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!
Last Minute Halloween Tips and Tricks
Here’s a scary story for you…Halloween is creeping up and you don’t have anything ready for your Halloween party – no decorations or activities? no costume…? (insert scream) Are you starting to panic? Fear not! There are items lurking in your closets and around the house that you can easily transform into spooktacular decor, activities, and costumes!
You can turn everyday items we all have like black trash bags, leftover Christmas lights, and bed sheets into this years Halloween decorations. Without spending much money, these items can be adhered to your front door or to a blank wall in your house with damage-free Command Clear Products to create Die4Décor. As a fun party activity, your decor can pull double-duty as a photo booth, giving guests a memorable photo to take home or send each guest’s photo(s) via email as a “Thank You” for coming to the party.
click here for step by step instructions Die4Décor/DIY Photo Booth
If you don’t have a costume and don’t want to go dressed as “super lame,” it’s time to dig that old white button down shirt out of your closet! Whether it’s a little worn, has stains on it, or lipstick on the collar, it can be reconstructed into one of these six costumes for Halloween:
A fun twist on an aristocrat costume, the Arista-Cat can be playful if paired with the right shoes.
Magic Mike/Chippendale Dancer
Magic Mike was one of the hottest movies this year and this costume follows suit.
To be or not to be…dressed in a classic costume that will take you back to another era.
This whimsical costume is to be worn with the intent of having a magical evening.
A versatile costume piece made for a child or adult, angel wings can be taken to the dark side with the use of a black button down shirt.
A reflection of what could be a hard day’s work on Wall Street, this costume rises from the dead.
For step by step instructions on how to make these costumes, click on the name of the costume or the photo.
Die4Decor/DIY Photo Booth
You can make Die4Décor on your front door or any blank wall in your house by using everyday items from around the house and create a do it yourself backdrop for guests at your party to pose and take photos in front of. It’s not only inexpensive, but it gives your guests a chance to ham it up in their costumes and take a keepsake photo home with them. All you have to do is gather your items, damage-free Command Clear Products, and follow the instructions below!
Pro Tip: Damage-free Command Clear Hooks and Clips can transform an ordinary wall. They are invisible and won’t leave holes or marks on your wall!
Materials: Command Clear Products (hooks and clips), Command Picture Hanging Strips, black trash bags, bed sheets, colored packing tape, white twinkle lights, window screen material, gauze, rope, plastic chains, large frames, and scissors
- Using damage free Command Clear Clips, hang long strips of gauze material or white bed sheets on a blank wall to create a spooky backdrop. Tear the material to add dimension to the wall.
- Shred black trash bags and window screen material and drape them along the ceiling of the wall (using the same clips) like a holiday garland, but creepier! It’s all about the layering for a dramatic effect.
- Use Command Clear Decorating Clips to hang twinkle lights leftover from Christmas around the space for an eerie glow. Pro tip: Put Halloween colored packing tape over the bulbs of your white twinkle lights to transform them from ordinary to spooktacular.
- Hang empty frames distressed with paint splatters using Command Picture Hanging Strips as wall décor that doubles as a prop. (I attached a DANGER sign to my frame.)
- Hang props on your wall using Command Clear Hooks that guests can take off and incorporate into their photos. I used yellow plastic chains, made a whip out of a door spring with black rope and a hangman’s noose out a thicker black rope. (Click here for instructions on how to make the whip and here for instructions on the noose.)
- After the party, send each photo via email to guests as a “Thank You” for coming to the party and as a reminder of the great time they had.
Halloween Die4Decor: Hangman’s Noose
Materials: 1 yard of rope and black tape
- Lay the piece of rope out in the shape of an S.
- Taking the rope at the start of the S (at the top), wrap it down and around the rest of the rope. You should have one loop on the left and one loop on the right.
- Wrap the rope around (to the left) 4-5 more times making sure to keep the two loops.
- Stick the piece of rope through the left loop.
- Make sure to hold onto the left part of the noose and pull the right loop until it tightens and the left loop is no longer visible.
After it is complete, you should be able to adjust the size of the noose. On the other end of the rope, create a loop and use tape to secure it (or just knot it), so you can hook it onto your wall with one of the Command Clear Hooks for decoration, but easily take it off and use it as a prop for the photo booth!
Halloween Die4Decor: Whip
Materials: Door spring, rope, and scissors
1. Cut your rope into 15-20 pieces that are each 24 inches in length.
2. Fold one piece of rope in half and stick it through one loop of the door spring.
3. Pull the loose ends of the rope through the loop (of the rope) until it is secure on the door spring.
4. Repeat until you have used all of the rope.
Use one of the Command Clear Hooks to place the whip on the wall for easy removing. Warning: Use this prop carefully…it can hurt!
Spooktacular Costumes: Arista-Cat
Materials: White button down shirt, 1-inch black satin ribbon, oatmeal container, cardboard cereal box, black gloves, black fabric (felt preferably), black headband, black pipe insulation, fabric scissors, iron, spray starch, brass plated paper fasteners, Velcro, ruler, and hot glue gun
Step-by-Step Instructions
For the Collar and Cuffs:
- Carefully remove the cuffs and collar from the shirt along the sewn edge with fabric scissors.
- Heavily starch and iron the collar and cuffs so that they stay stiff and crisp. Also be sure to take out the collar tips before ironing!
- After ironing the cuffs, use two brass plated fasteners to make cuff links by placing them into the buttonholes on both sides.
- Place a small piece of Velcro on the insides of each cuff, close to the edge (to increase flare), for easy closing. Pro Tip: Use Velcro with adhesive strips to avoid sewing.
- Hot glue a piece of the 1-inch black ribbon along the base of the neck of the collar. Tie a bow with the ribbon and staple the center to keep its form. Hot glue the bow to the front of the collar and apply a small piece of Velcro for easy closing.
For the Top Hat:
- Take the cardboard cereal box and use a 9” plate (or something circular shaped) to trace and cut a circle that will serve as the brim of the top hat.
- Trace the outline of the top of cylinder oatmeal container in the middle of the hat brim, using a ruler and draw lines across the center circle to make 8 pie sections. Cut along the pie sections, leaving the outer circle attached so that the pie sections can be folded upward.
- Measure and cut out enough black felt to cover the both sides of the brim (two 9” circles) and the sides of the oatmeal container.
- Trace the outline of the top of the oatmeal container on the center of one of the felt circles cut out the center as one piece and reserve for the center for the top of the hat.
- Glue the of felt around the sides of the oatmeal container overlapping the seam by ¼”
- Attach the brim to the felt covered oatmeal container by hot gluing the turned-up pie sections to the inside of the oatmeal container opening.
- Slide the felt circle with the center cut out over the oatmeal container and glue to the top-side of the brim. Glue the whole fabric circle to the bottom of the hat brim
- Measure a piece of black satin ribbon around the base of the oatmeal container with an extra ½” to allow for an overlap and then hot glue it to the felt and covering any gaps between the felt around the brim.
For the Cat Ears and Tail:
- Cut two triangular shapes out of the pipe insulation tube and glue them to the sides of the top hat to make cat ears.
- Glue the finished hat to a top of a black plastic headband to make a top hat fascinator.
- Use the remainder of the black pipe insulation foam tube to fashion the cat’s tail and using a safety pin, fasten it to the back of your waistband.
Add these pieces (the collar, cuffs, hat, and tail) and black gloves (I found black gardening gloves) to an all black outfit to complete your Arista-Cat costume.
Spooktacular Costumes: Magic Mike/Chippendale Dancer
Materials: White button down shirt, 1-inch black satin ribbon, fabric scissors, iron, starch spray, gold brad fasteners, Velcro and hot glue gun
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Carefully remove the cuffs and collar from the shirt along the sewn edge with fabric scissors.
- Pro tip: Heavily starch and iron the collar and cuffs so that they stay stiff and crisp. Also be sure to take out the collar tips before ironing!
- After ironing the cuffs, use two brass plated fasteners to make cuff links by placing them into the buttonholes on both sides.
- Place a small piece of Velcro on the insides of each cuff, close to the edge (to increase flare), for easy closing. Pro Tip: Use Velcro with adhesive strips to avoid sewing.
- Hot glue a piece of the 1-inch black ribbon along the base of the neck of the collar. Tie a bow with the ribbon and staple the center to keep its form. Hot glue the bow to the front of the collar and apply a small piece of Velcro for easy closing.
Wear the cuffs and collar with a pair of black pants and dress shoes and go shirtless if you dare…
Spooktacular Costumes: Elizabethan
Materials: White button down shirt, 200 pack of standard 12 cup white paper coffee filters, hot glue gun, fabric scissors, and stapler.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Carefully remove the cuff and collar from the shirt along the sewn edge with fabric scissors. (use the collar and cuffs for Arista-Cat or Magic Mike)
- Cut ⅓ of white coffee filters in half and cut out the flat bottom portion of the coffee filter.
- Staple the coffee filters around the collar in a circular motion, applying 5-10 filters layered each time for a total of 3 layers.
- For the final layer, remove 1/3 off of the bottom of the remaining cut coffee filters with a pair of scissors. Staple the cut filters around the collar in a circular motion, applying 5-10 filters at a time. Repeat this step twice. Pro Tip: Use a hot glue gun to apply a final layer of coffee filters to cover the staples.
- Cut the flat centers out of the remaining uncut coffee filters. Staple the filters around the sleeves where the cuffs used to be.
- Remove 1/3 off of the bottom with a pair of scissors. Apply this layer to the on top of the already applied layer.
Complete this costume with black pants, black dress shoes, and tie a red strip of fabric around your waist as a decorative sash.
Spooktacular Costumes: Fairy
Materials: White button down shirt, fabric scissors, white 1-inch ribbon, 3 different colors of tulle, and ruler
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Carefully remove the cuff and collar from the shirt along the sewn edge with fabric scissors. (use the collar and cuffs for Arista-Cat or Magic Mike)
- Cut slits in the shirt along the collar and cuff areas with fabric scissors
- Thread white ribbon through the slits and tie the ends of the ribbon into a bow.
- Cut the three colors of tulle into different lengths - 8, 12 & 16 inches
- Fold the piece of tulle in half and tie it to the ribbon threaded the collar by pulling the cut sides of the tulle through the looped end. Repeat with alternating colors until the collar is complete.
- Repeat step 5 to complete the cuffs.
Complete this costume with leggings, a flowy skirt, and boots. You can even kick it up a notch by making a fairytale skirt using the same technique with the tulle and ribbon.
Spooktacular Costumes: Angel Wings
Materials: White button down shirt, fabric scissors, hot glue gun, 1-inch white ribbon, marabou feathers, 2 white wire hangers, white tape, and silver glitter spray
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Using two wire wire hangers, bend each hanger into the shape of wings.
- Lay the shirt flat and cut off the sleeves and the front of the shirt, leaving you with the back of the shirt (use the collar and cuffs for Arista-Cat or Magic Mike)
- Lay the hangers you bent in step 1 on top of the shirt and hot glue the two together. Let the glue dry, then cut along the frame of the wings.
- Hot glue white ribbon along the edge of the wire wings. Make sure the ribbon is attached on both sides of the wings and let it cool.
- Glue the marabou feathers (color of your choice) around the outside of the wings, using the white ribbon as a guide.
- Attach the wings together by twisting the wire hooks together in the center and secure them with white tape and hot glue if needed. Be careful when twisting the wire hooks.
- Hot glue white ribbon around the center of the wings to make straps. Be sure to measure the straps around your arms for fit. You can also use elastic instead of ribbon.
- Spray silver glitter over both sides of the wings to make them sparkle.
Complete the costume by pairing the wings with an all white outfit. Add a tulle fairytale skirt (see Fairy).
Spooktacular Costumes: Zombie 1%
Materials: White button down shirt, fabric scissors, tea bags, old tie, charcoal briquettes, and fake blood (corn syrup and red food coloring)
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Carefully remove the cuff and collar from the shirt along the sewn edge with fabric scissors. (use the collar and cuffs for Arista-Cat or Magic Mike)
- Snip holes in the shirt with a pair of scissors and tear the sleeves and bottom of the shirt to make it frayed.
- Fill a bucket with warm water and 20 tea bags. Once the water is saturated with tea, submerge the shirt in the water and let it sit for approximately 1 hour. (This can also be done with coffee instead of tea.)
- Once the shirt has been dyed with the tea, carefully wring out all of the excess water over the sink or tub. Allow the shirt to fully dry.
- Rub dirt on the shirt to give it a bit of a grunge look.
- Rip up an old tie and drizzle it with fake blood (corn syrup colored with red food coloring)
Add a pair of worn pants and shoes to the shirt, darken your eyes with eyeshadow or eyeliner, drip a little bit of fake blood from your mouth and your Zombie 1% look is complete!
Planning a Decades Party
As scene on the October 13th episode of Access Hollywoood LIVE celebrating Billy Bush’s 40th Birthday, I have created great tips and trends for throwing a Decades Party. This is a great theme party to throw for all ages: for birthdays, anniversaries, Halloween, etc.
When creating a decade’s party, you may choose one decade to focus on or encompass the decades of your choice into one event. You can build the event from one segment to the other in even time segments allowing guests to enjoy the eras one by one. You may also set up stations throughout the event with different food, music, games, and entertainment from each decade. Guests will have a chance to roam around the space enjoying the decades at their leisure.
When creating the menu, come up with creative new ways to serve your food. Take an old time classic like meat loaf and mashed potatoes and turn it into a bite sized passed hors d’ourves by altering the recipe to make a bite sized treat. Your guests will really enjoy the bite sized and single serving portion sizes. It will give them the opportunity to mingle around the party while also enjoying the mixture of sweet and savory food items.
To set the mood and tone of the event, encourage people to dress in the appropriate clothing for that decade. Be sure to set the mood with décor from that era as well. For example, if it is a 70s disco party, be sure to have a disco ball and ask the guest to wear bell bottoms, floral shirts, and platforms. Make play lists of your favorite music from that era and play them throughout the party. A great party favor would be to burn a CD with the party playlist and create a fun CD cover for the cases. It will be a great reminder for each guest about what a great time they had during the event.
Be sure when sending an invitation to your guests that you make sure that the invitation reads that it is a theme party. You do not want your guests showing up out of theme attire because they didn’t realize the logistics of the event. Be sure that the invitation fits within the theme and has design elements according to the decade. You can customize, print and send invitations from websites such as zazzle.com.
Create a multi-tier celebratory cake, dedicating each tier to a corresponding decade. The cake from Billy’s 40th Birthday Party was created using Wilton products. Wilton offers excellent products for easy cake decorating such as edible paper, pre-colored fondants, candy molds and melts, and decorative figurines. You may also add toys and small miscellaneous items to create a creative and fun dessert.
For more information on how I designed each decade, click the links below!
Billy Bush’s Decades Birthday Cake
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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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Movie, TV, and Broadway Musical Inspired Halloween Party – The Addams Family
While envisioning your next Halloween party, a great way to create a unique theme would be to get inspiration from your favorite films, TV shows, books and even Broadway musicals. Drawing inspiration from plot, theme and characters can create a clever party from food, drinks and decorations that will really give your guests something to talk about!
Create a signature drink inspired by your favorite character or for each of the characters with a fun name and special ingredients that relate to the character’s traits, appearance and likes/dislikes.
When trying to plan the menu, think of items that will pair nicely with the selected character signature cocktail and name it something specific to the character or show.
Base decorations on the environments/locations in the film, book or show. Pick one location that you can really blow out for a highly theatrical party atmosphere.
This year I am inspired by The Addams Family. As a child, I loved to sit in front of the television and watch reruns of The Addams Family TV show. The Addams Family resonates with so many generations from the original cartoons of the 40’s and 50’s, the TV show in the 60’s and 70’s, the movies in the 90’s and the recent Broadway Show of today.
I don’t know anyone who can recall the iconic theme song…
You don’t have be a good singer, just have to be able to snap!
Having recently seen the Broadway musical, I was inspired to bring the characters to life, imagining what would be their favorite cocktail to serve at one of EVENTSTYLE’s Halloween parties.
Click below for links to food and drink parings inspired by the character from The Addams Family – The Musical Comedy.
Gomez Addams
Morticia Addams
Pugsley Addams
Wednesday Addams
Uncle Fester
Lurch
Watch Better TV for Mark’s Halloween Segment featuring The Addams Family Cocktails!
Based on the iconic characters created by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams, The Addams Family is the smash hit Broadway musical now staring film, tv and stage star Brooke Shields as Morticia and Tony Award® winner Roger Rees as Gomez. THE ADDAMS FAMILY features an original story. It’s every parent’s nightmare. Your little girl has suddenly become a young woman, and what’s worse, has fallen deliriously in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family. Yes, Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has a “normal” boyfriend, and for parents Gomez and Morticia, it’s a shocking development that turns the Addams house upside down when they are forced to host a dinner for the young man and his parents.
For more information on The Addams Family Musical visit their website.
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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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Halloween Fun: Mad Scientist Bar
Halloween is by far one of my favorite holidays for throwing parties – Halloween Parties are all about creating entertaining spaces that are as much about setting the stage and putting on a show. Which, by the way we should be doing throughout the year –minus trying to scare and gross-out our guests!
I am fascinated with mixology and I am known for my WOW tables; so as a frightful focal point to my Halloween party I created a WOW bar, The Mad Scientist Bar. (evil laugh)
[Watch my Mad Scientist Bar on Better!]
I’ve used some everyday items, classics beverages and foods, along with some of my Hollywood-style special effects to create a laboratory entertaining space. Put on your lab coat and goggles and follow along as I show to make creepy concoctions and powerful potions that will surely be a scream at any Halloween party.
Mad Scientists collect all kinds of specimens to do their experiments on. With that inspiration, I created Specimen Punch. This is a lot of fun to put together and I am using a three-tier beverage jar with a spout. In my first tier are my specimens – guts and a brain glowing in a purple Formaldehyde (cauliflower, cellophane noodles and glow lights in purple colored water). For the punch in the center of the tier I have frozen cadaver hands keeping the Radio Active Punch frightfully chilled (colored water frozen in latex gloves). Finally on top, I have a collection of nasty, but tasty gummy bugs, worms and eyeballs to garnish each drink with! A mad Scientist Bar would be complete with out specimen jars of failed experiments (canning jars filled with everyday food items in colored water; boiled eggs, white asparagus, cooked spaghetti, mushrooms, ginger roots.)
Halloween doesn’t always have to be scary or gross… it can be down right manipulative as well (another evil laugh)! To create my Secret Potions… I took the essence of classic champagne and wine, and boiled them down in to liquid spells that with a little dropper full, transforms these mild mannered glasses of champagne and wine into liquid spells for infatuation, mind control and sedation.
These cocktails are based of iconic cocktails that I dissected down to the very essence, then recombined them, fortified and more powerful then ever to create The Antidote! – I have found the cure to a boring Halloween Party. With the Antidote, I can transform these unsuspecting glasses of soda water, ginger ale and orange juice into new creations – The Cape Fear, Creepy Old Man and Ta-Kill-Ya Sunset!
I’ve taken my signature Alien Secretion cocktail created for this year’s Oscars and recalculated composition to turn them into cocktails that are truly out of this world for Halloween. These three unique cocktails have pose an very interesting dilemma when drinking… you have to eat the Alien Skin (flavored gelatin discs) off of the top in order to access the secretion below; classic alien secretion, galactic serpent, Martian sunrise!
Find more great ideas for a killer Halloween party here.
Recipes for Mad Scientist Bar below…
Specimen Punch
· 1 part Midori Melon Liqueur
· 1 part Dark Rum
· 1 part Light Rum
· 2 part White Cranberry Juice
· 1 part Unfiltered Apple Juice
· 1 part Simple Syrup
- Ice Hands – To Make Frozen Hand:
Add food color to water until you reach desired color. Fill glove with water, fastening end with a twist tie or rubber band. Hang glove from a shelf in the freezer and freeze overnight. When frozen, pull glove from ice and place “hand” in the punch.
Antidote Shots (Syringes) – Deconstructed Cocktails
- Cape Fear – Cranberry Juice, Vodka & triple sec
- After Midnight – Black Vodka & Pomegranate Juice
- Alien Secretion – Melon liquor, Pineapple & Rum
- Creepy Old Man – Burbon, dash of vanilla, triple sec
- Ta-Kill-Ya Sunset – Tequila, triple sec & Grenadine
- Gin Ricketts – Gin & Lime Juice
MIXERS – Soda Water, Tonic Water, White Cranberry Juice, White Grape Juice, Ginger Ale, lemon lime soda
Secret Potions (Medicine Jars w/ Droppers)
- Infatuation – Pom Juice & Eldeflower Liquor
- Revenge – Brandy & 151 rum, pineapple juice
- Mind Eraser – cognac, triple sec
- Sedation – lavender infused gin, lime juice, simple syrup
- Adrenaline – pear vodka, pear puree
Hallo-Tinis
- Bloody Cosmo
- White Cosmo w/ strawberry glazed rim
- Orange vodka
- White cranberry juice
- Triple sec
- Lime juice
- White Cosmo w/ strawberry glazed rim
- Black Magic
- Black cosmo w/ dark kayro syrup & orange sugar rim
- Blavod Black Vodka
- Pomegranate juice
- Triple sec
- Lime juice
- Black cosmo w/ dark kayro syrup & orange sugar rim
- Poison Apple
- Spike cider with caramel rim
- Apple Vodka
- Hard Apple Cider
- Goldshalager
- Spike cider with caramel rim
Mad Scientist Bar on Better!
If you enjoy ghosts, ghouls and goblins, then you’ll surely have a blast experimenting with some kooky concoctions at my Mad Scientist Bar. Get a hand from my Specimen Punch or try your luck taming the Galactic Serpent; but beware, side effects may include dizziness, loss of sanity and Einstein-ian white hair!
Put on your lab coat and goggles and follow me as I conduct a few experiments with host Audra Lowe on Better TV.
[Find recipes and descriptions here!]
