It’s the season of pumpkins, cooler weather and the thrills of Halloween. With the holiday falling on Thursday, when everyone is looking to unwind, it’s the perfect chance to mix up some special drinks. Check out The Miami Hurricane’s drink suggestions, inspired by Pinterest pins.
1 1/4 oz. Smirnoff Vanilla Twist
1/2 oz. Godiva White Chocolate liqueur
1/4 oz. half and half
1/4 oz. simple syrup
Directions: Combine ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into martini glass and serve.
Apple Cinnamon Sangria
1 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cinnamon sticks, snapped in half
1 750 ml. bottle of cidre bouche, or dry French sparkling apple cider (make sure it’s very cold)
1/2 cup Calvados
1 apple, any variety, cored and thinly sliced
Directions: Heat water, sugar and cinnamon sticks together over medium-high heat. When sugar dissolves, shut off heat and let the syrup steep until it cools. Combine the syrup, the cider, the Calvados and the sliced apples in a jug. Stir, and serve immediately.
Black Velvet
Black Vodka
Creme de cassis
Sparkling cranberry juice
Directions: Fill a glass with ice. Add one measure of Black Vodka or one drop of black food coloring to clear vodka. Add one small measure of creme de cassis. Top with sparkling cranberry juice and stir.
Bloody Cosmopolitan
1 oz. vodka
2 oz. triple sec
1 oz. blood orange juice
1/2 oz. pomegranate juice
1 slice blood orange for garnish
Sugar for glass
Directions: Rim martini glass using the blood orange and sugar. Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and pour into a glass over ice.
Check out these nonalcoholic options:
Ghoulade
2 (6 oz.) cans limeade, frozen concentrate, thawed
3 cups lemon-lime soda
3 1/2 cups green sports drink
Food coloring
Directions: Combine limeade, soda and sports drink in pitcher. Add five drops of appropriate food coloring (green makes this look ghastly) and stir. Add ice and garnish glasses with whipped cream.
Graveyard punch
2 liters diet root beer
24 gummy worms, more if desired
1 pint low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt
1 pint low-fat chocolate frozen yogurt
Directions: Make root beer ice cubes by freezing soda into ice cube trays overnight. Add one gummy worm to each cube before freezing. Line bottom of punch bowl with scoops of frozen yogurt, and add remaining root beer to make “slush.” Add root beer cubes and serve.