Drink & Be Hairy, Scary, Merry?

There are plenty of things in this world to look forward to:

• The weekend
• A great movie release
• Your birthday

The list can go on and on. Instead, I'd like to focus on one of the things that many of us look forward to in different ways...and it isn't just a human or earth thing either...

It's our drinks.

See, most folks look forward to that first cup or three of coffee, cappuccino, or cafe au lait in the morning.

Another drink that some folks look forward to is a nice shot of whiskey. Best be careful, it might put hair on your chest.

Credit: The Art of Manliness

Getting supernatural, blood is the drink of choice for those of the vampire persuasion. If one is of the "let's not drink up all the blood of our neighbors" mindset, there's Tru Blood.

Credit: True Blood online

If you have a god-like need to quench your thirst, ambrosia is said to give satisfaction and immortality.

If you're ever out on the spaceways, zipping from one planetary system to the other, take a tip from the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and be careful of the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster. I understand the effects of this drink can cause you to be merrier than anything or anyone in your wildest imagination.

Mixing instructions

As for me, a nice glass of wine will do.

What about you? Do you have a special drink that you look forward to, perhaps a concoction of your own making that friends enjoy at gatherings, or something that brings that long, exhausting day to a nice closure? Heard of any "out there" drinks of interest?

Please share in the comments :-)

Enchanted Halloween Drink recipes!

Boo to our fellow fiends and miscreants!

Most fantasy, horror and sci-fi authors and readers love the Halloween season, and also like to entertain. But what spooktastic drinks can we serve that are uniquely gross and wonderful?

Untethered Realms brings you enchanted drink recipes! When we're done, tell us some of your favorites.






From M. Pax - Blood Apple

Cider (not the hard stuff - can be regular or spiced)
vodka (plain, unflavored vodka)
grenadine syrup

Pour a shot of vodka in a tall glass. Fill with chilled cider. Add a spoonful of grenadine to turn it bloody... or red. Red sounds more appetizing. Enjoy!

(other kinds of juice can be used in place of apple - pineapple is really good. Hard cider doesn't work. Yes, I tried it. Can also add a bit of vanilla syrup with the grenadine. Yeah, I've tried that too. If you don't care to be bewitched, leave out the vodka.)

From Christine Rains - Dead Man's Treat

2 oz Red Velvet vodka
3 oz cranberry juice
1/2 oz club soda

Mix liquids. Add a dead man's hand.

(For a kid friendly drink, leave out the alcohol and use cherry or strawberry Kool-Aid instead of cranberry juice. Add in a few red Jolly Ranchers and red Twizzlers as a straws. They look frighteningly similar in a glass. So don't get them confused!)

Cathrina's Witches Brew Cocktail

• 1(6 ounce) package lime gelatin
• 2 cups  boiling water
• 3 cups chilled pineapple juice
• 1(2 liter) bottle-chilled lemon-lime flavored soda or 1 (2 liter) bottle ginger ale
• 2 cups chilled vodka (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Pour the gelatin mix into a large bowl. Slowly stir in the boiling water. Stir at least 2 minutes, until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
2. Stir in the pineapple juice, the entire 2 liter of soda and the vodka. Let cool to room temperature.

From Cherie Reich - Swamp Sip

A healthy-ish drink for the Swamp Thing inside you. To make it nonalcoholic, leave out the tequila.

Add either green juice from the grocery store or make your own by juicing your favorite fruits and veggies: spinach, kale, pineapple, lime, etc.

Add a touch of tequila and a dash of lime to taste.

For the green mold, use file powder, a Creole seasoning, or green tea powder.

Add a small bit of dry ice to turn your Swamp Sip into a Misty Swamp.

1. **HAVE A WICKED GOOD EVENING**

***

From Catherine Stine - 

Witch’s Spiderleg Spritzer

In a punch bowl mix:

3 to 4 cups of cranberry juice

2 cups ginger ale

Generous splashes of lime

Pomegranate juice to taste

Garnish with organic "spider leg" licorice (and limes)

Make skulls from marshmallows and mount with shish-kebab sticks

***Hand drawn label taped over a bottle optional!

***Red candles effective for spooky mood enhancement

(Add vodka if you like alcohol)

From Julie Flanders - Witch's Brew with a Tasty Bloody Hand

Mix 1 10 oz package of frozen raspberries & 2 1/2 cups cranberry juice

Pour mixture into saucepan & sprinkle with unflavored gelatin - heat until gelatin dissolves

Pour mixture into inside-out rubber glove, securely tie top, & place in freezer for a few days 

Cut glove away from frozen hand, place palm up in punch bowl

Pour 2 liters ginger ale & 2 liters sparkling apple cider in bowl

Garnish with gummy worms 

Yum!

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From River Fairchild (and Jezebel) - Winged Beast Punch

This punch recipe is from Jezebel, so proceed at your own risk.

2 cups cranberry juice

1 liter ginger ale

1 liter apple cider

½ cup torbid weed *

A pinch of dried loreberry flour *

*Ingredients only found at the Demon Marketplace in the Underworld

Jezebel says if you mix the ingredients during the waning moon, you’re guaranteed to sprout wings – at least temporarily. Uh… enjoy!

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From Ellie Garratt - The Devil's Bloody Nightcap

The preferred drink for fans of Lovecraft, Poe, and King. 

1/2 glass chilled cranberry juice

1/4 glass of vodka (add soda for non-alcoholic)

One set of edible dentures

Witche's fingers to garnish

Drinking before bed is guaranteed to induce nightmares!

From Gwen Gardner - Eye Spyder Brew

Note: Handle with care. Can be volatile when consumed rapidly. And, uh, don't let the arachnid matriarch see you playing with her babies--that could be equally volatile. 

1 oz green toad blood

1 oz yellow newt whizz

2 oz dragon spittle

2 dragon eyes (1 red, 1 brown, bloodshot is best)

1 bat tendon

Black hoodoo salt for the glass rim

2 baby black widows

Sometimes the ingredients can be hard to find unless you have access to Diagon Alley. If you can't find some of the ingredients, below are substitutes you can use:

1 oz sour green apple schnapps

1 oz apple juice

2 oz jalapeno vodka

2 gummy eyes

1 black licorice, ends bitten off to make a straw

Sprinkles or green apple

Plastic spiders

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