In the nine months since Ariana Madix discovered her then-boyfriend Tom Sandoval’s affair with friend and co-star Rachel “Raquel” Leviss, many memories have changed in her mind.
In his forthcoming book Single AF Cocktails: Drinks for Bad Dinner Parties (releases December 5), the Vanderpump Rules star and Dancing with the stars The finalist, 38, literally shakes up many of those memories, taking inspiration from her roller coaster year to create spicy, often boozy drinks, chronicling her nine-year relationship with Sandoval, 41, from beginning to bitterness and — as well as how she’s reclaimed her story since discovered infidelity.
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Although Madix includes many drinkable “sparkly” memories of her “honeymoon phase” with Sandoval early in the book, her second chapter on his mounting “Betrayal” quickly serves up one jaw-dropping moment of indiscretion.
Between cocktails called “Midlife Crisis” and “Couples Therapy,” she includes a cocktail called “Smoke and Mirrors” recalling the night she ran into Sandoval outside the guest room of their home. Leviss, 29, stayed the night after a house party, and Madix believes in hindsight that the pair had sex just steps from where she slept in her and Sandoval’s bedroom.
Nicole Weingart/Bravo
Speaking to PEOPLE about the real-life inspiration behind the daring mezcal drink, Madix called her ex’s cheating “honestly really disgusting. I mean, that’s the point — it’s really disgusting behavior.”
Because VPR viewers learned of Sandoval and Leviss’ affair in early March, while the show was still in the middle of its 10th season, they had ample opportunity throughout the spring to dissect the TomTom bar co-owner’s increasingly uncomfortable fixation with Leviss. But according to Madix, what aired on Bravo was only part of the story.
“I spend most of my life off camera, so that’s something people will never see, I think,” she notes.
“We’re talking 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 30, 31 days a month, day in and day out, moment to moment, lies, deception and exposure and horrible treatment.” Other claims that have since surfaced include the detail that Sandoval and Levis’ affair began with an intimate encounter in her car outside the couple’s home just days after Madix had to put her dog down. A few weeks later, he had sex with the ex-mistress in his and Madix’s bed while his girlfriend was away at his grandmother’s funeral.
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With some time and space since her explosive breakup, Madix decided to transform that painful memory into something nuanced and deliciously her own.
“In a lot of ways, it feels like I don’t have ownership of my own story anymore,” she tells PEOPLE of the months she spent in the Scandova vortex, “and there are a lot of people who don’t know me or know my life who have called it over or have called it old news, but it’s mine and I’m living it. And that’s why I feel sorry for those people who wanted to avoid it and couldn’t, but I certainly still can’t avoid it, because it’s my life.”
Below, read the story behind “Smoke & Mirrors” and learn how to drink in solidarity.
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Tawny Bannister
SMOKE & MIRRORSA sweet drink with a sour biteServes 1
7 blackberries 3/4 oz. vanilla syrup (see below) 1 egg white or 1 oz. aquafaba (see below) 3/4 oz. fresh lime juice 2 dashes Angostura bitters 2 oz. mezcalice cubes
- At the bottom of a shaker mold, mix 4 blackberries with vanilla syrup
- Add egg white, lime juice, bitters and mezcal
- Shake (without ice) to combine the ingredients
- Add ice and shake again to chill
- Strain into a coupe glass
- Garnish with three blackberries on a cocktail pick
If you’ve been cheated on in a relationship, one of the hardest things is to end up learning the multiple points of cheating that happened – countless times the smoke and mirrors have been put in front of you.
One evening we organized a party at our house with a bunch of friends. It was late, everyone had been drinking, so she stayed in the guest room so she wouldn’t have to drive home. I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t find him anywhere, so I went downstairs and checked almost every room. As I walked down the hall I saw him coming out of the guest room. He said he heard her walking around and he just wanted to check if she needed water or anything.
Part of me instinctively knew that wasn’t true. I told him I believed him anyway, and we all know what happened next.
NOTE: The egg whites in this blackberry mezcal create a nice fluffy texture, but if eggs aren’t your thing, whisk in some aquafaba instead — the vegan-friendly ingredient adds the same lightness when mixed with the other ingredients.
Vanilla syrupMakes about 1½ cups
1 cup of sugar 1 cup of water ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
Vanilla syrup tastes great with aged spirits like whiskey and rum. I always recommend using real vanilla beans to get the best flavor — vanilla extract will do the job, but it will taste a little off in comparison.
In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil over medium heat, stirring to prevent the sugar from burning the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat when the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the vanilla extract. Let it cool. Store the syrup in a bottle in the refrigerator for up to several weeks.
AquafabaFor about 2 cups
1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas
Egg whites give cocktails a great fluffy texture, but for some people the idea of adding raw eggs to a drink is off-putting. Aquafaba is a great substitute — it brings the same frothy goodness to the drink, but without the added flavor. It’s liquid from a can of chickpeas, so it’s also a fantastic option for vegetarians and vegans who want to avoid using animal products in their drinks.
Drain the can of chickpeas, reserving the liquid. (Save the beans for another use.) In a medium bowl, beat the liquid with a hand or stand mixer until the texture resembles whipped cream. You can also do this with a whisk, but you will need a lot more fat and more time to get the right consistency. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Excerpted from Single AF Cocktails. Published by Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 2023, Ariana Madix.
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Clarkson Potter
**This recipe was provided to PEOPLE by a chef, restaurant or culinary professional. Not tested for home use.**
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Individual AF cocktails is released on December 5 wherever books are sold, i Vanderpump Rules can be downloaded in its entirety on Peacock. Madix will compete in Dancing with the stars finale on Tuesday on ABC.
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Source: HIS Education