NOTE: This post may contain minor spoilers for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. I did my best to avoid them as much as possible.
It has been quite a while since my last post. To make up for my hiatus, I am posting two Character Cocktails with a twist: these drinks are made for the characters I cosplay. Hence, “Cosplay Cocktails”. I developed both this hero’s drink and the Harima (for the villainous Sako Atsuhiro) with Elie Thawn of Symposiia when I went to visit a few months ago.
The Character: Kamado Tanjirō
かまど たんじろう English Dub: Tanjiro Kamado
竈門 炭治郎
Kamado Tanjirō is the main protagonist of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. He worked as a coal burner and lived on a mountain in the countryside with his family. One morning, he comes home to find his entire family killed except for his sister, Nezuko, who was turned into a demon. He joins the Demon Slayer Corps in order to find a way to turn his sister back into a human, hunt down demons, and defeat Kibutsuji Muzan, the Demon King, once and for all.
Tanjirō is one of the very few shōnen manga/anime protagonists that I identify with. He is kind and compassionate, even towards demons. He is direct and very honest; he has difficulty lying and takes everyone’s words at face value. Like your textbook Hufflepuff, he is determined, hard-working, and protective of his loved ones (especially Nezuko). He is sagacious and skilled at combat strategy, is dedicated to delivering justice and becoming a stronger demon slayer, and has an indomitable will when facing obstacles or stronger enemies. His patience and tolerance have a limit—if he gets angry, he unleashes a fiery tidal wave of rage that only a precious cinnamon roll is capable of, a vengeful force that has grown inside of him since Muzan killed his family.
I debuted my Tanjirō cosplay at AnimeNYC this past November.
photographer: Allison Stock
The Cocktail: Hinokami
This comforting cocktail is named after the Hinokami Kagura, a breathing style and ceremonial dance that has been passed down through the Kamado family for generations. Creamy sweet RumChata, tart cherry juice, and toasty, cozy spices combine to make this drink as warming as the sun. But just like the vodka that creates the base of this drink, the sun can burn. I can picture Tanjirō making a spiced sweet cream with cherries that he thinks Nezuko would like, only for Zenitsu and Inosuke to show up with a liter of vodka and start free-pouring.
Ingredients (serves 2)
2 parts Vodka
2 parts RumChata
1 part tart cherry juice (+ extra for float)
½ tsp fresh grated nutmeg
½ cinnamon stick
10 coriander seeds
Fresh cherries, for garnish
(optional) Honey and black lava salt, for garnish
Tools
2 rocks glasses
Cocktail shaker + a second strainer
Jigger
Spice grater
Mortar and pestle, or something similar
Preparation
Grind cinnamon stick, nutmeg, and coriander seeds using a mortar and pestle (if you don’t have one, you can use your cocktail shaker and a muddler, or something similar).
Add the spices, vodka, RumChata, and tart cherry juice to a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake until well chilled.
(optional) Rim two rocks glasses with honey and black lava salt.
Double strain into the glasses. Use a spoon to float a little more tart cherry juice. Add fresh cherries to garnish.
Enjoy responsibly.
Watch me make the Hinokami on TikTok:
You can watch Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba on Netflix, Crunchyroll, and Funimation.