Photo:Charles Sykes/Bravo; Ralph Bavaro/BRAVO; Phillip Faraone/Getty
Charles Sykes/Bravo; Ralph Bavaro/BRAVO; Phillip Faraone/Getty
In the nine months sinceAriana Madixdiscoveredher then-boyfriendTom Sandoval’saffairwith friend and castmateRachel “Raquel” Leviss, a lot of memories have shifted in her mind.
In her forthcoming bookSingle AF Cocktails: Drinks for Bad B*tches(out Dec. 5), theVanderpump Rulesstar andDancing with the Starsfinalist, 38, quite literally shakes up many of those memories, taking inspiration from her roller-coaster year to create spicy, often boozy beverages chronicling hernine-year relationshipwith Sandoval, 41, from beginning to bitter and — as well as how she’s reclaimed her story since discovering the infidelity.
Though Madix includes many drinkable “shimmering” memories of her “Honeymoon Phase” with Sandoval at the start of the book, its second chapter about his mounting “Betrayal” quickly serves up one a jaw-dropping moment of indiscretion.
Between cocktails called"Midlife Crisis"and"Couples Therapy,“she includes a cocktail named “Smoke and Mirrors” that recalls a night when she came across Sandoval outside the guest room intheir home. Leviss, 29, was staying for the night after a house party, and Madix believes in hindsight thatthe pair had sex just feet from where she was sleepingin her and Sandoval’s bedroom.
Nicole Weingart/Bravo
Speaking with PEOPLE about the real-life inspiration behind the bold mezcal drink, Madix calls her ex’s cheating “honestly really disgusting. I mean, that’s the bottom line — it is really disgusting behavior.”
BecauseVPRviewerslearned of Sandoval and Leviss’s affairin early March when the show wasstill in the middle of its 10th season, they had ample opportunity throughout the spring to dissect theTomTom barco-owner’sincreasingly uncomfortable on-camera fixationwith Leviss. But according to Madix, what aired on Bravo was only a sliver of the story.
“The majority of my life is off camera, so that’s, I think, something that people will never see,” she notes.
“We’re talking 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 30, 31 days a month of day in, day out, moment-to-moment, lies, deception and gaslighting and horrible treatment.” Other lowlights that have since surfaced include the detail that Sandoval and Levis’s affair began withan intimate encounter in her caroutside the couple’s house just days after Madix had to put her dog to sleep. Weeks later, he had sex with the former pageant in his and Madix’s bed while his girlfriend wasaway for her grandmother’s funeral.
With some time and space from her explosivebreakup, Madix has chosen to transform that painful memory into something flavorfully nuanced and deliciously hers.
“In a lot of ways it feels like I don’t even have ownership over my own story anymore,” she tells PEOPLE of the months she endured in the swirl of theScandoval, “and there’s plenty of people who don’t know me or know my life who have declared it over or have declared it as old news, but it’s mine, and I’m living it. And so, sorry to those people who wanted to avoid it and couldn’t, but I certainly am still unable to avoid it, because it is my life.”
Below, read the story behind “Smoke & Mirrors” and learn how to sip it in solidarity.
Tawni Bannister
SMOKE & MIRRORSA Sweet Drink with a Sour BiteServes 1
7 blackberries3/4 oz. vanilla syrup (see below)1 egg white or 1 oz. aquafaba (see below)3/4 oz. fresh lime juice2 dashes Angostura bitters2 oz. mezcalIce cubes
If you’ve been cheated on in a relationship, one of the most difficult things is to eventually learn about the multiple points of deception that took place — the countless times smoke and mirrors were put in front of you.
One night we hosted a party at our house with a bunch of friends. It was late, everyone was drinking, so she stayed in the guest bedroom to avoid having to drive home. In the middle of the night, I woke up and couldn’t find him anywhere, so I went downstairs and checked almost every single room. As I was walking down the hallway I saw him leave the guest bedroom. He said he heard her walking around and just wanted to check if she needed water or anything.
A part of me instinctively knew that wasn’t the truth. I told him I believed him anyway and we all know what came next.
NOTE: The egg whites in this mezcal blackberry sour create a nice fluffy texture, but if eggs aren’t your thing, whip up some aquafaba instead — the vegan-friendly ingredient adds the same lightness when shaken with the other ingredients.
Vanilla SyrupMakes about 1½ cups
1 cup sugar1 cup water½ teaspoon 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 get the job done but will taste a little lackluster in comparison.
In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil over medium heat, stirring so the sugar doesn’t burn the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat once the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the vanilla extract. Let cool. Store the syrup in a bottle in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks.
AquafabaMakes about 2 cups
1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas
Egg whites add a great fluffy texture to cocktails, 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 a drink but without adding any flavor. It’s the 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 a can of chickpeas, reserving the liquid. (Save the beans for some other use.) In a medium bowl, whip the liquid with a hand mixer or stand mixer until the texture becomes close to whipped cream. You can do this with a whisk, too, but it will take a lot more elbow grease and more time to get the right consistency. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Clarkson Potter
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Single AF Cocktailsis out Dec. 5 everywhere books are sold, andVanderpump Rulescan be streamed in full on Peacock. Madix will compete in theDancing with the Starsfinale Tuesday on ABC.
source: people.com
