I’ve been reading Halloween cocktail recipes for years, and since drinking heavily was most certainly in the cards after the week I’ve had, it seemed like a good time to stop reading and start making.
I found the recipe over at this site. I wish it had a cool name like “Agent Orange” or “Sunshine Reaper,” but the site only refers to it as a “Halloween Cocktail.” Am I allowed to rename cocktails if I swiped the recipes? Let’s pretend I am. This is an “Agent Orange.” It’s wonderful.
Combine two ounces of bourbon, three ounces of orange juice and the juice of half of a lemon in a cocktail shaker. Shake and strain into a glass full of ice. Top it off with some ginger ale. (The recipe doesn’t specify how much ginger ale, so let’s just say “to taste.”)
I only drink whiskey when I have absolutely no idea that it’s in what I’m drinking, so I had some reservations, but this is delicious. It tastes almost exactly like a Navy Grog, which makes no sense at all since Navy Grogs have an entirely different set of ingredients. The truth is, I just like writing the word “grog.”
Wondering how this drink ties in with Halloween? The official recipe calls for unpitted olives with pumpkin faces carved on as the garnish. YES. YES, YES YES. I’ve never known olives to be a candidate for garnish in a fruity whiskey drink, but I will never, ever argue with an excuse to carve olives up like jack o’ lanterns. Oh, the fun I had.
Unfortunately, you’ll need all of the above to whip up a batch of Halloween Cocktails Agent Oranges. Still totally worth it. I love blaming alcoholism on Halloween enthusiasm.
Your challenge: Raid your liquor cabinet and search online. I guarantee that you’ll find at least one Halloween-themed cocktail to enjoy using whatever you’ve already got. Well, unless you’re fifteen. And you very well may be, since I usually just write about toys and candy. For the rest of you, I can think of no better way to spend this perfect dead leaf evening than with a glass full of something evilly named. Good luck!
Posted by Matt. E-mail me!
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I’ll need something like that to take the edge off from the parents visiting the wife and I this weekend.
Never been a fan of mixed drinks. I prefer wine.
If I sit here reading “The Raven,” staring at my authentic bust of Pallas Athena (that’s the statue that the title character sits on in the poem), and drinking a glass of fine ruby port, is that Halloweenie enough?