Grenadine

Five Spirits and Cocktails for Adult Halloween Parties

Filed under: Spirits

With Halloween falling on a Sunday this year, the night before, sometimes referred to as "Mischief Night", will be ideal for adult parties while the kids prepare to go trick-or-treating, or to parties on Sunday afternoon.

In keeping with the "spirit" of the occasion, here are several good ways to stock a bar for the grown-ups, and prepare for some themed drinks.

Here are recommendations and recipes:

Absinthe:
Reintroduced in the last couple of years to liquor stores, it is a anise flavored distilled spirit, emerald green in color that turns to cloudy opalescent white when mixed with a bit of water, which is traditionally poured over a sugar cube. Known in the 19th century as "The Green Fairy" for its power to bring on hallucinations. It was known to be a favorite of such "dark" artists and writers as Van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, Edgar Allen Poe and Ernest Hemingway. Lucid is one brand, priced at about $50.00, and packaged in a cool black bottle featuring the eyes of a black cat.

Crystal Head Vodka:
Apprpriately bottled in a crystal skull, you could buy a few to make a real statement at your bar. Price: about $42.00. Here are two recipes to make use of Crystal Head:

Brain Freeze
1 1/2 oz. Crystal Head Vodka, 1 1/2 to 2 oz. Pure lime juice, 1oz. Simple syrup.
Combine all the ingredients with ice in a blender. Blend until ice is well crushed. Serve in a sugar rimed rocks glass garnished with a slice of lime.

Tags: Absinthe, Chambord, Crystal Head Vodka, Edgar Allen Poe, Grenadine, Halloween cocktails, Hiram Walker Pumpkin Spice