Poisoned Orchard Cocktail

We're getting spooky around here with this Poisoned Orchard Cocktail. Bursting with apple flavor, this signature Halloween cocktail is perfect for your upcoming costume party or a night curled up on the couch watching scary movies with a few friends.

Eek! Now that Halloween time is here, I don't know how to put into words how excited I am. Costumes, candy, eerie decor, scary movie marathons -- I love it all.

And, of course, those Halloween parties and fall festivals are always a blast. In fact, I consider Halloween the official kick-off to the holiday season. That calls for a celebration, and you can't have a celebration without a fun signature cocktail, right? Right.

This fall cocktail has everything you need to get into the Halloween spirit --- loads of seasonal apple flavor, creepy special effects and wicked witch vibes. With this Poisoned Orchard Cocktail, your Halloween will be as festive as it gets.

Ingredients for Poisoned Orchard Cocktail

Let's put together our ingredients. Here's everything we need to make this Poisoned Orchard Cocktail.

• Dark rum
• Apple brandy
• Cran-apple juice
• Apples
• Water
• Sugar
• Cinnamon sticks
• Cloves
• Cardamom
• Ginger beer
• Cinnamon and sugar for garnish
• Dry ice for a spine-chilling effect

How to Make Apple Spice Simple Syrup

Before we start on the rest of our cocktail, we need to first make an apple spice simple syrup. To get the most flavor out of the simple syrup, I like to give the mixture time to steep, so it's best to make this ahead of time.

In a small saucepan, we combine two sliced apples with water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves and cardamom. We cook the mixture until the sugar dissolves, and then we let it steep. After it steeps, we strain the mixture, and our apple spice simple syrup is now ready.

How to Make Poisoned Orchard Cocktail

If you're making just a few cocktails at a time, add the apple spice simple syrup, dark rum, apple brandy, cran-apple juice and ice to a cocktail shaker. Pop on the top and give it a good shake. Pour into glasses, top with ginger beer and add a small piece of dry ice if you're so inclined.

However, if you plan on making this Poisoned Orchard Cocktail for a Halloween party, I recommend mixing all the ingredients except the ginger beer and dry ice in a punch bowl and chilling ahead of time. Right before serving, add the ginger beer and dry ice to the punch bowl, and it's ready to go. How's that for easy entertaining?

Tips for Handling Dry Ice

I love using dry ice in my Halloween cocktails for those spooky bubbles and wispy steam, but you need to handle it with care. Here are a few tips I always follow.

• Dry ice can damage skin, so never grab it with your bare hands. Gloves are a good idea.
• Dry ice is sold in a large block at your grocery store and generally packaged in plastic and then in a paper bag. To break it up, I simply drop the dry ice bag in the paper bag, which I fold closed, on concrete a few times until it breaks into the size I need.
• Even when wearing gloves, I still use tongs to grab pieces.
• Do not store dry ice in your freezer. Dry ice can break your freezer, so opt for a portable cooler and keep the cooler slightly ajar.

Perfect Pairing

This Halloween-themed cocktail calls for a cozy fall meal, and my cheddar-apple stuffed chicken thighs in a creamy garlic sauce are a tasty match. With all that apple flavor in this Poisoned Orchard Cocktail, it's perfect with the cheddar filling. And, of course, apples with more apples is just fun.

If you're feeling those creepy Halloween vibes, I hope you try this Poisoned Orchard Cocktail. Please let me know how you enjoyed this signature Halloween cocktail recipe in the comment section and don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter. You can also catch me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.

Cheers!

Looking for More Halloween Recipes?

• Zombie Brains Halloween Cocktail
• Mummy pudding cups
• Halloween toffee

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