“your good man should have no want of drink” [COPP]
[Guest post by Jill Brumer]
The Sherlock Holmes Drinking Game is back, fresh with a brand-new installment. This time, we drink along to “The Adventure of the Copper Beeches,” a truly terrifying tale for all the characters involved, but especially tough for the women who reside in the building of the title.
Lucky for us, dear reader, we have the inestimable Violet Hunter to lead us through the story, and to prove that smart women really are something to be reckoned with, even in Victorian times. In fact, in honor of Miss Hunter and how plucky she is, we will be raising a glass not only for the original rules of The Sherlock Holmes Drinking Game (which can be found here: The Sherlock Holmes Drinking Game), but also every time Violet Hunter does something awesome.
For the drink itself, I wanted to stir up something special, because it’s not everyday we meet a female character in the Canon who can hold her own like Violet Hunter can. And also, it needed to be coppered-colored (of course). Here’s what I’ve come up with:
- 3 parts scotch whiskey
- 1 part violet liqueur
Now, yes, violet liqueur can be hard to come by (although with the amount of flavored spirits nowadays, it shouldn’t give you too much trouble). If you are feeling slightly adventurous like our friend Miss Hunter, and you have access to actual real violets, I say try making your own! There are a lot of great tutorials out there for making flavored liqueurs, but my old stand-by is to put my ingredient (in this case, violets) in a jar with vodka and let it sit for a few weeks in the dark. Strain it and enjoy your very own, personally-made flavored liqueur!
Now, on to the tale!
Number of Drinks Taken: 13
- Take one drink for Violet entering 221B Baker Street.
- Take one drink for Holmes and Watson dashing off in a cab (this time a trap, going out to meet Miss Hunter).
- Take one drink for Holmes letting the villain go free (but not without tussling with the giant dog, first, of course).
- Take ten drinks for Violet Hunter being incredibly smart, willing and able throughout the entire piece, and also for Holmes to take notice of her abilities, which is really something. Gems include concealing a piece of glass in her handkerchief so she could see through the window behind her; her investigation of the extra wing in the house, and, something that makes me smile, Holmes telling her “I should not ask it of you if I did not think you a quite exceptional woman.”
Cheers to that!
Bonus: if you enjoy the women of the Canon - particularly the flowery Violets, you might like to pick up a copy of Violets & Vitriol
. Editor's note: Jill Brumer is a small business owner, college drama professor, and all around creative type who has lived all over the States. She has her father to thank for purchasing her first Sherlock Holmes story when she was twelve years old- the fascination has never stopped!
NB: I Hear of Sherlock neither advocates nor discourages the consumption of alcohol. Please behave responsibly and take heed of all local laws and ordinances. Know your limits and don't overimbibe.
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