Halloween is one of my top two favorite holidays; in fact, it is second only to Christmas, and then followed closely by Thanksgiving. I have found that Halloween is easily the most polarizing holiday for most of the population. While some may find it to be nothing but a kitschy, cheap excuse to dress in skimpy costumes and gorge on candy, I have always been drawn to the more mysterious side the day offers. When else is it socially acceptable to fully embrace the dreary gloom and put our deepest, darkest fears on display in the front yard?! We are also given the opportunity to shuffle off our boring identities for one night and cloak ourselves in a new character we would not otherwise dream of becoming. Costume selections provide such an interesting glimpse into one’s personality. It’s always a delightful surprise for me when my quiet, reserved friend chooses an outlandish costume or when he or she showcases a sparkling sense of humor with an outfit designed around subtle satire.
I also love this macabre holiday because I believe it is the unofficial transition of fall into winter. (Yes, I know that fall officially started in September and winter officially begins at the end of December, but the end of October is when we actually start to feel the weather changing here in California.) To herald in this most sinister of celebrations, Rob and I like to throw a Halloween bash the Saturday before the actual holiday itself (that way we don’t cut into any of our friends’ family time with their kiddos). Rob and I pick a theme for the party and go hog wild with decorations both inside and out, games, prizes, and costumes are (of course) required! This year, our theme was “CarnEvil.” It was an incredible muse for Halloween creativity! I have always found carnivals to be creepy in their most basic form anyway, and the clown is the ultimate terror inducing character. Throw them together with some fake blood, ghosts, and dismembered body parts, and you have veritable gold mine of nefarious inspiration to work with!
Sadly, we are always so focused on actually throwing the party that we never remember to take photos, but here are few pictures of the festivities and the decorations. Thank you to our friends and family for your photo contributions! (If you click on the images, the photos will pop up in a larger format with my comments on what they are and/or how we made the props.)
In my opinion, any party worth its salt deserves stellar cocktails. When pulling together the cocktail menu for our CarnEvil, I knew I wanted to feature as many of my favorite fall flavors in one drink. Thus the Mixed and Mashed Ringleader was born. With nutty bourbon, spicy chai notes, the herbal tang of rosemary, and the warmth of apple cider, it embodies fall in a glass for me. Try it for yourself and let me know what you think!
The Mixed and Mashed Ringleader Cocktail
Ingredients for the Ringleader:
2 ounces bourbon
½ ounce Averna Amaro
½ ounce chai infused simple syrup*
½ ounce chilled apple cider
¼ ounce lemon
2 sprigs of rosemary (one for making the cocktail and one for garnish)
Optional: Stick cinnamon
Glass: Old fashioned
Instructions for the Ringleader:
Combine all liquid ingredients in an ice filled shaker. Gently slap one sprig of rosemary on the top of your hand about 8 times to release the oils, then place in the shaker. Cover and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain into an ice filled old fashioned glass and garnish with a fresh sprig of rosemary. If desired, grate a light dusting of cinnamon on top. Enjoy!
*Chai Infused Simple Syrup:
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 ½ cups water
2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and cut into pieces
1 ½ teaspoons whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole cloves
½ teaspoon whole allspice
8 whole cardamom pods
2 cinnamon sticks
Instructions for Chai Simple Syrup:
Place all ingredients into a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan. Over medium high heat, bring to a boil, stirring regularly until the sugar dissolves and them occasionally afterward. When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for approximately 25 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature before straining into a glass jar or container. Discard the solids. Store simple syrup in the fridge for two to three weeks.
This simple syrup is also amazing in tea, coffee, or with club soda.
