Halloween Drinks/Cocktails

[tanstaafl2]

Anybody have any suggestions for a Halloween themed cocktail? Got a last minute invite and thought I might try to bring an appropriate drink. I have a pretty good sized liquor cabinet but don't have a lot in the way of exotic fruit juices or infusions to use.

Any and all thoughts welcomed!

[tanstaafl2]

This older topic might give you some ideas:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/94684-halloween-cocktails/page__p__1293853__hl__halloween__fromsearch__1#entry1293853

Excellent! Thanks.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Alternately, if you want to go black/orange and you've got access to chocolate syrup, you can try Electric Tigers.

1 oz white rum

1 oz cointreau or other orange liqueur

orange juice to top (using an old-fashioned glass)

chocolate syrup.

Run the chocolate syrup around the inner rim of the glass and allow it to form stripes down into the bottom. Meanwhile, shake the rum, cointreau, and orange juice together and then carefully strain into the center of the glass.

Yummy. They're sort of like a Terry's chocolate orange in a glass.

[EvergreenDan]

Look on twitter of the most recent Thursday Drink Night recipes (@mixoloseum). You'll find my Vlad the Imbiber (Rye, Campari, and Mirto -- a bit challenging) and a bunch of others.

A fantastic idea from chowhound that I'm using this year is to garnish with a lychee stuffed with a maraschino cherry as an eyeball. Ghoulish without being too gross.

[tanstaafl2]

Thanks! Some great ideas here.

[Tri2Cook]

I'm working on a Day of the Dead themed drink for a Halloween gathering. Being new to this creating drinks thing, I'm always extremely hesitant to admit what I'm doing here but I'm running out of time so I'll take my lumps in pursuit of a little help. What I'm doing is:

reposado tequila

blanco mezcal

atole syrup*

fresh lime juice

tiny piece dried chipotle chile (the mezcal available here isn't as smokey as I'd like which is why I went with chipotle over some other chile)

tiny pinch salt

Shake with ice. Strain.

*250 grams corn stock (water, corn, corn cobs, freeze dried corn, cinnamon sticks, vanilla bean)

250 grams piloncillo

3.75 grams ticaloid 310-S (gum arabic + xanthan blend, I wanted a gomme syrup texture to add a little body and the ticaloid version of arabic holds everything together nicely)

I'm still working on the balance. I started with 1 1/4 oz tequila, 1/2 oz mezcal, 3/4 oz atole syrup and 1/2 oz lime juice. My first thought was more atole syrup or less lime but I think that's because I'm having a hard time seperating the cocktail from the traditional atole in my head. I'm trying to hint at the fact that it's based on a slightly sweet drink without offending sugar sensitive palates. I definitely don't want a sour though. So maybe I should apply the rules of cooking and know when to call it done? I'm also struggling with a name...

[tanstaafl2]

I'm also struggling with a name...

Perhaps La Llorona (the Weeping Woman)? If it is spicy enough might bring a tear or two to your eye and as the name of a Mexican ghost it fits the Halloween theme!

I'm not real experienced in the naming game either...

[Tri2Cook]

Nice suggestion, thanks! Not at all spicy though. The amount of chile I used is very, very small and just adds the faintest hint of "heat?" plus a little smoke (traditional atole is made with masa that is toasted on a comal) because my mezcal isn't very smokey.

[tanstaafl2]

Nice suggestion, thanks! Not at all spicy though. The amount of chile I used is very, very small and just adds the faintest hint of "heat?" plus a little smoke (traditional atole is made with masa that is toasted on a comal) because my mezcal isn't very smokey.

Well, perhaps it will be tasty enough to make you want to weep...

Good luck with your recipe!

[KatieLoeb]

With a few more days notice you could have made a Kabocha squash, cinnamon stick and vanilla bean infused vodka. Tastes like pumpkin pie and is super easy.

[ChrisTaylor]

I'm also struggling with a name...

Probably neither you or your guests are geeky enough to get 'Manny Calavera'.

[Tri2Cook]

I'm also struggling with a name...

Probably neither you or your guests are geeky enough to get 'Manny Calavera'.

I know that one but you're right, most of the crowd probably wouldn't... not that they have to.

[tanstaafl2]

With a few more days notice you could have made a Kabocha squash, cinnamon stick and vanilla bean infused vodka. Tastes like pumpkin pie and is super easy.

I have never tried to an infusion but I guess it is something I should try to do at least once or twice to see how it goes.

I suppose I could try for Thanksgiving!

[tanstaafl2]

With a few more days notice you could have made a Kabocha squash, cinnamon stick and vanilla bean infused vodka. Tastes like pumpkin pie and is super easy.

I have never tried to an infusion but I guess it is something I should try to do at least once or twice to see how it goes.

I suppose I could try for Thanksgiving!

So, would you be willing to share this recipe? And once made it is one you would mix in a cocktail?

[KatieLoeb]

Pumpkin Pie infusion

2-3 cups of Kabocha squash, peeled, seeded and cubed (one medium squash)

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

3 cinnamon sticks, broken up

1 teaspoon cloves

1/2 a nutmeg, cracked and broken (I smash mine with my meat tenderizer)

3 nickel sized coins of fresh peeled ginger

Optional: 1 tablespoon brown sugar and/or 2 cardamom pods lightly crushed.

Place all your aromatics into a large sterile jar with a tightfitting lid. Top with either 1 750 ml bottle of vodka or 1 750 ml bottle of white or gold rum (your preference). Keep in a cool spot, and allow to infuse for at least a week, agitating the jar daily. After a week start checking it to see if the flavors are strong enough. When it's to your liking, strain through a cheesecloth lined fine mesh strainer and funnel back into the bottle. Keep refrigerated.

This is good chilled up like a pumpkin pie martini, on the rocks with a twist of orange (and a dash of bitters if you like - Ango or orange work) or tall over ice with soda or Sprite if you like it a little sweeter.

[tanstaafl2]

Pumpkin Pie infusion

2-3 cups of Kabocha squash, peeled, seeded and cubed (one medium squash)

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

3 cinnamon sticks, broken up

1 teaspoon cloves

1/2 a nutmeg, cracked and broken (I smash mine with my meat tenderizer)

3 nickel sized coins of fresh peeled ginger

Optional: 1 tablespoon brown sugar and/or 2 cardamom pods lightly crushed.

Place all your aromatics into a large sterile jar with a tightfitting lid. Top with either 1 750 ml bottle of vodka or 1 750 ml bottle of white or gold rum (your preference). Keep in a cool spot, and allow to infuse for at least a week, agitating the jar daily. After a week start checking it to see if the flavors are strong enough. When it's to your liking, strain through a cheesecloth lined fine mesh strainer and funnel back into the bottle. Keep refrigerated.

This is good chilled up like a pumpkin pie martini, on the rocks with a twist of orange (and a dash of bitters if you like - Ango or orange work) or tall over ice with soda or Sprite if you like it a little sweeter.

Excellent, thanks!

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Tri2 - isn't that a "Muerte Dulce" ?

[Tri2Cook]

Tri2 - isn't that a "Muerte Dulce" ?

Would "I don't know" be an acceptable answer?

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Sweet Death would be the translation - down here it's very similar to what you've posted, except that in place of the Mescal and Tequila, we use Tzawar Mishki, which is a different Agave product.

The Dulce Muerte that I'm familiar with calls for:

3 parts Tzawar Mishki

1 part Jarabe Negra (a simple syrup with fine black cornmeal, cinnamon, and cloves, cooked into it)

1 part fresh lime juice

a sprinkle of aji powder

The glass is often rimmed in aji salt and the sprinkle of aji omitted.

[Tri2Cook]

Sweet Death would be the translation - down here it's very similar to what you've posted, except that in place of the Mescal and Tequila, we use Tzawar Mishki, which is a different Agave product.

The Dulce Muerte that I'm familiar with calls for:

3 parts Tzawar Mishki

1 part Jarabe Negra (a simple syrup with fine black cornmeal, cinnamon, and cloves, cooked into it)

1 part fresh lime juice

a sprinkle of aji powder

The glass is often rimmed in aji salt and the sprinkle of aji omitted.

I protest my innocence! I've honestly never seen that before... despite the evidence being heavily against me.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

No worries - I always thought it was a rather obscure cocktail anyhow - and I like mine bloody, which I didn't mention in the general recipe: this is the addition of 1 part neat unsweetened mora (Andean blackberry) juice.