When it comes to throwing a Halloween party, there are a few musts: killer soundtrack (not just "Thriller" on loop, though we all know it's a must-have), insane snacks, and a signature drink. Ideally, one served in a cauldron. A cauldron overflowing with a hazy, mysterious mist that's vaguely unsettling but really sets the vibe.
Because, as Jack Skellington's crew sang, "This is Halloween." And what he clearly implied was, this is the holiday to go hard.
This spiked punch is so easy to throw together that it doesn't need a recipe—you can scale it up or down, depending on the size of your crowd. If you're serving 8-10 people, grab a liter of pomegranate juice, a liter of pineapple juice, a 2-liter of ginger ale (or your favorite lemon-lime soda, if ginger's not your thing), and half of a bottle of rum. Basically, just keep pour the juices and rum in equal amounts, then pour in twice as much soda. If you like a sweeter drink, use less pomegranate. Make it your own.
Just be forewarned: Inevitably, there will be a Jack Sparrow at your party, because every guy secretly wants an excuse to wear guyliner and be compared to Johnny Depp. And inevitably, once he hears what's in this cocktail, he'll make the "Where's all the rum gone?" joke until you have no more polite laughs or chortles in your soul.
And, in case you're curious, we achieved the hazy, smoking-punch effect using dry ice. If you try it, make sure you follow the instructions that come with dry ice, and use tongs—not your hands—to handle it. Put a metal bowl inside the caulron, add a few pieces of dry ice and a splash of warm water, then top with another metal bowl.
As soon as the water hits the dry ice, the ice will start to smoke, so if you're not ready to party, hold off on adding the H2O until guests arrive. The two-bowl system ensures that the punch won't touch the dry ice. We used metal bowls so they wouldn't crack, since dry ice is beyond frigid.
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