2000s Recipes + Menus
Witches’ Brew
Makes about3 quarts
- Active time:15 min
- Start to finish:1 1/2 hr (includes steeping)
Punch is one of the easiest ways to set the Halloween mood—all you need is a cauldron, perhaps, or a pointy black hat and ice block “hands.” Not every blend of fruit juices takes well to the with-or-without option of alcohol, but the combination of sparkling cider and cranberry juice cocktail, subtly enhanced with a spice syrup, both support an optional dose of dark rum.
- 2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
- 5 whole cloves
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped peeled ginger
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 (25 1/4-oz) bottle sparkling cider (about 3 1/4 cups), chilled
- 4 cups cranberry juice cocktail, chilled
- 1 (1-liter) bottle club soda or seltzer, chilled
- 1 cup dark rum (optional)
- Ice blocks in any shape (see cooks’ note, below)
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Bring cinnamon sticks, cloves, ginger, water, and sugar to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep, uncovered, 1 hour.
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Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids, then chill until cold.
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Combine all remaining ingredients, except ice, with syrup in a punch bowl. Add ice before serving.
Cooks’ notes:
- To make hand-shaped ice, fill powder-free, latex-free rubber gloves with water and tie wrist end securely, then freeze.
- Syrup can be made 1 week ahead and chilled with spices. Strain before using.
- Keywords
- web-exclusive recipes,
- rum,
- beverage,
- halloween,
- punch
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