The trick-or-treaters are gone. The porch lights are off. You have your movies queued up, your comfy clothes on, jack-o’-lanterns lit. What’s missing? Your glass filled with something bewitching, of course. It’s the easiest part of the whole night. Sure, you could always go with simple sips such as a pumpkin ale, a spiced wine or a hard cider.
But if you want a treat with a trick, we revisited some ingenious concoctions from autumns past. We dusted these off and found they still make perfect for pairing with tales from the crypts of Hollywood. Like any self-respecting zombie, no good drink recipe is ever dead. So dig out your shiny black chalice — or hollow out a fresh small pumpkin — and stir things up before you turn out the lights.
Take your pick, dearies. And a word of advice: If you hear a loud crash in the garage, don’t go check it out alone. At least bring your glass with you.
Boozy Pumpkin Milkshake
4 scoops vanilla ice cream
¼ cup canned pumpkin puree
2½ ounces vanilla vodka
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
Pinch ground ginger
Pinch cloves
1 small pie pumpkin, hollowed out
Whipped cream to garnish
Cinnamon stick to garnish
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend.
Pour into a small hollowed-out pie pumpkin, top with whipped cream and garnish with a cinnamon stick or green straw.
— www.fashionablybombed.com
Hard Apple Cider Sangria
1 cup thinly sliced unpeeled green and red apples
1 orange, thinly sliced crosswise
1 peach, thinly sliced
Handful of raspberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup apple juice, chilled
¼ cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup apple brandy
One 22-ounce bottle hard apple cider, chilled
Ice
Fresh mint leaves for decoration
Thinly slice the apples — on a mandoline if possible.
Using a sharp knife, slice the orange and peach as thinly as possible.
In a pitcher, combine the apples with the orange, peach, raspberries, apple juice, orange juice and brandy. Refrigerate for a few hours (minimum 3).
Just before serving, add the hard cider.
Serve over ice with fresh mint.
— www.sogoodblog.com
Apple Cider Mimosas
Apple cider
Champagne or sparkling wine
Brown sugar for rim of glass (optional)
Apple slices for garnish (optional)
Dip the top of each Champagne glass into water and then dip in brown sugar to coat.
Fill each glass ½ to ¾ full with apple cider.
Top with Champagne.
— adapted from www.thecookierookie.com
Apple, Pumpkin Beer Cocktail
8 ounces bourbon
9 ounces apple cider
2½ ounces lemon juice
12 ounces pumpkin ale
Ice
Cinnamon sticks and cranberries for garnish, optional
In a cocktail shaker, shake together the bourbon, apple cider and lemon juice.
Pour into 4 glasses filled with ice.
Pour the beer evenly into each glass.
Garnish with cinnamon sticks and cranberries, if using. Serve immediately.
— www.cookingandbeer.com
Caramel-Kissed Vodka Cider
2 ounces caramel-flavored vodka
6 ounces apple cider
Cinnamon stick
Fill rocks glass with ice. Pour in vodka and fill glass with cider. Stir with cinnamon stick.
— Tori Roehm
— Jennie Geisler can be reached on Twitter: @ETNGeisler.
