Mana Potions | Various

When it absolutely, positively, has to explode in a ball of fire and blood, then a mana potion is what your party wizard is going to reach for. But spells and magicka are so prevalent in video games that it’s practically impossible to distill it down into a single IRL recipe.

So I went ahead and made four, each matching a different classic gaming title.

Read more: Health Potions 4 Ways

It’s time to stop spamming /oom and start bringing the pain. These are the recipes that every magical alchemist with a taste for alcohol should know:

1. Skyrim (Restore Magicka)

You’ll need:

• 1 part tequila blanco
• 1 part blue curacao
• 2 dashes simple syrup
• 3 fresh mint leaves

Method

1. Add the tequila, curacao and mint leaves to a mixing glass.
2. Muddle the mint leaves thoroughly.
3. Add ice and stir thoroughly for 10 seconds.
4. Strain into shot glass and serve.

The ingredients for potions from Skyrim are diverse, especially for common uses such as restoring magicka. In fact, there are 17 separate ingredients alone that can help get a mage back into the fight—any four of which, when mixed correctly, would create some form of Restore Magicka potion.

That makes it both easy and hard to replicate in real life. With so many flavour combinations, what do you go for? In this case, I decided that my four ingredients would be the closest real life equivalents of dwarven oil (tequila), ectoplasm (blue curacao), moon sugar (simple syrup) and frost salts (fresh mint).

The result is a minty fresh swallow for the mage that needs his magical back-up now. If you’re a fan of margaritas, but not of lime juice, this makes an excellent alternative.

2. The Witcher (Tawny Owl)

You’ll need:

• 1 part vodka
• 1 part grenadine
• 1 part blue curacao
• Red Bull

Method

1. Combine all ingredients except the Red Bull in a shaker half-filled with ice.
2. Add Red Bull to taste.
3. Strain into your potion vessel and serve.

Contrary to popular belief, not all mana potions have to be blue—nor do they have to be directly related to restoring ‘mana’. In the case of the Witcher, our exceedingly handsome and excessively violent protagonist Geralt instead uses stamina to cast Witcher Signs (a kind of simple magic spell).

This is the same in-game resource that is used to block and use special attacks. As you can imagine, this stamina quickly depletes, requiring him to sling back a toxic concoction called Tawny Owl, which helps stimulate his recovery.

Making this won’t give you the ability to cast Igni or make you Aard (fnar fnar), but it’ll certainly help out in the stamina aspect with a kick of sugar and caffeine. Witchers might not be as powerful as pure mages, but they’ve certainly got some magic behind them!

Read more: How to make your own Witcher potions

 

3. Diablo (Mana Potion)

You’ll need:

• 2 parts London Dry gin
• 1 part blue curacao
• Bitter lemon/tonic water to taste

Method:

1. Add gin and curacao to mixing glass half-filled with ice.
2. Stir for approx. 10 seconds.
3. Strain into potion vessel and add tonic water to taste.

Here’s a deep, dark secret of mine. One time, when I was younger and so into Diablo II you wouldn’t believe, I accidentally deleted my elder brother’s save games. Almost 15 years later, he still won’t let me forget about it—he’s very bitter, but understandably so. He had some pretty fantastic sets.

It is in his honour (and the general grim-dark world of Diablo) that I make this drink, which is dry, bitter and very, very refreshing. Any Necromancer or Sorceress worth their salt should be carrying a whole sack of these around before delving into the catacombs below Tristram.

It’s a classic game that comes with a cocktail of classic tastes. If you’re a fan of a gin & tonic (and let’s face it, who isn’t?), then this is a great way to experience a slightly more citrus-y set of flavours.

4. Generic (Mana Potion)

You’ll need:

• 1 part coconut rum
• 1.5 parts white rum
• 1 part blue curacao
• 1.5 parts pineapple juice
• 1 part lemonade

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients except the lemonade in a shaker half-filled with ice.
2. Shake well for 10 to 15 seconds.
3. Strain into a chilled potion vessel.
4. Add lemonade, stir, and serve.

So there are a ridiculous number of games that have magic in them, and nearly all of them include some kind of potion that makes you able to keep those lightning bolts and fireballs coming all day long. Even some versions of Dungeons & Dragons (which notoriously uses spell slots instead of a mana bar) have mana potions!

So rather than try and come up with a hundred different variations, sometimes it’s best to just go with a single, extra-tasty, thematically-consistent mana potion that looks the part and still tastes great. That’s what this recipe is all about. It’s bright, it’s blue, and damn if it doesn’t appeal to pretty much anyone.

A word to the wise, however: this has a hell of a kick to it alcohol-wise, so make sure you don’t feed your pocket healer too many or otherwise they’ll be too smashed to get you through your next raid.

And there you go! Four mana potions that will help you beat back even the toughest of bosses and the most demanding of tanks. Which do you think you’ll be bringing with you on your next quest? Let me know in the comments below!