I made one of these once and a boozy Halloween party and it was the hit of the evening. I highly recommend that you set it up outdoors if using a real pumpkin. They look beautiful and work well as a bowl but … pumpkins leak; I found that one out the hard way the next a.m.. Mopping up a floor covered with sticky Halloween punch while suffering a hangover is not the way to kick off November.

Here we go -

• Half Gallon Apple Cider
• Close to a fifth of dark or gold Rum
• 3 regular or one large bottle(s) of Ginger Beer
• One med-sized, hollowed out, pumpkin

Close to party time, fill your hollowed out pumpkin or pumpkin punch bowl with the cider, rum and ginger beer, stir and add a frozen block of ice to keep things cold. Have your guests ladle the punch into punch cups.

If you’re fortunate enough to have a chilly week around Halloween, mix up a batch of Hot Spiced Cider. In the evenings before Halloween, I’ll pull out an old television set, hook up my DVD player and gather neighbors for Monster Movies out in the car (bar) port.  Sure it gets cool, but that’s fall. This drink will set things right.

Here we go –

• 2 quarts apple cider
• 4 cloves
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 5 shots Applejack or Apple Brandy

Heat cider with cloves and cinnamon, add booze and stir. Pat the rims of mugs in brown sugar and serve the cider in them.

I have this one listed over in my Autumn Cocktail list too, but I have to also include the AJ Rabbit on my Halloween Drink List. It’s just such a fall drink and Halloween is such a fall festival, the two are a perfect paring. Try and find real maple syrup for this one. The kid’s Mrs. Butterworth won’t do at all.
Here we go –

• 2 oz Laird’s Applejack
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 2 oz orange juice
• 3/4 oz real maple syrup

Shake all ingredients with cracked ice in a shaker. Serve up and ice-cold in a cocktail glass, garnish with an apple slice, light the jack-o-lantern up and enjoy.