Spooky Mixology Monday

Because Halloween is on a Saturday this year, Halloween parties might only be two nights, rather than the weekend before and after. With that limited agenda, we recommend some all-star recipes that your guests, whether or not they're Undead, will love.

Devil's Island Daiquiri

1 tablespoon sugar
Dash of Fee Brothers Old Fashion bitters or Angostura bitters
1 lime wedge
2 ounces Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
1 1/2 tablespoons honey mixed with 1 1/2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 cup crushed ice

On a plate, mix the sugar with the bitters. Moisten the outer rim of a large chilled coupe with the lime wedge, then coat the rim with the sugar mixture. In a blender, combine the rum, honey mixture, lime juice and crushed ice and blend at high speed until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into the prepared coupe. Since this is basically a cold buttered rum, you could try this instead of eggnog.

Hot Spiced Wine

2 bottles light-bodied red wine (try the Pinot Project Pinot Noir)

1 1/4 cups sugar

Zest of 1 orange

Zest of 1 lemon

3 black peppercorns, crushed

2 cardamom pods, crushed

One 3-inch cinnamon stick, crushed

1 clove, crushed

1/2 cup Leroux Kirschwasser

In a large saucepan, combine the red wine with the sugar and the orange and lemon zests. Put the spices in a tea ball and add to the saucepan. Bring the wine to a very slow simmer over moderate heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat, discard the tea ball and stir in the kirsch. Ladle the spiced wine into heatproof glasses and serve at once. You can also use this recipe instead of a more traditional mulled wine.

Dark and Stormy Death Punch

The ingredients: 

One 20-ounce can lychees in heavy syrup

1/4 cup thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger

16 brandied cherries

1/4 cup superfine sugar

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

12 ounces Gosling's Black Rum

Three 12-ounce cans of Gosling's Ginger Beer

Ice cubes

The process:

1. In a small saucepan, bring the lychee syrup and ginger to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and let steep for 30 minutes.

2.  Meanwhile, stuff 16 lychees with brandied cherries. Set each lychee in the cup of a mini muffin pan or in an ice cube tray. Strain the lychee-ginger syrup and pour it over the lychees. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

3. Meanwhile, in a pitcher, stir the sugar into the lime juice until dissolved. Add the rum and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

 4. Unmold the lychee ice cubes into a small punch bowl. Pour in the lime-rum mixture. Add the ginger beer, stir gently and serve in ice-filled glasses.

Cheers!