Witch’s Brew

I love Halloween; it’s the official kick-off to the most festive time of the year. Halloween decorations are up in our house by mid-September, and I am not sorry about it. Check out my skeleton wreath for my latest DIY décor project.  I am a bit selective when it comes to which Halloween themes I display.  Potions, spells, witches, and pumpkins are my cup of tea, which is why I created this evil Witch’s Brew potion. 

There is nothing like a good spell to cast on your guests when they stop by during this haunting time.  Serve this eerie concoction with dry ice to really make the Witch’s Brew come to life. 

When I created this potion, I mean cocktail, I pictured an old sinister witch deep in the woods stirring her cauldron inside her cobwebbed covered cottage.  She used the apples from her poison apple tree and plucked blackberries from a shrub nearby. The fruit is used to mask the flavor of her deadly mixture, and when blended with other ingredients, it makes this delicious Witch’s Brew.  

Now that you know the backstory let’s get into the details.  This cocktail’s base comes from one of my favorites, the French 75, which is refreshing, bubbly, and delightful.  It’s a gin-based cocktail with simple syrup, lemon juice, topped with champagne.  This has a similar flare.  If you are not a gin person, vodka could be substituted. Added to the drink are blackberries and apple. Together they add a sweet harvest flavor and the perfect color.

Helpful Tools For Witch’s Brew

• Muddler– This comes in handy for some many things in the kitchen.
• Martini glasses– These glasses are Lenox from their Tuscan line.

Fruit Infused Simple Syrup

Part of this drink can be made ahead of time because the flavors really come through as they steep.  Start by making a simple syrup, which is equal parts water and sugar, boiled until sugar is dissolved.  If you plan on making more than one of these cocktails, 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar, totaling 8 ounces, will make about 5 drinks.  The recipe I have listed below is for one cocktail, but if you want to have the ingredients ready to make a couple of drinks, this is what you do.

Muddle, Muddle Toil and Trouble

Add 1 cup of blackberries, 2 diced Granny Smith apples, and 5 ounces of fresh lemon juice to the simple syrup and muddle together.  The warm, simple syrup helps to soften the fruit and extract flavors.  At this point, you can continue making the rest of the drink or pour the fruit and syrup into a jar and refrigerate up to a week. 

Icey Cold vs. Smokey Cold

If you are not using dry ice,

• Add regular ice to the pitcher
• 12.5 ounces of the blackberry, apple, and lemon-infused simple syrup (strained)
• 10 ounces of gin and stir
• Pour into an 8-ounce martini glass and top with Prosecco

If you are using dry ice,

• Do not add regular ice to the pitcher; the dry ice smoke effect is much greater when ingredients are at room temperature.
• Mix ingredients together, as listed above.
• Leave about a ½ inch or so of room at the top of the glass after adding the Prosecco.
• Using tongs, drop a pellet of dry ice into your martini glass.  Don’t worry; your cocktail will get cold; at -193 F degrees, the dry ice will chill the drink in no time.

  Please see the dry ice safety disclosure below the recipe.

Full disclosure about dry ice. Dry ice is carbon dioxide found in soda and seltzer waters, but when frozen, the gas turns into a solid. Please handle dry ice with care.  -193 F degrees is cold, and it can burn you if you touch the dry ice with bare skin.  Use tongs when transferring ice.  Try and use pellets of dry ice as opposed to a large block you need to break apart. NEVER INGEST because of how cold it is. The ice will stay at the bottom of your glass, so it is safe to sip the drink with the smoke effect. Supervise children if they will be enjoying their own spooky Halloween punch.