FOOD & CATERING
Nothing makes for a better Halloween event than combining childhood thrills and chills with grown-up delights. Because let s face it even if your guests have outgrown trick-or-treating, everyone still loves dressing up and digging into their favorite sugary treats, whether that means Reese s peanut butter cups (delicious) or Necco wafers (barf). The best way to do that? Inventive Halloween cocktails that satisfy everyone s sweet tooth while channeling the holiday s spooky fun. Here are five imaginative tipples that are perfect for your next Halloween event.
1. Candy Corn Cocktail
Candy corn may not have the panache of, say, tropical flavored Skittles or king-sized candy bars, but it s an old faithful in terms of Halloween loot. Tasty, festive and inscrutable (seriously, how is this tri-colored traffic cone supposed to represent corn?), candy corn offers a perfect theme for Halloween cocktails. This boozy take on the classic candy, created by The Food Network, is based on a candy-corn infused vodka, which combines with citrus-based cordials for some brightness and lift, along with egg white to give it a velvety froth. Get the full recipe here. Who would ve thought candy corn could be so classy?
2. Syringe Shooters
On the other side of the cocktail spectrum are syringe shooters, a distinctly un-classy, but incredibly fun take on spooky Halloween drinks. Simply mix up a batch of Jello shots (strawberry makes for a nice bloody hue) and then draw the liquid into a syringe before chilling. According to Myscienceproject.org, 60ml syringes are ideal just remember to take out the needles.
3. Zombie Brain Jello Shots
For a slightly more gruesome take on jello shots, try out these zombie brain monstrosities, which combine vodka, liqueurs, jello and condensed milk to create a jiggly, gray brain exterior. The inside is filled with a raspberry concoction to add a bit of delicious, delicious gore. While this may not be practical for large-scale batches, they re a nice option if you re looking to add a creative twist to your Halloween cocktail list.
4. Bleeding Heart Martini
Most Halloween cocktail garnishes range from the disgusting (brain hemorrhages courtesy of curdled Bailey s) to the playful (vodka-soaked gummy worms, anyone?). Which is what makes this one so special it s grotesque while still creative and classy; in other words, exactly what you d expect of Martha Stewart. Simply make a martini as usual, and then, instead of an olive, top it off with a skewered pickled baby beet to resemble a recently harvested heart. See what we mean? Frightful but low-key.
5. Reese s Martini
Consistently voted as Americans favorite Halloween candy, Reese s peanut butter cups remain one of the holiday s most beloved confections. While the idea of transforming that peanut-butter-chocolatey goodness into an evening tipple may sound a bit, shall we say, over the top, several enterprising mixologists have figured out a way to do it. This recipe calls for Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka, Castries Cr me Peanut Rum and chocolate liqueur or, you could take a slightly cruder approach and simply blend a Reese s peanut cup with vodka. We re not judging! However you re able to pair the goodness of Reese s with some booze is ok by us.
