Witch's Cold Brew

Happy Halloween, friends! I don't know about you, but with all the stuff to do today I could really use a pick-me-up. Or at least something to look forward to when the madness of trick-or-treating is over. Witch's Cold Brew is cold brewed coffee spiked with some cinnamon simple syrup and vanilla rum. It's a simple concoction that is made even better by the addition of nutmeg scented whipped cream. So, face the evening head on and whip up one of these beauties when you are ready to settle in for the night!

Witch's Cold Brew

Makes 2 cocktails

• 2 cups cold brew coffee (for ease, pick some up from your local coffee shop)
• 2 1/2 ounces vanilla vodka
• 1 ounce cinnamon simple syrup
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg plus more for garnish

1. In a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice, combine the coffee, vanilla vodka, and simple syrup.
2. Stir until chilled and strain into two tall, ice-filled glasses.
3. Whip the cream and the nutmeg with an electric hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
4. Finish the drinks with a dollop of the cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Cinnamon Simple Syrup

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 4 cinnamon sticks

1. Combine the sugar, water and cinnamon sticks in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Reduce the heat and simmer the syrup until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
3. Strain and cool before storing in the fridge or using in a cocktail.

The Great Pumpkin Float

Brad and I went on a date a while back and had some locally brewed beer. I ordered a Shake Chocolate Porter from Boulder Beer and immediately new I had to make a beer float with it. The Great Pumpkin Float is a combination of chocolatey beer with a slight coffee flavor and deliciously spiced Horchata Ice Cream from Tillamook. This is the easiest cocktail you will ever make and it is perfect for last-minute Halloween parties or as a treat while you watch The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown (you know you want to)! 

There isn't much of a recipe for this (beer + ice cream = done) but here ya go:

The Great Pumpkin Float

• 1 bottle dark, smooth beer (chocolate porter is my preference)
• 2 scoops Tillamook Horchata Ice Cream or cinnamon ice cream

1. Scoop the ice cream into a large beer mug.
2. Slowly pour the beer over the ice cream.
3. SLURP.

Ichabod Crane

One of my favorite Halloween stories is The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The spooky story is one that conjures images of foggy forest pathways, a full moon with dark, wispy clouds creeping over its surface, and that feeling of someone chasing you in the pitch black of night. This cocktail brings that image to life. The rosemary gives a woodsy appeal in the form of a garnish and a sweet syrup. The dry ice provides the fog. And the bourbon...well, does one really need a reason to have bourbon? It seemed an appropriate choice. 

In the end, this is really just a twist on the classic Old Fashioned. A sturdy, steadfast drink to calm even the jumpiest of nerves on Halloween night. Ichabod could have used one or two of these, don't you think?

*Note: You can use the dry ice but it is not required. If you do use it, make sure no one gets it in their mouth. Ouch.  

Ichabod Crane

Makes 1 cocktail

• 1 1/2 ounces bourbon
• 1-2 drop angostura bitters
• 1 teaspoon rosemary simple syrup (recipe below)
• orange twist
• rosemary sprig
• small piece of dry ice (optional)

1. Put the simple syrup and bitters in an old fashioned glass and stir to combine. Fill the glass with ice and add the bourbon.
2. Add the dry ice, if using, and push to the bottom of the glass with a stir stick or spoon.
3. Garnish with an orange twist and a sprig of rosemary.

Rosemary Simple Syrup

Makes 1 cup

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large rosemary sprigs

1. Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, add 2 of the rosemary sprigs and barely simmer for about 5 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat, add the remaining 2 rosemary sprigs and allow to cool. Once cooled, transfer the syrup with the rosemary sprigs to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight. Strain before using the syrup.

*Syrup will stay fresh for 1 week in the refrigerator.

Bone Dry Martini

My round of Halloween cocktails continues with a Bone Dry Martini! Truthfully, it's just a dry martini with a little skeleton hanging out in the glass, but here's the wonderful thing about creating holiday-themed cocktails: you don't have to recreate the wheel. One thing that scares people when it comes to theme parties, or simply adding a festive touch, is that they are afraid it will be too hard.

So get that cocktail shaker out (or stir stick) and whip up a James Bond-worthy martini, toss in a skeleton, and get in the spirit of the season!

Oh, and don't forget the garlic-stuffed green olives. Because #vampires.

Bone Dry Martini

Makes 1 cocktail

• 2 oz gin
• 1/2 ozDry vermouth
• 2 dashes bitters
• 2 garlic stuffed olives

1. Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker and fill with ice.
2. Stir until thoroughly chilled and pour through a strainer into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with garlic stuffed olives (to keep the vampires away) and a (clean) skeleton or skull.

The Bloody Mummy

And just like that, we have arrived at the last week of October. I can't tell you exactly how that happened so quickly, but lucky for you, I'm filling the last few days of the month with delicious, spooky cocktail recipes! How does one new recipe a day sound? Starting....NOW!

The Bloody Mummy is my Halloween take on a brunch staple: a Bloody Mary. Just add string cheese! It's a simple change that makes this mummified drink fit for any (adults only) Halloween party or perhaps a post-Halloween brunch.

Stay tuned for cocktail #2, coming up tomorrow!

The Bloody Mummy

Makes 2 large drinks

• 2 cups tomato juice, low sodium
• 1 1/2 teaspoons wasabi paste
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon shichimi togarashi
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 5 oz vodka or gin
• celery salt
• celery stalks
• pickled green beans
• carrot sticks
• string cheese

1. Put some celery salt on a plate. Using a lemon wedge, line the rims of two tall glasses. Gently dip the rims in the celery salt before filling each glass with ice.
2. In a large glass measuring pitcher, combine the wasabi paste, soy sauce, shichimi togarashi and lemon juice. Whisk until combined.
3. Pour the tomato juice over the wasabi mixture and stir to combine.
4. Pull the string cheese apart in thin strips and carefully line each glass. This can be a little tedious but don’t worry about it being completely perfect. You will still get the mummy effect if a couple of the pieces fall out of place.
5. Carefully add the ice in the glass, making sure not to disturb the cheese too much. The ice will work well to hold the strips in place.
6. Put 1 1/2 oz of vodka in each ice-filled glass. Top with the tomato juice mixture and garnish with celery, carrots and pickled green beans.

Cocktail Friday: The Pumpkin Patch

Of all the holidays, I think Halloween is the one I get the least involved in. I can't watch truly scary movies, I am not great at coming up with creative costumes, and (gasp!) I'm not much of a candy eater. While I may not be on board with all of these things, I am on board with seeing my little boy dressed up in his cute dragon costume, carving pumpkins, and enjoying festive cocktails that reflect the festivity of the season.

Pumpkin Patch Cocktail Ingredients | Set the Table

I stumbled on this cocktail recipe while browsing through Pinterest (are you following me yet?) and I knew it would be delicious. Plus, it uses egg whites which I've been dying to use more in my cocktail recipes. Rather than using the silver tequila as called for in the original recipe, I opted for bourbon. I'm sort of on a bourbon-kick lately and it worked beautifully here.

The Pumpkin Patch {a Halloween Cocktail} | Set the Table

Halloween Cocktail Recipe | Set the Table

This is not really an ideal party drink, but it is ideal for quiet evenings that call for something special to toast with. The frothy top is perfect for supporting a healthy sprinkling of pumpkin spice and balances perfectly with the sweet and sour cocktail below. I might be able to make it through a super scary movie with this in my hand...

Pumpkin Patch Cocktail | Set the Table

The Pumpkin Patch

Yield: Makes 1 cocktail
This recipe is adapted from The Daily Meal.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 3/4 oz lime juice
• 1 egg white from a medium-sized egg
• 1 3/4 oz apple cider
• 1 1/2 oz bourbon

Instructions

1. Combine the brown sugar, honey, lime juice and egg white in a cocktail shaker.
2. Shake vigorously until the honey and sugar have dissolved and the egg white is frothy.
3. Add the cider and bourbon and stir gently until just combined.
4. Pour the cocktail into a chilled snifter or other cocktail glass.