Friday Fright Nightcaps

Happy Yule! Christmas is hours away and this week has been a whirlwind of work, shopping, chores, cooking, and more. I’m now on vacation until January. Time to relax and unwind.

Now, I know there’s a crazy blizzard happening in the midwest and backeast, but it’s actually really nice in SoCal right now, so I decided on mixing something tropical and Christmassy and came up with the Cranberry Mint Martini.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup Cranberry juice
1/2 cup Vodka
1-1.5 oz. Peppermint Liqueur

This refreshing holiday cocktail is so crisp and clear, you can see right through it.

Friday Fright Nightcaps – Xmas Edition: Peppermint Madness Martini

Candy cane lovers, indulge your sweet tooth with this dessert holiday cocktail, Peppermint Madness Martini.

Ingredients:
1 cup Peppermint Ice Cream
12 oz. Peppermint Mocha Creamer
2 oz. Peppermint Liqueur
4-6 oz. Vodka
3 oz. Malibu or Coconut Rum

Add all in blender with a little bit of ice and mix well. Serve cold with a candy cane.

Optional rim garnishment:
Red sugar
Crushed candy canes

You can tone down the sugar and thicken it up by replacing the creamer with heavy whipping cream. Also, add a bit more vodka and leave off the garnish.

Friday Fright Nightcaps – Spiced Apple Cider (Crock-pot recipe)

I love this time of year because I can make this simple yet amazingly delicious spiced apple cider recipes. This one is great because it can be served with or without alcohol. I like to use Captain Morgan Spiced Rum because sometimes the cider turns out a little fruity and it balances nicely.

Friday Fright Nightcaps – Ode to the Mummy

Every Halloween season I make it a point to revisit the classic Universal monster films. These are the films that cemented American’s love affair with horror. Watching my favorite old classic horror films is one of my biggest Halloween traditions. This week, I created spooky cocktail to honor Karl Freund’s classic The Mummy, starring the legendary Boris Karloff, with a drink I call Ode to the Mummy.

INGREDIENTS:

3 oz. Coffee
1.5 oz Cutwater Bali Hai Tiki Monkey Liquer
1.5 oz. Vodka
1 oz. French Vanilla Creamer or Cream
Splash of Cream of Coconut

31 Days of Halloween 2022

Happy October! After starting late this Halloween season, I’m now ready to post the schedule of this year’s 31 Days of Halloween Celebration. The theme this October is dystopian Halloween. With the doomsday clock ticking down, due to savages like Russian dictator Vladamir Putin and gun-crazed trump-loving jesus-freaks, it’s probably way past time to think about how humankind plans to survive the apocalypse, in particular, how we’ll preserve our traditions and holidays, like Halloween.

Part of the month, we’ll have some fun with the dystopian Halloween-horror theme, but I have decided to mix in some good old-fashion Halloween traditional themes as well, cuz, I just love talking about those Halloween memories.

Have a safe and happy Halloween season!

31 Days of Halloween Schedule

Monday Macabre
Mondays are always dedicated to Haiku, but every Monday in October we’ll explore a dystopian Halloween.

Tuesday Terror
Every Tuesday, I’ll share my favorite scary movies that I believe make great Halloween season viewing.

Wicked Art Wednesdays
Every Wednesday, I’ll share some spooktacular Halloween art with an apocalyptic twist. I might even post some my own original Halloween pencil stencil art.

Throwback Thursdays
Preservation of Halloween traditions is important for several reasons. Every Thursday, let’s explore the origins of some Halloween traditions and muse over whether these traditions might survive the apocalypse.

Friday Fright Nightcaps
Ghosts aren’t the only ones who like to get sheet-faced on Halloween. Check back every Friday for Halloween season-inspired cocktails.

Sinister Saturdays
In the past few years, Sinister Saturdays have always been dedicated to food and Halloween recipes. The problem was, besides my being the worst cook in America, people are simply reluctant to let you share their recipes online, even if you give them complete credit and link back to their website. So, in the true spirit of Sinister Saturdays, we’re just going to let the demons loose that day and see what they come up with.

Poe Sundays
This year’s tribute to the master of macabre, Edgar Allan Poe, will feature my thoughts on the best Poe adaptations on film.

4^th Annual Halloween Haiku Challenge 2022
#Halloweenhaikuchallenge

Share your most original or scariest visual Halloween Haiku photos during October for a chance to win some prizes.

More details about the haiku contest will be announced on October 18^th.

Join in the fun, and follow me @Halloweenhorrorhaiku on Instagram and @Halloweenkristy on Twitter

Friday Fright Nightcaps-Boozy Cherry Shakes

Happy Friday! Our monthly theme has been a werewolf summer. Werewolves are one of those monsters that can be both good and bad. Personally, I like stories told both ways. I believe in the love, power, and freedom of the wolf, a kindred moon lover. I can strongly identify with the what the werewolf represents to women, but I also believe there are demonic monsters hiding in plain sight. The cherry is a fruit often associated with goodness, innocence. sexuality, and fertility, so in honor of women everywhere, harnessing the power of the wolf, here’s a Boozy Cherry Shake recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2-1 cup fresh chopped cherries
6 scoops cherry or french vanilla ice cream
2 scoops frozen whipped cream
4 oz vodka
2 oz spiced rum

1 oz maraschino cherry juice
Couple of ice cubes

INSTRUCTIONS

Chop the cherries and remove pits.
In a blender, add ice cubes, cherries, ice cream, whipped cream, and maraschino cherry juice.

Blend until thick and smooth. Alcohol thins out the cream more so than a regular milkshake.
Garnish with more whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and a drizzle of chocolate sauce.

Friday Fright Nightcaps-White Wine Peach Sangria

I would like to get back on some type of schedule. It’s easier said than done sometimes, but in effort to do so, I’m reviving Friday Fright Nightcaps to coincide with our monthly theme. This May is Cemetery Appreciation Month and our theme celebrates cemetery life, so I put together a classy, refreshing drink, perfect for springtime and a tribute to the afterlife.

Ingredients:

750 ml. White wine (Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, etc.,)
12 oz. Peach Vodka (New Amsterdam)
Fresh Fruit

First, cut up some fresh fruit. I used peaches, blackberries, red raspberries, apples, and strawberries. Any fruit will do. Next, pour entire contents of wine bottle into a pitcher. Lastly, add 12 oz or about half a bottle of Peach Vodka. I choose to use New Amsterdam brand, but you can use whichever brand you choose. Stir well and refrigerate for about 12-24 hours. Serve chilled.

Friday Fright Nightcaps – Frankenstein’s Martini

It’s Frankenstein Friday! Last day in October is always dedicated to the mad scientist and his big badass monster. Today, we toast Mary Shelley’s brilliant gothic horror with a variation of a sour-apple vodka martini, called Frankenstein’s Martini.

Frankenstein’s Martini by HalloweenKristy

INGREDIENTS:

2 oz sour apple mix
2 oz vodka
1 oz pineapple juice
Splash of real lime juice

Mix all items well in a cocktail shaker and pour over ice, or not. I like my cocktails chilled like the dead.

Frankenstein’s Martini ingredients by HalloweenKristy

I wish I knew a potion to instantly fill my empty bottles. I drank the last of my sour apple mix experimenting on this recipe!

Friday Fright Nightcaps: Spooky Spicy Halloween Margaritas

There are only two weekends left in October and it’s time to kick it up a notch. No Halloween party plans, no problem. You can totally make your own party with this Spooky Spicy Halloween Margarita!

www.halloween-haiku.com — Spooky Spicy Halloween Margarita 3

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup ice
1/2 cup orange juice (fresh or concentrate)
5 oz. Blood-orange margarita mix
1 tsp. lime juice
1 tsp. hot sauce (I used Franks Red Hot)
1 tbsp Agave Syrup
2-3 oz. tequila
Garnish with orange slices or lime wedges or black salt (optional)

Fast and Easy Black Salt Rim Garnish:
1 tablespoon of sea salt
4 drops blue food coloring
4 drops red food coloring
Mix very well together

Add tiny bit of lime juice around glass rim and dip glass in black salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

Put ice, blood orange mix, orange juice, lime juice, Agave syrup, hot sauce, and tequila in a blender and blend well.
Pour into glass
Garnish with black salt rim or fresh fruit (optional)

As usual, this recipe is highly modifiable. Too spicy, add more juice. Want more spice, add more hot sauce. Want more alcohol, add another ounce of tequila.

I’ve heard rumblings that recipes with “premade” ingredients aren’t good recipes. Well, to that I say, congradu-friggin-lations on having your life in order long enough to make stuff from scratch, but the rest of us don’t have time for that. Now, move along, you’re blocking the blender. It’s time for Spooky Spicy Halloween Margaritas!

Friday Fright Nightcaps: Samhain Apple-Spiced Sangria (S.A.S.S.)

Add a little S.A.S.S. to your Halloween with this delicious autumn sangria.

INGREDIENTS:

1 bottle red wine
1 bottle sparkling apple cider (Martinelli’s)
1 cup spiced rum
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 pear
1/2 apple
1/2 orange
1 cup strawberries
1 cup blueberries

Directions:

Place the sliced fruit (pear, orange, apple slices, etc.) in the bottom of a pitcher.

Add the red wine, apple cider, spiced rum, and cinnamon sticks. Stir well. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours.

This recipe is highly modifiable. I find Red Blends and Cabs are best, but any wine will work. Switch out the rum with brandy for less spice. Choose different fruit if you’d like.