Poisoned Apple Cocktail

It’s Halloween…Name your poison. For me, this Poisoned Apple Cocktail featuring vanilla vodka, apple schnapps, orange liqueur, and lemon lime soda. Because if you’re going to be hexed into a Sleeping Death, put aside the apple. This is the way to go, especially if served up by a really cute bartender…

Meet Luna, the neediest, sweetest, and quirkiest bartender in town. She will keep you company as you drink, with no regard to personal space. She’s a good listener, if you don’t mind blank stares. She will bask in the sun with you and after 7 pm, when night starts creeping in, she will become your shadow wherever you go. She’s a little jumpy and a lot neurotic and we love her that way. Luna makes a mean Poisoned Apple Cocktail.

This festive drink is actually just a dressed up Appletini. A traditional Appletini is stronger and not as sweet as this one, often with 2 or 3 parts vodka to 1 part apple schnapps or apple brandy. I’m a bit wimpy with my drinks, so my version is a little weaker. You can easily adjust the measurements to your liking though and for a true Appletini, you can leave out the lemon lime soda and use unflavored vodka. To get the creepy blood drip effect, just mix a little red food coloring with light corn syrup (such as Karo syrup). Put the red syrup in a shallow dish and dip the edges of your glass lightly in it. It will drip down naturally once you flip it upright.

To enjoy this drink at times other than Halloween, garnish with a thinly sliced apple round floated inside. You can also dip the rim of your glass in water or light corn syrup and then in colored sugar. I used dry ice for the fun, smoky effect. If you’ve never used dry ice before, use it with caution as it is very cold and can burn your skin if handled without gloves. If you put it in your cocktail, wait until it finishes sublimating (fancy word) before you drink it. Cheers and Happy Halloween!