Toccata & Fugue in d minor
"Bad Moon Rising"
Welcome to Autumn and the start of the "Holiday Season." From Columbus Day (Columbus, a combination of Wrong Way Corrigan and Typhoid Mary) to Halloween, October is a fitting start to the season. The weather is starting to cool (less so than in the past, to be sure), the leaves are falling and creating treacherous conditions on roadways around the Northern Hemisphere and people are beginning to stress about what they can afford to buy for the people they barely know at their office parties.
All I can say is "Cheers!" Time to put the hot apple cider out and spice it up (or spike it with rum, if you prefer).
1} 1 gal. Apple Cider
2} 1 Orange, sliced
3} 2 Cinnamon Sticks
4} 2 tsp Whole Cloves
5} 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
6} 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
Mix all ingredients together in big pot. Bring pot to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Let simmer for at least 20 minutes. While that is brewing - wrap hemp around a mason jar and secure with hot glue. Once everything is ready - serve and enjoy!
Werewolves of London.
Michael Jackson performing Thriller.
The Witches' Brew:
1 1/2 ounce Coconut Tequila
2 ounces Pineapple-Orange Juice
1/2 ounce Blue Curacao
Marichino Cherry
1. In a martini glass place cherry.
2. In a shaker place ice and ingredients, shake and pour, my pretties.
" The Bloody Goblin "
* Makes one creepy cocktail
1.5 ounces of vodka [ my pick: Chopin ]
2 ounces of water
1 ounce of pomegranate juice
2 drops black food coloring
Rim half a glass with red salt or sugar. Add ice to glass. Pour pomegranate juice over ice. In a shaker mix vodka, water & black food coloring together. Shake well. Take a the back of a spoon and strain the mix slowly against the back of the spoon. Allow it drip on to the pomegranate juice. Be careful; this is tricky! Do not mix it up- the layered look is what you're trying to achieve. Enjoy!
Vampire Punch
Ingredients:
For Ice Hand:
1 powder-free vinyl glove
water
For the Punch:
2 cups fresh or bottled beet juice (see note below on availability)
1 12-ounce package frozen raspberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
12 ice cubes
2 cups vodka
3/4 cup Grand Marnier
1 cup seltzer
Directions:
Make ice hands: Fill several gloves about two-thirds full with water and tie a knot in the end to seal (do not overfill gloves, as water will expand during freezing). Drape glove over a curved object in freezer (an empty wine bottle, balled up newspaper or a bag of peas all work well) so hand appears more lifelike. Freeze at until solid, about eight hours (overnight). Put glove in punch when ready to serve.
To unmold ice hands: Using scissors or a craft knife, cut open the glove starting at the knotted end, and peeling and cutting it down towards the fingers. Work carefully -- the fingers are fragile. Don't panic if a finger falls off; it'll just make the hand look more ghoulish. Keep ice hands in freezer until ready to serve punch.
Make punch: Put beet juice, raspberries, sugar, lemon juice and ice cubes in a blender and blend until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Strain mixture through a medium mesh sieve into a punch bowl. Stir in vodka, Grand Marnier and seltzer. Add ice hands just before serving.
Note: You can find fresh beet juice at juice bars, health food stores and some supermarkets such as Whole Foods.
Dark and Stormy Death Punch:
Ingredients:
One 20-ounce can lychees in heavy syrup
1/4 cup thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger
16 brandied cherries
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
12 ounces dark rum
Three 12-ounce bottles ginger beer
Ice cubes
Directions:
1. In a small saucepan, bring the lychee syrup and ginger to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and let steep for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, stuff 16 lychees with brandied cherries. Set each lychee in the cup of a mini muffin pan or in an ice cube tray. Strain the lychee-ginger syrup and pour it over the lychees. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
3. Meanwhile, in a pitcher, stir the sugar into the lime juice until dissolved. Add the rum and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
4. Unmold the lychee ice cubes into a small punch bowl. Pour in the lime-rum mixture. Add the ginger beer, stir gently and serve in ice-filled glasses.
