This is Halloween.
Just when we thought we ranked every Halloween topic on this show, a spook of inspiration came to us! So move aside that chocolate/candy and get your cocktail shakers because this week Tuong La, Samantha Leggatt, Bradley Sales, and Laura Gordon are concocting some ghastly, bone-chilling, and delicious drinks in our cauldrons with Top 5 Halloween Cocktails.
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Ground Rules
- First let’s get this out of the way. For the most part, we just did some intense google searching to find drinks that appealed to us visually and what sounded like it tasted good. Also none of us tried these drinks in advance because making cocktails is expensive and taste testing every single one before this ep was impossible. Luckily it all worked out because everything was delicious!
- Going with the dictionary definition of what constitutes a cocktail: “an alcoholic drink consisting of a spirit or several spirits mixed with other ingredients, such as fruit juice, lemonade, or cream.”
- We are ranking the drinks based on taste (duh) but also the edge goes towards how “Halloween-y” or “Spooky” it feels.
- Also we are ranking based on it’s presentation as well.
- Below are pictures of our cocktails we made that evening which we assembled between nominations.
Group Top 5
5. The Haunted House
4. Boozy Screamsicle
3. Berry Eyeball Punch
2. Ghouls and Guts Shots
1.El Diablo
Below are all the drinks we made this episode.
Tuong’s Drinks
Vampires Kiss (credit: A couple cooks)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ ounces vodka
- 1 ounce* Chambord
- ½ ounce 100% unsweetened cranberry juice (not sweetened or cranberry juice cocktail)
- ½ ounce fresh lemon juice
- ½ ounce grenadine
- Granulated sugar and additional grenadine, for the sugar rim (optional)
- 1 small dry ice cube, optional
Instructions
- Prepare the rim: Place granulated sugar in a single layer on one plate. On another plate, add some grenadine. Spin the rim of the glass in the grenadine until it coats the entire rim. Then dip the glass rim into the plate with the sugar to coat it.
- Make the drink: Add the vodka, Chambord, unsweetened cranberry juice, lemon juice, and grenadine to a cocktail shaker. Add 2 handfuls regular ice cubes and shake until cold. Strain the drink into the prepared glass.
You can do dry ice if you’d like we didn’t. If you choose to do so see below:
- Break the dry ice into 1-inch chunks (if using): Do this as close to the time you’ll be serving the drinks as possible, though you can buy the dry ice a few hours in advance. Start by dropping the plastic bag with the dry ice on the ground several times to allow it break into large chunks. Remember never to touch the dry ice with your bare hands! Put on goggles and gloves. Use a chisel to break the dry ice into smaller pieces using a screwdriver or ice pick. The ideal size is 1/2-inch to 1-inch chunks that are large enough to sink to the bottom of the drink, but small enough to disappear in a few minutes. Wrap the small chunks in a towel and place them in a cooler with the top off until you’re ready to serve the drinks. Do not place the dry ice in the freezer.
- Add the dry ice: Using tongs (do not touch the dry ice!), add a 1/2-inch to 1-inch chunk of dry ice to the glass, which will sink to the bottom and immediately make a smoking effect. The ice cube will disappear in about 5 minutes. Do not drink the dry ice! Wait until the cube disappears before enjoying your drink (or you can take sips with the dry ice in the bottom).
Berry Eyeball Punch (credit: Food Network)
Ingredients
- 3 cups blackberries
- 18 canned lychees (from one 20-ounce can), plus 3/4 cup syrup from the can
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 cups sweetened acai juice (Note: i just used more blueberry juice as the substitute)
- 1 cup blueberry juice cocktail
- 18 large blueberries
- 3 cups lemon-lime soda (Note: I used Sprite)
- 1 cup spiced rum or gin (optional) (Note: I used Gin)
Directions
- Puree the blackberries, lychee syrup and lemon juice in a blender. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher, pressing on the solids with a rubber spatula. Add the acai juice and blueberry juice. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.
- Gently push a blueberry into the cavity of each lychee. Transfer the punch to a punch bowl or pitcher and add the stuffed lychees, then gently stir in the lemon-lime soda and rum, if using. Serve over ice.
Drunken Peanut Butter Cups (credit: Delish)
FOR THE REESE’S-INFUSED VODKA
- 1 c. vodka
- ½ c. Reese’s pieces
FOR THE COCKTAIL
- ice
- 3 oz. Reese’s-infused vodka
- 3 oz. milk
- 2 oz. Chocolate Liqueur
- ¼ c. peanut butter, for rimming glass
- ½ c. crushed Reese’s Pieces, for rimming glass
- 2 Reese’s peanut butter cups, for garnish
- 2 tbsp. chocolate syrup