Drink Up, Witches: The Witch’s Brew Cocktail is Here!

Halloween is here, and you know what that means: HALLOWEEN THEMED EVERYTHING. HALLOWEEN DECOR. HALLOWEEN DEBAUCHERY. And most importantly, HALLOWEEN DRINKS

Halloween is my favorite holiday - not simply because of my proclivity towards murder and madness, but also because it includes my 2 favorite D-words: Dressup and Drinking. “But blog writer,” you screech from the rock you presumably just crawled out from under because that’s the only way you wouldn’t know the answer to this hypothetical question, “How can we possibly combine these two timeless pastimes in a fun and spooky way?”

The Witch’s Brew Cocktail, that’s how. 

Get your broomstick or whatever because we’re about to get absolutely nuts with Halloween facts, fiction, and fun. Also, you’re going to learn how to make the Witch’s Brew Cocktail, which I assume is why you are here. 

LET’S GET BREWING, MY PRETTIES!

A (Super) Brief History of Halloween Festivities

Halloween parties have been around forever due to everyone’s love of combining genuine fear with genuine fun. However, the real start of Halloween comes from the Celtic Festival of Samhain, which dates back to over 2,000 years ago. 

October 31st marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter’s icy claws cursing us with infinite darkness and destroying our beloved agriculture. The Celts began to believe that this was also the day that the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred, which I understand because winter also makes me feel like I am both dead and alive.

To commemorate this event, people would gather to burn crops, sacrifice animals, and wear costumes consisting of said animal’s heads and skins. 

This tradition was passed off through many cultures, including the Roman Empire (who called the date Feralia). As most things do, this festival eventually fell under the influence of Christianity, which morphed the holiday into All Saints Day, celebrated on November 2nd. From that, the eve of All Saints Day became All-Hallows Eve, eventually morphing into the name Halloween.

Halloween made its way to the US in the colonial era, but was not initially celebrated much due to the colonists being both super Protestant and big into burning innocent women alive based on (zero) evidence of witchcraft.

Anyway, on a lighter note, the 19th century brought with it a rekindling of our relationship with Halloween - people began telling each other ghost stories and overall making mischief wherever they could. The onslaught of Irish immigrants around this time helped popularize the celebration of Halloween nationally, and alcohol and costumes were naturally incorporated into the mix as the years went on. 

Decades of molding traditions have brought us to the Halloween we’ve come to love today - filled with costumes, witch’s brew cocktails, parties, and not nearly as many animal sacrifices.

How Does the Witch’s Brew Cocktail Get Its Color?

Aside from the scarily sweet flavor, the witch’s brew cocktail has gained infamy in the Halloween cocktail circuit for its delightfully odd hues. 

Green and purple seem to be the most common shades of this colorful cocktail, which can be created naturally or with food coloring. If you’re looking to go the natural route or don’t have food coloring on hand, you might want to stick to green - the Midori liqueur in our recipe should turn your concoction green without any extra work! 

The Original Witch’s Brew Cocktail Recipe

This drink is the perfect scary serum to get sloshed - and best of all, it’s frighteningly easy to make! Here’s everything you’re going to need for this creepy cocktail:

Witch’s Brew Cocktail Ingredients:

  • 2 ½ oz Midori melon liqueur (or raspberry liqueur for a purple witch’s brew)
  • 2 ½ oz orange juice
  • 2 ½ oz lemon lime soda
  • (optional) green or purple food coloring
  • (optional) silver cake shimmer

Make the Witch’s Brew Cocktail in 3 Easy Steps:

  1. Grab your cocktail shaker (if you don’t have one, check out our amazing bartending kits that have all of the essentials to take your bartending from low level to pro level). 
  2. Pour your Midori (or raspberry) liqueur, OJ, and food coloring (optional), and shake until chilled. 
  3. Once you’re done, pour the mixture into a Halloween-themed martini glass, add your soda, top with cake shimmer (for some extra spooky zazz), and serve! 

Can I Use Any Substitutions?

Yes! Cocktails are amazing because so many of the ingredients can be changed out while still getting amazing results - and this is particularly true for the witch’s brew cocktail. This recipe can honestly use any kind of liqueur, as long as it’s sweet. Amaretto, St-Germain, Campari, Contreau, Hpnotiq, and Triple Sec are all great liqueur substitutions that will still get you great results (with some food coloring, of course)! 

If you’re looking to add a little more booze to your brew, vodka is a perfect addition that won’t totally overpower the sweetness, while still getting you buzzed.

Halloween Party Serving Tips

While the witch’s brew cocktail is a surefire way to turn your party up to 11, it isn’t the only thing you’ll need. Halloween parties are all about atmosphere. Scary atmosphere. Which means your Halloween party needs to be equal parts classy and creepy. Not sure how to do that? Here are some great tips: 

  1. Start with spooky, yet dignified decor. You don’t have to go totally nuts with unnecessary plastic decorations - simple, stylish decor like cobwebs, black tablecloths and candles are honestly a great way to get the vibe going. 
  1. Get the right music and media. Putting on some Halloween media in the background, like old spooky music or an old scary movie is a great way to get people talking (putting on a film like An American Werewolf in London is a great way to tell your guests ‘Hey, I know how to have a good time, and also maybe I am a werewolf’). 
  1. Don’t go overboard. This may surprise you, but most people don’t actually like being genuinely scared, so don’t go crazy with the spookiness. I assume you’re making this cocktail for your friends, and I feel like the last thing they would want is you creating bad-scary vibes instead of good-scary ones. 

  Don’t wait in the closet with a chainsaw, is all I’m saying. 

  1. Let loose! Halloween is the one time of the year we get to be someone we’re not. Don’t get all twisted up about how well your party is going, let yourself have some fun!

Learn more about our Halloween part must-haves for a hauntingly good time here!

What Food Goes with the Witch’s Brew Cocktail?

The best thing about this cocktail is that it really goes with everything. Sweet, savory, sour, you name it, you can sip this brew with it. I personally recommend hors d'oeuvres and finger foods for any party, because it’s easy to eat without making a mess (I know we’re not toddlers, but after a few witch’s brew cocktails you may have the motor skills of one).  

Sweet foods also go well with this concoction - be sure you have Halloween candy on hand. 

Final Thoughts

All in all, Halloween is the perfect time for costumes, cocktails, and camp. Incorporate all of these things (plus the witch’s brew cocktail) for a guaranteed good time. 

Happy haunting! 

 

 

Contributing Writer: Aurora Detor