bake and likewise my wine making skills are not exactly the stuff that dreams are made of unless of course one is looking for a nightmare.
However , I became enraptured. The fact is I chose to give this a five because if this book could snare someone like myself who really isn’t much of a wine drinker then I can’t imagine how delirious with mythological joy people who are passionate about wine would be.
That’s not to say, I don’t occasionally indulge in a delicious glass of wine! (Just not prepared by me).
That is, perhaps why I am going to keep my copy of this book close as there are many wines that made my mouth water and who knows perhaps I will try some of them!
I must not forget the exquisite illustrations in the book that are just gorgeous to feast one’s eyes on.
The illustrations are as delicious as these wines look.
What a lovely tribute to Greek Mythology , and to wine and to Greece.
Now I have to admit this book makes me want to make some wine! There is simply no way of reading this, without longing for some of these delightful and frothy concoctions.
You might also long to be in Greece in a blue and white villa with an open air courtyard leading of course, to the sparkling Azure blue sea.
Of course I’m not in Greece .
I’m in the United States and I’ve never even been to Greece. I have however been a Greek Mythology fanatic since I was old enough to walk.
This is a quick and breezy and short read that I would recommend to anyone.
Each drink has its own unique character, sort of like the colorful gods and goddesses of mythological times.
This is a winning concept to me and a great idea for a book.
Unfortunately, I can’t get my thoughts away from wine now. Nor from Greece. Perhaps Eros used one of his arrows on me causing me to have the insane urge to book a ticket to Greece right now!
If course I do not have the ability to do that right now, but if I ever do, perhaps I will order ALL of the drinks listed in this delightful book.
How about a bright eyed Athena?
Maybe a Hera’s hurricane is more your thing.
Or maybe you crave a Pandora’s jar.
Welcome to the delightful Nectar of the gods, a book that combines Greek mythology and wine recipes.
Dionysus in Greek Mythology is the God of wine and boy oh boy is this book a celebration of him!
It is also a love letter to both Greek mythology and wine in general. If this book does not make you crave some delicious wine I don’t know what will.
Personally, I might choose to have the flight of Icarus.
OK OK I’m not gonna reveal any more of the delicious wines, all named after Gods and Goddesses and Deities .
Each particular wine has its own name with its own recipe, and each one is named after a character from Greek mythology.
Honestly? I didn’t think I was going to like it because I can’t cook or bake and likewise my wine making skills are not exactly the stuff that dreams are made of unless of course one is looking for a nightmare.
However , I became enraptured. The fact is I chose to give this a five because if this book could snare someone like myself who really isn’t much of a wine drinker then I can’t imagine how delirious with mythological joy people who are passionate about wine would be.
That’s not to say, I don’t occasionally indulge in a delicious glass of wine! (Just not prepared by me).
That is, perhaps why I am going to keep my copy of this book close as there are many wines that made my mouth water and who knows perhaps I will try some of them!
I must not forget the exquisite illustrations in the book that are just gorgeous to feast one’s eyes on.
The illustrations are as delicious as these wines look.
What a lovely tribute to Greek Mythology , and to wine and to Greece.
Now I have to admit this book makes me want to make some wine! There is simply no way of reading this, without longing for some of these delightful and frothy concoctions.
You might also long to be in Greece in a blue and white villa with an open air courtyard leading of course, to the sparkling Azure blue sea.
Of course I’m not in Greece .
I’m in the United States and I’ve never even been to Greece. I have however been a Greek Mythology fanatic since I was old enough to walk.
This is a quick and breezy and short read that I would recommend to anyone.
Each drink has its own unique character, sort of like the colorful gods and goddesses of mythological times.
This is a winning concept to me and a great idea for a book.
Unfortunately, I can’t get my thoughts away from wine now. Nor from Greece. Perhaps Eros used one of his arrows on me causing me to have the insane urge to book a ticket to Greece right now!
If course I do not have the ability to do that right now, but if I ever do, perhaps I will order ALL of the drinks listed in this delightful book.
January 12, 2022
3.5/5 stars
Nectar of the Gods is a charming and light-hearted cookbook that pairs short descriptions of stories and characters from greco roman mythology with unique craft cocktail recipes. It is nearly the exact combination of Stephen Fry's Mythos (or, maybe more aptly, Rick Riordan's Greek Gods) and Apotheke NYC's cocktail book.
I made a few of the recipes with my mom and found that they range from classic and delicious to... a bit odd. There were a few misses (one in particular that stood out combined red wine with lemon and lime juice and moonshine). There were, however, also quite a few drinks that will be new staples in our house! I loved The Cytherean Cocktail, The Earthshaker and Pandora's Jar.
Overall, I found some of the shorts about the characters and stories to be lacking. The writers' musings on Medusa particularly didn't sit well with me; they lacked nuance. Considering the beautiful illustrations, I still might pick myself up a copy to have on my cookbook shelf.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Edelweiss for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Nectar of the Gods is a charming and light-hearted cookbook that pairs short descriptions of stories and characters from greco roman mythology with unique craft cocktail recipes. It is nearly the exact combination of Stephen Fry's Mythos (or, maybe more aptly, Rick Riordan's Greek Gods) and Apotheke NYC's cocktail book.
I made a few of the recipes with my mom and found that they range from classic and delicious to... a bit odd. There were a few misses (one in particular that stood out combined red wine with lemon and lime juice and moonshine). There were, however, also quite a few drinks that will be new staples in our house! I loved The Cytherean Cocktail, The Earthshaker and Pandora's Jar.
Overall, I found some of the shorts about the characters and stories to be lacking. The writers' musings on Medusa particularly didn't sit well with me; they lacked nuance. Considering the beautiful illustrations, I still might pick myself up a copy to have on my cookbook shelf.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Edelweiss for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 7, 2022
Thanks Edelweiss and the publishers for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review!
This definitely caught my eye when I saw it somewhere on the interwebs. I love Greek mythology and I love cocktails. I wish it had come out before Christmas because I wanted to gift this to a friend for Christmas.
Just flipped through this (yes, the formatting of the arc on the Kindle app for IOS was absolutely terrible) and I was in awe of how pretty the artwork is! Like, seriously, wow. I oohed and aahed. Kept showing my boyfriend the artwork too.
The book weaves in and quickly explains the myths / people surrounding each themed cocktail, so it would be an easy gift for an adult who may like mythology but doesn’t know too much about it.
I will say that using Ancient Greek terminology for items/glasses and continuously having to put things like shaker, martini glass, cocktail glass, etc, in parentheses to explain what was meant got a little annoying / felt like it was just overdoing it at that point. Would have been better to go without in my opinion.
I’d definitely like to see the print book to get the full effect but I would want this book. I may not ever make anything from it (that would, unfortunately, require me to actually BUY liquor, which never happens) but I loved the artwork so I’m sure the finished book will be gorgeous.
This definitely caught my eye when I saw it somewhere on the interwebs. I love Greek mythology and I love cocktails. I wish it had come out before Christmas because I wanted to gift this to a friend for Christmas.
Just flipped through this (yes, the formatting of the arc on the Kindle app for IOS was absolutely terrible) and I was in awe of how pretty the artwork is! Like, seriously, wow. I oohed and aahed. Kept showing my boyfriend the artwork too.
The book weaves in and quickly explains the myths / people surrounding each themed cocktail, so it would be an easy gift for an adult who may like mythology but doesn’t know too much about it.
I will say that using Ancient Greek terminology for items/glasses and continuously having to put things like shaker, martini glass, cocktail glass, etc, in parentheses to explain what was meant got a little annoying / felt like it was just overdoing it at that point. Would have been better to go without in my opinion.
I’d definitely like to see the print book to get the full effect but I would want this book. I may not ever make anything from it (that would, unfortunately, require me to actually BUY liquor, which never happens) but I loved the artwork so I’m sure the finished book will be gorgeous.
April 26, 2022
Charming, Delightful, and Potent!
While I know that I will not mix up ALL of the concoctions published in this delightful volume (many are just too potent for my small frame), the lore surrounding these divine--and sometimes wicked--libations is always charming (as well as educational on the sly).
While I know that I will not mix up ALL of the concoctions published in this delightful volume (many are just too potent for my small frame), the lore surrounding these divine--and sometimes wicked--libations is always charming (as well as educational on the sly).
February 6, 2022
I grew up with a love of Greek mythology, so I was thrilled to see that it seemed to be quite popular on NetGalley. So after I finished off some Greek mythology inspired romances, I moved on to a similarly inspired cocktail book. Similar to most cocktail books, the first section covered mixology basics, including recipes for syrups, and the remaining sections covered seventy-five recipes in various categories.
The overview of mixology basics started with descriptions of various historical Greek drinking vessels and then continued with an alphabetical list of unusual spirits that should have been organized into a neat table of name, description, and substitution. The section finished with basic recipes for the building blocks of the cocktails that followed. The syrup recipes were fairly standard 1:1 ratio of water to sweetener, except stirring rather than heating. I’ve made grenadine before but am really interested in making the hibiscus grenadine and using it in at least a Shirley Temple.
Each of the recipe sections was dedicated to a different type of Greek myth: the Olympians, the Immortals, the Heroes, etc. The recipes each started with a brief overview of the god, goddess, or myth that the recipe referenced, then proceeded with the ingredient list, and finished with the recipe steps. The recipe steps were spiced with mythological references that made them much more entertaining to read. Some of the recipes were riffs on classic cocktails, such as the New York Sour, the Sazerac, and the Sea Breeze. The remainder were original creations, usually leaning heavy on classic Greek flavors such honey, lavender, and thyme. Most of the cocktails relied on common liquors, with some bringing back midori and blue curaçao. However, there were the occasional recipes that had something more exotic like kümmel, becherovka, or very specific amari.
The color illustrations that accompanied the recipes were vibrant and whimsical. Although I do wish that there had been photographs of the cocktails themselves.
Overall, I was educated and amused by this cocktail book. The oddball directions of how to mix and serve the cocktails got tedious after awhile, but I think that was only because I read the book from cover to cover. The feminist recasting of some of the myths was a curious angle, especially with respect to heroes who assaulted nymphs, Amazonians, princesses, and their ilk. I liked enough of the recipes that I would consider adding it to my collection or gifting it to friends.
I received this book as a digital advance reader copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. I’ve yet to prepare any recipes from this book, but will update my review when I do.
The overview of mixology basics started with descriptions of various historical Greek drinking vessels and then continued with an alphabetical list of unusual spirits that should have been organized into a neat table of name, description, and substitution. The section finished with basic recipes for the building blocks of the cocktails that followed. The syrup recipes were fairly standard 1:1 ratio of water to sweetener, except stirring rather than heating. I’ve made grenadine before but am really interested in making the hibiscus grenadine and using it in at least a Shirley Temple.
Each of the recipe sections was dedicated to a different type of Greek myth: the Olympians, the Immortals, the Heroes, etc. The recipes each started with a brief overview of the god, goddess, or myth that the recipe referenced, then proceeded with the ingredient list, and finished with the recipe steps. The recipe steps were spiced with mythological references that made them much more entertaining to read. Some of the recipes were riffs on classic cocktails, such as the New York Sour, the Sazerac, and the Sea Breeze. The remainder were original creations, usually leaning heavy on classic Greek flavors such honey, lavender, and thyme. Most of the cocktails relied on common liquors, with some bringing back midori and blue curaçao. However, there were the occasional recipes that had something more exotic like kümmel, becherovka, or very specific amari.
The color illustrations that accompanied the recipes were vibrant and whimsical. Although I do wish that there had been photographs of the cocktails themselves.
Overall, I was educated and amused by this cocktail book. The oddball directions of how to mix and serve the cocktails got tedious after awhile, but I think that was only because I read the book from cover to cover. The feminist recasting of some of the myths was a curious angle, especially with respect to heroes who assaulted nymphs, Amazonians, princesses, and their ilk. I liked enough of the recipes that I would consider adding it to my collection or gifting it to friends.
I received this book as a digital advance reader copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. I’ve yet to prepare any recipes from this book, but will update my review when I do.
June 17, 2022
I really want to try out some of these divine drinks 🤣🤣 well done, Liv!!
January 16, 2022
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is an interesting cocktail book!
The book has a variety of cocktails from standard and well known drinks to creative new flavors I haven't tried before. The drinks all have Greek myth themed names and some description of the deity/creature/person along with the ingredients and the instructions on making the drink. The instructions usually include some kind of incantation or prayer along with how to mix the spirits. The drawings in the book are absolutely beautiful! There are sketches of some of the drinks in fantastical glasses that fit the theme of the drink. However I do wish there were pictures of the finished drink as well to see what they should look like in the real world.
A fun an interesting find!
This is an interesting cocktail book!
The book has a variety of cocktails from standard and well known drinks to creative new flavors I haven't tried before. The drinks all have Greek myth themed names and some description of the deity/creature/person along with the ingredients and the instructions on making the drink. The instructions usually include some kind of incantation or prayer along with how to mix the spirits. The drawings in the book are absolutely beautiful! There are sketches of some of the drinks in fantastical glasses that fit the theme of the drink. However I do wish there were pictures of the finished drink as well to see what they should look like in the real world.
A fun an interesting find!
October 13, 2022
Even for this teatotaler this was fun and informative. After introductory chapters describing Greek drinking customs and equipment and making it clear that wine rather than spirits were consumed back then we get sections describing a huge variety of alcoholic and added ingredients (the ave person could likely stock only enough for a few of these mixed drinks) used to make the drinks dedicated to the gods, goddesses, demigods, heroes, mythical creatures and even a few real Greeks.
I enjoyed the brief description, history and significance of each “honoree”- lots of interesting tidbits of information. The handsomely packaged book is filled with colorful illustrations evoking the spirit of each figure complete with associated symbols.
I enjoyed the brief description, history and significance of each “honoree”- lots of interesting tidbits of information. The handsomely packaged book is filled with colorful illustrations evoking the spirit of each figure complete with associated symbols.
January 2, 2023
Really neat book with a variety of cocktail recipes, that have a lot of thought put into them based on the deity they are based on. Very entertaining to read, some yummy recipes, especially the Bright-Eyed Athena (I'm a gin girl). I bought it on whim at my local bookstore (which has a wine bar, it's called Story on the Square and is in McDonough, GA--check it out), because I love unique cocktails and Greek mythology. Also has a great guide in the beginning about different hardware and ingredients to invest in for a home bar, which I really appreciated.
April 12, 2022
Delicious and intoxicating drinks for any occasion! This book was so cool to read and you don't just learn how to make different drinks you also get some quick history on Greek mythology.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 17, 2022
As always, Liv has this charming way of telling stories (one of the reasons why her podcast is so popular). I don’t even drink but I couldn’t help myself with this book, basically reading the whole thing in one sitting. So much fun!
Want to read
January 7, 2022Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
January 29, 2022
Talk about a fun cocktail cookbook. This would be amazing for a theme party. The ingredients aren’t all easy to find but still awesome.
December 29, 2023
This was a fun random find from the remainder table of my local book store. Quick blurbs about Greek gods, pretty solid drink recipes, and very cute illustration.
October 16, 2024
I've read it to gain knowledge, I don't drink alcohol. So I wouldn't know what it taste like, but it's fabulous to read and to see the beautiful art
December 22, 2025
Very well done can't wait to make these.
June 12, 2025
While fondly reminding me of Amy Pistone's How to Drink Like a Hero (8 Epic Cocktail Recipes) article, Liv's knowledge of Greek myths and clever naming, mixed with Sara Richard's jaw dropping art, and Thea Engst's know how of creating drinks comes together in a smashing hit.
(I'm a teetotaler but the art / myth is delightful!)
(I'm a teetotaler but the art / myth is delightful!)
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews