Creepy Cocktails

We haven't finalized which recipe we'll be using this year, but here are the three creepy cocktail front runners that I'd highly recommend for your own Halloween festivities.

A variation of a flavored martini, this drink has strong herbal notes and a slight bite, which fits perfectly with its name. I used bourbon instead of the traditional Calvados, but you could also swap in Applejack as the main liqueur. 

Recipe

1 oz bourbon {or apple brandy}

3/4 oz yellow Chartreuse

3/4 oz Benedictine

2 dash Angostura bitters

Place all ingredients into a mixing glass, add ice and stir until cold. Strain into a martini glass/coupe.

The Last Word is my friends favorite cocktail, so it was only appropriate that I tried to incorporate it into this round up. I changed up the recipe slightly, by adding a touch of Absinthe and garnished it with a Luxardo cherry. This is a strong drink, so proceed with caution.

Recipe

1 oz gin {I prefer Plymouth}

1 oz Luxardo liqueur

3/4 oz Green Chartreuse

1/4 oz Absinthe

1 oz fresh lime juice

Luxardo cherry (optional garnish)

Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a tumbler or cocktail glass.

This is a variation on a classic Sidecar, but I wanted a slightly sweeter drink, so I swapped the lemon juice for orange juice and used a colored sugar for the rim.

Recipe

1 1/2 oz bourbon 

1 oz Cointreau {or your preferred orange liqueur}

1/2 oz orange juice

Moisten the rim of a cocktail glass with an orange {or lemon} slice, pour sugar onto a plate and dip the glass into the sugar to line the rim. Place glass into freezer. Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake vigorously. Strain into cocktail glass.

Red Velvet "Dia de los Muertos" Cake

When I was a junior in high school, I spent two weeks in a Spanish language immersion program. While my language skills definitely improved, the aspect that stuck with me even more so was my love for the Mexican culture. Obsession is an often overused term, but it's fair to say that I'm obsessed with all things "Dia de los Muertos," to the point that when I purchased this cake mold, the only thing I wanted to do was decorate the skull with a traditional pattern. I simply used a red velvet cake mix with features done in royal icing, but I also love the idea of trying out fondant for the first time.

Top Tip: Red Wine

Truth be told, I know next to nothing about wine. When I order a glass at a restaurant, I usually just pick the vineyard that's easiest to pronounce. At the store I pick bottles based on their labels {please tell me I'm not alone in this} and simply hope for the best when I return home. But given my love of red wine and the food alongside it, I wanted to learn a bit more. I wasn't looking to become a sommelier in my free time, but I also felt the need to educate myself a bit so I could make more informed decisions. After talking to some experts, I put together a very basic flow chart to help others who feel similarly intimidated, so I hope you'll find it useful.

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Gilded Harvest Cards

While I'm still partially mourning the last bits of summer {specifically the abundance of late afternoon light}, I'm ready for fall. It's my favorite time of year, but with all the joy of the upcoming holidays, it can also provide its fair share of headaches when it comes to decision-making. Since miniature pumpkins are everywhere this time of year, here's an easy way to turn a simple squash into a stunning place card that you can re-use all season long.

What you need: spray adhesive {paint on adhesive will also work}, mini pumpkins {found at any local grocery store}, gold leafing, painters tape, newspaper, and a sponge brush.

Step 1: Lay the newspaper on your work surface to prevent making a mess, wrap 
the painters tape around the middle of the pumpkin, covering the bottom half.

Step 2: Lightly coat one section of the pumpkin with spray adhesive. 

Step 3: Press the gold foil down on sticky section of the pumpkin, gently patting with the dry sponge brush. Then slowly peel back the wax paper- leaving only the gold foil.

Step 4: Continue steps two and three on the entire top half of the pumpkin, filling in all the grooves. Then carefully peel off the tape and, using the same dry sponge brush, pat down the gold foil to ensure it lies flat.