Prince Naveen - Ukulele Player

 Peach and Basil Bourbon Smash

We're going to do something a little bit different with this post. Our friend John (x.com/johrelol) took down a case tournament this weekend playing Amber Steelsong, featuring Naveen - Ukulele Player. Since this was going to be the card for our next drink anyways, how about a little deck tech while we're here?

Long time players will recognize most of the cards in John's list alongside new inclusions from Shimmering Skies: Daisy Duck, Pete, and Prince Naveen. Since this blog post is about Naveen, we'll just focus on him today. 

Naveen is great in the Amber Steel mirror match, providing board presence and a singer while also playing a song for free to remove an opposing character. This matchup is all about board control and being tempo-positive; Naveen does everything you want there. You never want to pay 5 ink to play A Whole New World since you wont have ink to develop characters afterwards. But that's not a problem with Naveen! Now you get your 7 new cards but also have a Singer 6 that quests for 2 lore. 

And speaking of tempo plays, check out the clip below from round 5 of the event. Naveen comes down and immediately swings the board with a free song. His opponent was put too far behind and was unable to crawl back from this position. Just listen to the crowd go wild at the end!

(credit twitch.tv/luxcana)

Today, we're celebrating the power of Prince Naveen with a Peach and Basil Bourbon Smash. Freshly muddled peaches and basil make for a bright summery cocktail. Vanilla and bourbon provide a well-rounded, smooth flavor base akin to the flavors of a warm peach cobbler. We top off our drink with a splash of ginger beer for an extra hint of spice. Together it all makes for a perfect match to Naveen's upbeat personality (when he's not a frog at least). 

Ingredients

2 oz Bourbon

1/4 oz Crème de Pêche

1/2 oz Vanilla Simple Syrup

1/2 fresh Peach - diced

1-2 basil leaves (with more for garnish)

splash of Ginger Beer

Muddle syrup, diced peach, and basil in a cocktail shaker. Add bourbon, and crème de pêche, fill with ice, and shake to combine. Strain drink into a lowball glass with ice (use a mesh strainer to avoid peach particles from falling into the drink). Garnish with peach wedges and basil.

Vanilla Simple Syrup
1/3 cup turbinado sugar
1/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste or vanilla extract

Dissolve sugar in water then mix in vanilla. Cool and store refrigerated for up to one week.