Don't let this "booze" scare you! Here are four Halloween cocktail favorites courtesy of Jonathan Pogash, the head mixologist at Bookmarks Lounge in Midtown.
"The Candy Corn"
1 1/2 parts Kettle Corn-infused Bombay Sapphire Gin*
1/2 part Sauvignon Blanc wine
3/4 part home-made citrus peel grenadine syrup**
Directions: Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake very well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish: 3 candy corns
*to make Kettle Corn-infused Bombay Sapphire: for every 750ml bottle of Bombay Sapphire, add in 1 cup kettle corn and allow to infuse in an airtight container for approx. 24 hrs. Fine strain kettle corn and re-bottle. Store in fridge.
**to make grenadine syrup: for every 1 cup of POM wonderful pomegranate juice, dissolve 1 cup granulated sugar over stove top. Once dissolved, add in the skins of 1 orange and 1 lemon and simmer for 10 mins. Remove skins and chill syrup.
"Vampire’s Delight"
2 oz. VeeV Acai Spirit
1 oz. Blood Orange Juice
5 mint leaves
1/4 oz. fresh lime juice
Directions: Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice (except for grenadine) and shake very well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish: grenadine soaked lime wheel
"Sour Witch"
1 1/2 oz. Lucid
3/4 oz. Almond Syrup (Monin)
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
3 or 4 pitted sour cherries
Sparkling wine or Champagne
Directions: In the bottom of a mixing glass, muddle the sour cherries in the lime juice and almond syrup. Add the Lucid with ice and shake very well. Strain into a chilled champagne flute. Top with sparkling wine or champagne.
Garnish: freshly grated nutmeg
"Jack-o-Lantern Punch"
2 oz. Flor de Cana 7-yr Grand Reserve
1 oz. Clove syrup**
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 oz. apple cider
1 lemon peel
1 pinch pumpkin pie spice
Chilled club soda
Directions: Combine all ingredients (except for club soda) with ice and stir until adequate amount of ice is dissolved. Strain into punch glass or hollowed-out pumpkin. Top w/ club soda.
Garnish: apple and pear slices and cinnamon sticks
**can be made in large format for multiple people.
**clove syrup: dissolve equal parts demerara sugar and water over heat, along w/ 1 tbsp. cloves. Simmer for several minutes, then strain out cloves and chill.
If you want to learn more about "the cocktail guru," check out his Web site.
