A chill has settled in the air and candy is lining the shelves in every store. That can only mean that it’s almost time to don our costumes and prepare to roam the streets for free candy! If you need something to help you get through the chill, endless miles of candy trekking, or that costume party, why not give our Witch’s Brew a try? Made with a red wine base, this one will keep you refreshed and feeling devilish all night long!
Witch’s Brew
The Witch’s Brew is dark, fruity, spicy, and refreshing. The allspice notes and clove elements from the bitters bring a mulled character to the deep red fruits of the wine. Bright citrus layers complexity, and the berry notes pop throughout. The sweetness balances with the tannins, and the finish gives a preserved berry and red vine linger.
Drink Notes & Recommendations
A riff on a Sherry Cobbler and a Sangria, the Witch’s Brew is made to be both quaffable and refreshing. The slow dilution from the ice and flash blending help with texture and ease some of the cloying liqueurs. With the dryness of the wine, this should also pair well with food.
- Old Vine Zinfandel – You don’t have to spend a fortune to make a great drink, we used a go to bottle of Kirkland Signature Old Vine Zinfandel for ours. For good values, look for bottles from Lodi, California.
- Lemon Juice – For best results, use fresh squeezed.
- Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao – Dry Curacao is going to offer more complexity, thanks to both offering a different base liqueur (brandy) and finishing with some spicing to the mix. If you can’t find Dry Curacao, use a regular, like our go to Cointreau.
- Vanilla Simple Syrup – Vanilla here is going to add a richness and tie the flavors together between the oak and spices.
- To make: Bring 8 oz of sugar and 8 oz of water to a boil with a whole vanilla bean split lengthwise. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cool – add 1/4 oz of Everclear (or vodka) if desired to help stabilize and preserve shelf life. Bottle, cap, and refrigerate. Dispose of if the syrup develops any clouding or mold.
- Creme de Cassis – Is added for depth here, to embolden the berry flavors. We used Marie Brizard’s Cassis de Dijon, but feel free to use whichever one you have lying around.
- St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram – St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram adds allspice notes, giving a beautiful fall spicing to the drink. You can substitute pimento dram if you have it on hand.
- Angostura Bitters – Builds more complexity onto the allspice notes, and helps carry the fall spicing through. Feel free to experience with different aromatic bitters here to add complexity.
- Ice – We recommend using ice from a small to moderate sized pellet ice here for best results (similar to cobbler). You can also use crushed ice, though the experience will be less consistent. Chick-Fil-A and Sonic are good sources of pellet ice for a few dollars if you don’t have a pellet ice freezer or good way to crush ice.
Looking for more Halloween Cocktail ideas? Check out our past year’s cocktails!