Spook-Easy COCKTAILS

Mystic Mycelium

This earthy iteration of a Scotch Sour evokes an enchanted woodland, rich in flavor and layered with intrigue.

Ingredients

2 oz. blended Scotch whisky, such as Monkey Shoulder

1 oz. fresh lemon juice

1 oz. egg white

1 oz. mushroom syrup (recipe below)

Combine all ingredients in a shaker without ice and shake.
Add ice and shake once more. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Photos by Gyorgy Papp Styled by Jules Aron

Mushroom Syrup Ingredients

2 tbsp. mushroom powder

1 tbsp. miso

2 tsp. allspice

2 whole cloves

1 cup water

1 cup maple syrup 

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan on a low simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Let cool and then strain the solids. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Photos by Gyorgy Papp Styled by Jules Aron

Oracle’s Gaze

This elegant yet eerie cocktail resembles a shimmering orb, cloaked in edible glitter and dotted with rice-paper moths.

Ingredients

1½ oz. aquavit, such as Svöl

 ½ oz. elderflower liqueur

½ oz. blueberry syrup (recipe below)

½ oz. fresh lemon juice

4 oz. soda water

1 tsp. edible glitter

Edible rice-paper moths (optional)

Combine aquavit, elderflower liqueur, blueberry syrup, and lemon juice in a wine goblet over ice. Stir to integrate. Top with soda water and stir in edible glitter. Garnish with rice-paper moths for maximum effect.

Blueberry Syrup Ingredients

¼ cup blueberries

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan on a low simmer, stirring constantly for 15 minutes. Let cool and then strain the solids. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Photos by Gyorgy Papp Styled by Jules Aron

Oculus Obscura

Add a touch of the grotesque to your Halloween tableau with this bittersweet take on a juicy Cherry Smash, garnished with
lychee “eyeballs.”

Ingredients

2 oz. bourbon, such as Four Roses

1 oz. Amaro Averna

1 oz. fresh pressed cherry juice

4 oz. Fever-Tree Bitter Lemon Soda

Lychees stuffed with brandied cherries, such as Amarena, for garnish 

Add the bourbon, Amaro Averna, cherry juice, and ice to a shaker and shake until chilled. Double-strain into a glass over
ice and top with lemon soda. Garnish with lychee eyeballs.

Photos by Gyorgy Papp Styled by Jules Aron

Forbidden Fizz

No cocktail embodies the seductive danger of forbidden fruit more than this sweet, tart, and sinister spin on the Ramos Gin Fizz.

Ingredients

2 oz. gin, such as Monkey 47

1 oz. fresh lemon juice

1 oz. apple matcha syrup (recipe at right)

1 egg white (about ½ oz.)

1 oz. club soda

Add the gin, lemon juice, apple matcha syrup, and egg white to a shaker and vigorously dry shake (without ice) for about 15 seconds.
Add ice and shake vigorously until well-chilled. Strain into a Collins glass and top with club soda.

Apple Matcha Syrup Ingredients

1 tbsp. matcha powder 

1 cup honey 

1 cup pressed apple juice 

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan on a
low simmer, stirring constantly for 15 minutes. Let cool and then strain. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Photos by Gyorgy Papp Styled by Jules Aron

Cerebral Surge

A “heady” conversation starter, this theatrical and chilling spectacle combines the classic daiquiri with a palate-cleansing Sgroppino.

Ingredients

1 scoop passion fruit sorbet 

2 oz. white rum, such as Planteray 3 Stars

¾ oz. fresh lime juice

½ tbsp. white granulated sugar

1 oz. Campari (served in a syringe)

Add a scoop of sorbet to a culinary mold shaped like a brain and freeze. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake. Place the sorbet brain in a coupe glass and strain the cocktail over it. Serve with a syringe full of Campari, for the bloody, bitter effect.