Prop Liquor Recipes

Hello fellow prop runners!

Tired of never quite being able to get instant or brewed tea to look like liquor on-stage?  It’s cloudy, inconsistent and missing that certain je ne sais quoi.  Never fear, Prop Girl is here.  These are my liquor recipes, perfected at several regional theaters.

The key is making a Liquor Base using caramel food coloring (best purchased at a baking supply store).  Have the Base on hand in the prop kitchen whenever you’re in Tech. and you can whip up any liquor on demand.  The color will be consistent from one night to the next, and it’s easy to make a darker version once it’s been seen under stage lighting.  As a bonus, it tastes just like water (no bitter tea taste) and doesn’t have to be refrigerated (although I still do).  Remember to tell Wardrobe about the change!

Liquor Base

6 cups water

½ teaspoon caramel food coloring*

*Burnt Sugar can be used in place of caramel coloring with much the same effect.

Scotch and Whiskey

1/2 cup base

4-1/2 cups water

Darker:  ¾ cup base + 4 ½ cups water

Lighter:  ¼ cup base + 3 cups water

Cognac    

½ cup base

4 cups water

3 drops yellow food coloring

Brandy    

1:1 liquor base + water

Tea     

½ cup base

1-1/2 cups water

Champagne    

1 drop yellow food coloring

2 liters seltzer water

(alternative is Ginger Ale of course, but it’s sticky unless you get sugar-free but actors usually hate that).

Really Pale Beer    

½ cup base

16 cup water

Red Base    

6 cups water

½ teaspoon red food coloring

Elderberry Wine     (Arsenic & Old Lace)

3 cups water

1 cup caramel Liquor Base

¾ cup Red Base

***NO ARSENIC!!!

This recipe looks identical to Grape Juicy Juice but isn’t sticky

The Christmas Carol Files – The Challenges of Letting Go

An actress exits Stage Left with a grey dishtowel in her apron, which she takes all the way to the second floor to her dressing room.  Perfectly understandable.

An actor exits Stage Right with a black cane w/ yellow ribbon, which he takes all the way to the second floor to his dressing room.  I can see how that could happen.

An actress exits through the Right Vom with Tiny Tim’s crutch, which she takes all the way to the second floor to her dressing room.  Sigh.

An actor exits through the Left Vom with a CHAIR.  Which he takes all the way to the second floor to his dressing room.  ??*$%#??

He’s so pretty.

The Christmas Carol Files – How to fix a prop

Over headset:

Production Stage Manager:  The left-most candle in the candelabra on the center Fezzi table isn’t straight.

Me:  Just tilt your head while you’re looking at it.