For Halloween, we’ve delved into the mystical world of mixology to bring you our recipe of the month, Witches’ Brew Cocktail.
If you remember, last year we showed you the color-changing witchcraft of the Pea Blossom Gin and Tonic. We soaked a handful of dried butterfly pea blossoms in the gin for several hours, and when we added tonic water and a squeeze of fresh lime—voila!—the colors changed like magic.
With Witches’ Brew, the concept is the same, but we’re getting a bit more adventurous. In addition to the butterfly pea blossoms, we’re going to infuse our alcohol with an assortment of edible flowers and herbs, teas, and the traditional eye of newt and toe of frog. (Those last two are optional.)
Of course, you can also make a lovely non-alcoholic version of this drink. In fact, there’s a whole grimoire of ways you can concoct your Witches’ Brew to match any color or taste you choose.
Witches’ Brew Cocktail
(makes about 10 servings)
INGREDIENTS
14 oz gin or vodka
2 oz simple syrup
1 Tbsp black or green tea
or
¼ oz dried flower petals
DIRECTIONS
If using herbs or flowers, clean them thoroughly. Allow them to wilt for three or four hours to make the infusion more concentrated.
Place dried flowers or tea into a sealable glass container. Pour in your vodka or gin. Stir gently and seal the container.
Store in cool, dark place for one day, shaking the container occasionally.
Using cheesecloth or other fine-mesh strainer, strain all the solids out of the cocktail. Pour strained cocktail into a clean glass container and add simple syrup.
Serve straight or over ice.
PRO TIPS:
You can do the infusion in any kind of nonreactive container made of glass or stainless steel, but do not use aluminum.
If you’re making a mocktail version of this drink, bear in mind that you can’t just soak your flowers in non-alcoholic gin because you won’t get nearly the same level of extraction. Instead, steep the flowers in hot water just as you would tea. Pour about 7 oz of the infused tea water into 7 oz of your virgin gin, add the simple syrup, and you’re all set.
For all our edible flowers, we rely on Brickhouse Growers in Orem.
Our favorite local gins include Madame Pattirini, Beehive Jack Rabbit, and Alpine. For vodka, our local favorites include High West, Five Wives, and Sugar House.
New World Distillery in Eden, Utah makes a tart cherry liqueur called Wasatch Blossom that can make a super fun base for a Witches Brew Cocktail. It’s on the sweet side, so we suggest adding a lemon peel or grapefruit peel to balance the flavor with a little bit of a bitter note.
To increase the intensity of the infusion, filter out the solid materials after 12 hours and replace them with fresh flowers or tea.