Watermelon Fizz Mocktail
With fresh watermelon juice, sparkling water (or wine) and a hint of basil the Watermelon Fizz, is the perfect refreshing summer cocktail.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz. Fresh Watermelon Juice
- 3.5 oz. Sparkling Water (or Champagne for a cocktail)
- Fresh Watermelon Wedge
- Fresh Basil
Method:
1. Rub the inside of your glass with fresh basil.
2. Add watermelon water to your glass, then top with sparkling water (or champagne).
3. “Bruise” or crumple the remnants of the basil and add to your glass.
4. Garnish with a fresh watermelon wedge.
The Frankenstorm
Tonight is Halloween and NYC is definitely a creepy place to be tonight in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy! Halloween has seriously been impacted by the hurricane, with the cancellation of the 39th Annual Village Halloween Parade and countless events and parties. Can really do much when 20% of NYC is without power and without public transportation.
I created The Frankenstorm cocktail, which only seemed fitting for the situation here an all along the eastern seaboard. It is a modified Hurricane Punch (of course) with a bloody dripping rim. Green in color with a frothy head, the Frankenstorm looks like many New Yorkers feel tonight.
Happy Halloween to all and Cheers!
Ingredients
1 oz. Ketel One Vodka
1 oz. Blue Curacao
2 oz. Orange Juice
2 oz. Pineapple Juice
For the Rim:
Karo syrup colored with red food coloring
(dip glass rims in syrup and turn right-side up an allow to drip down the sides)
Garnishes:
green maraschino cherries
orange wedges
Instructions:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add all of the ingredients. Shake vigorously to froth the pineapple juice and strain into an ice filled highball glass rimmed with sugar blood. Serve with a green maraschino cherry and an orange wedge.
Last Minute Halloween Treats: Glowing Cocktails
The secret to creating glowing cocktails is simply tonic water. The quinine in tonic water, which gives it it’s bitter flavoring also gives it a florescent glow when placed under UV lights. It is the perfect ghostly-glow for a Halloween themed cocktail. A simple gin or vodka and tonic will do the trick or try some of my favorite glowing cocktails for a spectacular Halloween treat!
Florescent Punch
In order to make punch florescent, you need to use at least 50% tonic water for the recipe. To balance the bitterness, I mix it with pineapple juice, tripple sec (for sweetness) and fresh lime juice. The spirit is up to you. I prefer Ketel One Vodka, but Don Julio Blanco Tequila works too!
To creep-it-up a notch, create glowing “severed hands” by freezing flat tonic water in latex gloves (w/o talc powder) to give the punch an extra-spooky look while keeping it cold. Make sure to place the punch bowl right underneath a couple of black lights to get the maximum glow.
INSTRUCTIONS
For the severed-hand ice cubes:
Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper and set aside. Fill 1 glove with about 1 1/2 cups of the flat tonic water. Squeeze out as much air as possible and close the opening of the glove tightly with a rubber band. Lay the glove flat on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the second glove. Place in the freezer until solid, at least overnight. The severed hands will need to freeze overnight, so be sure to make them at least 1 day before you plan to serve the punch.
* Pro-tip: To quickly flatten the tonic water for the severed-hand ice cubes, place it in a container and agitate until bubbly. Repeat several times until almost no bubbles remain. Alternatively, pour it into a container, loosely cover, and let sit overnight at room temperature.
For the punch:
Place the Ketel One Vodka, Cointreau, lime juice, and pineapple juice in a 3-1/2-quart container and stir to combine. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 to 3 hours.
When ready to serve the punch, remove the severed-hand ice cubes from the freezer. Let it sit about 3 to 5 minutes at room temperature to help loosen the rubber gloves. Meanwhile, add the tonic to the punch mixture and gently stir to combine. Cut away and discard the rubber gloves (use extra care around the fingers). Place the ice-cube hands in the punch and serve underneath black lights.
Glow Jell-O
Jell-O is an American desert classic and Jell-O shots are nothing new… BUT Glow Jell-O is truly out-of-this-world! It’s not a trick, but tonic that makes the Jell-O glow. It is a simple recipe that replaces cold water with cold tonic (with bubbles) that makes is glow under UV light (aka black light). Adding a clear spirit to make adult version of Glow Jell-O!
Ingredients
1 package of Island Pineapple Jell-O
1 cup Ketel One Vodka (you can substitute extra tonic for the vodka if you want to make non-alcohol)
Juice of 1 large lime
1 cup tonic water (chilled before use, if possible)
8 lime slices, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
Pour the Jell-O into a large heatproof bowl. Pour 1/2 cup of vodka over the gelatin and leave for a few minutes so the gelatin dissolves. Put the bowl in a microwave and heat on high power for 1½ minutes and stir until the gelatin has completely dissolved. Don’t let it boil.
Stir the remaining vodka and the lemon juice into the gelatin, then add the chilled tonic water, pouring it in as carefully as you can to keep it from fizzing (you want to lock in all those bubbles).
*Pro-tip: If you are using non-silicon molds, lightly grease them inside using vegetable oil on a piece of paper towels. Silicone molds don’t need greasing.
Pour the mixture, equally carefully, into your gelatin molds or glasses, garnish with lemon slices, if using, and place in the fridge to set for about 6 hours.
Serve under UV light. The darker it is, the better the effect, so serve at night, with the lights turned out and the UV bulb as close to the Jell-O as possible!
Use fun molds like these bat ice cube trays to make the Glow Jell-O more fun!
Champagne Cranberry Cocktail
(serves 1)
- Three Ketel One vodka soaked cranberries
- ½ oz Elderflower liqueur
- 6 oz of Moet & Chandon Champagne
Vodka Soaked Cranberries Recipe:
Mason Jar
Frozen Cranberries
Orange Flavored Vodka
Using a mason jar, add frozen cranberries and orange vodka. Let sit for 2 weeks.
Muddle three cranberries in the bottom of an 8 oz champagne glass. Add the Elderflower liqueur and top off with 6 oz of brut champagne
For links to all The Golden Harvest recipes and tips, click here!
Halloween Downloadables
While planning setting up the bar and buffet table at your next Halloween Party, incorporate these creative and fun Bottle Labels and Tombstone Tent Cards. These create an interesting theme to capture your guests attention, allowing them to concoct their own Mad Scientist Cocktail and pick through the graveyard of yummy food!
I used these RADIOACTIVE RUNOFF and PLUTONIUM ELIXIR labels for The Mad Scientist Bar segment which was featured on Better TV. I removed the manufacturer’s labels from liquors, mixers, and wine and added these fun, toxic labels to the bottles.
You can also add them to jars and canisters of garnishes. Print these images on 8.5″x11″ label paper, cut them out and adhere them to the bottles.
I used these Tombstone Tent Cards during another Halloween segment on Better TV. These cute tent cards can be printed at home on card stock paper using your home printer and are easy to cut out and assemble.The Tombstone Tent Cards are a great way to label the food and drinks on the bar or buffet table at your party.
All you have to do is print, cut, fold, and label!
Click here to download the Bottle Labels and Tombstone Tent Cards!
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“The Duel” — Recommended by Gomez Addams
Gomez Addams
Gomez is in love with his wife, Morticia and cannot resist the urge to sweep her up in his arms and kiss her anytime that he sees her. He loves to duel and is a master of the sultry tango, which he and Morticia practice nightly.
Cocktail:
The Duel
5oz Martini Glass Chilled
Ingredients:
3/4 oz Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
3/4 oz Godiva Chocolate Raspberry Vodka
1/4 oz Chambord
2 cocktail shakers
Fill a shaker with ice and pour in Godiva Chocolate Liqueur, shake until chilled. Strain the Godiva Chocolate Liqueur into the bottom of a chilled martini glass. Godiva Ligueur has a rich creamy flavor, that complements the chocolate essence of the light, delicious vodka. Fill the second shaker with ice and pour in the Godiva Chocolate Raspberry Vodka and Chambord, shake until chilled. To layer the cocktail, turn a spoon upside down and gently pour the Godiva Chocolate Raspberry Vodka over the first layer.
Food Paring:
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“The Vanilla Freeze” — Recommended by Lurch
Lurch
Lurch is the devoted family butler who does all the household chores except for the cooking. Lurch exists somewhere between the living and the dead, which is why it often takes him longer than most to get something done. He remains a faithful servant and companion to The Addams Family.
Cocktail:
The Vanilla Freeze
Ingredients:
½ cup vanilla ice cream
¾ oz Smirnoff Vanilla vodka
¾ oz Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur
Splash Orange Juice
Wilton Color Mist Food Color Spray – Green
To make the cocktail: Spray the goblet with the Wilton Color Mist Food Color Spray. Mix all the ingredients together in a blender on a low speed for 10-15 seconds. Spoon the mixture into a wine goblet.
** To make non-alcoholic, omit vodka and replace Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur with one packet of Land O’ Lakes or Ghirardelli white hot chocolate mix (1.5 oz).
Food Paring:
Spooky Candy Cookie Sandwiches
Halloween shaped sugar cookies with candy centers
Ingredients:
Ready to Bake Sugar Cookie Dough
Wilton Halloween Cookie Cutters
Wilton Candy Melts – Available in numerous colors and flavors
Non-Stick Cookie Sheet
Using a rolling pin and flour, roll out the sugar cookie dough to be approximately ¼ of an inch in thickness. Once the dough is rolled and flat, using the Wilton Halloween Cookie Cutters, cut the cookies and place them on a non-stick cookie sheet. Follow the baking instruction on the back of the packaging to ensure you are cooking them for the appropriate time and temperature. Once cookies are cooled, melt the desired Wilton Candy Melts and spread evenly on each cookie. Sandwich the melted candy with another cookie of the same shape. Decorate the cookie with the candy melts as desired.
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