Potent Potter Potions (i.e. HP-themed Cocktails!)

I'm going to borrow heavily from the internet, because there are people out there with much better stocked cabinets than me and they have made some AMAZING Harry Potter-themed cocktails. I will not post other blogger's recipes here, but I will like out like crazy and give descriptions where appropriate.

ACCIO COCKTAILS!

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As this is by far the most ample selection of cocktails I have seen, we'll start with the drink stylings of one "Little Pink Blog," where there are whole themed posts on the subject.

The pictures alone are worth following one of all of the links below. I'm impressed, amazed, and will likely be having a Bellatrix Lestrange in honor of the movie this week:

from Little Pink Blog

DEATH EATERS COCKTAILS:

• Death Eater Cocktail - a caffeinated shot with an ominous red hue; sounds tasty
• The Bellatrix Lestrange - think creamy, chocolately vodka martini (see picture)
• The Lucius Malfoy - this is that rare combination of slightly manly but girl-drink friendly: it uses a mildly masculine liquor at its base, but a sweet citrus for mixer ... mmm...
• The Peter Pettigrew - rich, mouse-colored dessert-in-a-glass

THE GOBLET OF FIRE - CHAMPIONS COCKTAILS:

• The Goblet of Fire - FIRE DRINK! What more do you want?
• The Fleur Delacour - dainty and refreshing-looking
• The Viktor Krum - Beer-based and simple, yet intriguing 
• The Cedric Diggory - This is a must-try for me: kind of like a margarita, but without the tequila. Very tempting to see if it would layer with Blavod and call it a "Hufflepuff"

WIZARDING WORLD COCKTAILS:

• Butterbeer - an adult version of the popular Hogsmeade brew
• Firewhiskey - FIRE DRINK! And almost exactly what you'd expect from the name
• Pureblood - clear, sweet, bloody-looking drink that sounds delicious
• Mudblood - muddy, creamy, and (I can tell without even trying it) delightful

MY FAVORITES (not what the blog-author calls this page, but since that's exactly what we have here... my favorite characters minus Severus and Bellatrix... let's go with it!):

• Fred and George Weasley - look, if you are a fan of the brothers this is just brilliant -- the rimming "sugar" is inspired. 
• Luna Lovegood -- lovely, and includes Elderberry
• Neville Longbottom -- oh how I had hoped that Neville would be the one to kill Voldie! But he does well in this final installment, and he definitely deserves his own drink. Herbology-focused, just like my man Neville!
• Draco Malfoy - dirty martini -- very fitting, but I'm wondering if there is a way to work green in there... maybe some absinthe (yuck, but.. .you know?)

That girl is brilliant. That takes us to the end of our first stop on the Harry Potter Cocktail tour (and what a stop it was!).

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Next up is the Backyard Bartender, who puts a lot of thought behind the drinks created for the Potter cast of characters named in the post. I like that. It's lovingly thorough.

The Backyard Bartender Main Character Themed Drinks:

• Hermione Granger - I'm very Hermione-esque, so I guess it makes sense I would drool over a cocktail named in her honor; gin-based and  fruit-filled
• Ron Weasley - the poster describes this one as 'potent' and 'manly,' but a hit with the guys. It is red, and it sounds pretty intense... 
• The Harry Potter  - the one we've all been waiting for (and seriously, how did it take me this long to find someone blogging a drink with this name?), and it sounds well considered: like candy in a glass, but with just "a hint of something sinister" (to borrow the poster's phrase)

HISTORICAL BUTTERBEER

• Butterbeer - and not just any butterbeer, but a 400 year old butterbeer recipe; desribed in the blog as "hot, buttered heaven. Like liquid french toast..." Well, don't mind if I do, then!

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If you like theme parks (Disney/Universal) and drinking, Party Through the Parks wants to be your guide. As someone who enjoys those things, I am happy to let them walk me through some Harry Potter drinks that don't yet exist, but I can make at home.

Party Through the Parks Suggestions:

• Golden Pumpkin - warm and pumpkiny
• Pumpkin Cobbler - requires you to have/make pumpkin juice (a recipe is at the site linked above), but could be quite good!
• Potterpolitan - I'm noticing a Pumpkin theme developing here, and that makes me happy...
• Potterita - Margarita with Pumpkin juice? I could get into this!
• Hot Buttered Pumpkin - A drink that involves melting butter and will happily blow my diet
• Spiced Butterbeer - adding spiced rum to butterbeer isn't my personal cup of tea, but then I don't like cream soda

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And finally, some general witch-and-wizard appropriate fare:

Merlin's Love Potion

2 oz watermelon schnapps
1/2 oz lemon vodka
1/4 oz strawberry brandy
Read more: http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink5511.html#ixzz1Rj2P0mJd

Polyjuice Potion

1 oz Kahlua® coffee liqueur
1 oz vodka
1 1/2 oz coffee liqueur
1 oz amaretto almond liqueur
1 splash Coca-Cola®
Read more... the directions are important: http://www.drinksmixer.com/drinkrq15460.html#ixzz1Rj2wMnDa

Frisky Witch:

1 part black sambuca
1 part vodka

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Well, I hope you've all enjoyed this educational mixed drink journey as much as I have. Now, if you'll excuse me ... it's getting close to celebration time!

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UPDATE (7/15/2011) : For those who don't know that I sometimes post my blogs in advance... surprise! I do! Which, in this case, led to already being out-of-date. Little Pink Blog added some more niceties to enjoy...

THE HOUSES:

• Gryffindor House - sweet and rightly colored
• Hufflepuff House - sugary sweet, kind of like Hufflepuff... I still think we need a layered drink with some Blavod for them
• Ravenclaw House - Simple, clean, and full of blueberries!
• Slytherin House - a champagne drink with a little bit of a green tinge

THE TEACHERS:

• Albus Dumbledore  - I just wish this had a lemon drop in it somewhere...
• The Remus Lupin - Luxurious coffee drink; maybe a little rich for Remus, but it would surely delight me
• Minerva McGonagall - It uses tea! So nice for one of my favorite Hogwarts teachers
• The Severus Snape - hahaha. Bitters

OUR HEROES:

• The Rubeus Hagrid - Very fitting bit of beer and mixer for this big, lovable guy
• The Hermione Granger - Very ladylike drink with a touch of toughness
• The Ronald Weasley - A little too girly for Ron, if you ask me, but the drink sounds delicous
• The Sirius Black - Beautiful. Will have to give this one a try (while toasting my dearly departed Sirius)

THE BOY WHO LIVED, THE WIZARD WHO WOULD KILL HIM, AND SOME RELATED DRINKS:

• The Lord Voldemort - He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named must have his own cocktails; and this one sounds like pure, delightful basilisk poison
• The Horcrux - 7 ingredient drink that sounds just dark enough to try 
• The Harry Potter - Apparently, the Boy-Who-Lived just begs for a sweet and creamy drink; sounds like something you'd enjoy on a trip to Hogsmeade
• The Golden Snitch - quick shot; maybe not my favorite, but see what you think?

Pudding Cauldrons

Instructables has a great project for Pudding Cauldrons.

Balloons, pretzels, black candy melts, pudding and food coloring... and you're good to go. Rad, no?

The Hunt for the Appropriate (Halloween) Theme Begins!

It's a delightfully long weekend, and I should be working. On work. Because I'm behind at work (did you know I have a real job? No? Good. Let's pretend I didn't say anything about it then).

Instead, I have a horrendous head cold and don't like to be doing anything strenuous (like thinking) for any length of time. So instead, I've been sitting with a little notebook by my side writing down possible Halloween Party themes for this coming pre-October 31st weekend!

Between my husband and I, here's what we're considering so far:

• The tales and poems of E.A. Poe
• Murder Mystery (a la "Clue" or Agatha Christie)
• A Hitchcock Halloween
• Bloody Mary (and other ghost stories)
• 50's SciFi
• Living Dead
• Stephen King (I don't really read him, but Carrie Mae throwing a "Carrie" themed party? I like the sound of it)
• Grim-Grinning-Ghosts/Haunted Mansion
• Black-and-White movie monsters
• Slasher Horror/Camp Crystal Lake

I just need a little bit of a theme to get my brain going and the props and menu started. I work better with a theme. I suppose we could just as easily pick "glow in the dark" or "Green" and I could work against it, but if you can't tell: we're kind of movie/literature people, first and foremost.

The Murder Mystery party is something I've been pondering for awhile now. Husband is on-board, so that might actually be the summer-time soiree.

What about everyone else? Do you already know what you're planning for this Halloween? If so, can you send some runner-up ideas my way?

:)

Glow-in-the-Dark Cocktails

Do you have a blacklight? Well, go get it! And consider it the primary light-source for your bar area at your Halloween party -- especially if said party has a mad science theme.

Because you should be serving up tonic-centric cocktails, which will glow in the dark under the black light! Seriously. Check out that link for all the details; they even have suggestions for a black light sensitive food-treat!

Gin and Tonics are a staple you can make, but they are bitter and manly. There are other options out there. Try a mind eraser with tonic (as opposed to club soda), a Leprechaun, or seek out additional tonic drinks.

Bat Napkin Rings

Eddie Ross blows my mind sometimes. His projects are simple, achievable, and always inspired without being flashy.

No gimmicks here, just a quick and inexpensive way to dress up a seated Halloween soiree. Or to use napkins as an accent decorative piece at a party.

Felt Bat Napkin Rings

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Unhappily Ever After Party

This idea is ripped straight from the ever-amazing Ghoul Friday and her friends at Halloween Forum. I'm not seeking to claim this idea as my own, just pulling together some recipes and resources to make this idea easyish to execute.

For example, you might want a printable invite (I would recommend using dark red paint and short-bristled toothbrush to do a little bloodsplatter on this after you fill it out, and consider handing these out as scroll invites to play up the 'fairy tale'/fantasy undertones of this theme):


http://fav.me/d276dxe

As the host, consider going as Mother Goose (or make it 'Scary Mother Goose') or the Brothers Grimm (if you have a partner in crime to dress with). Ask your guests to come as their favorite fairy tale characters or scary versions of said characters.

Food
note: food that relies on the cleverness of the title to be 'scary' require that you put cards out to label your foodstuff.

• Three Little Pigs in Blankets (recipe)
• Snow White's Poisoned Apple Slices (apple slices with caramel dip)
• Wicked Witch Fingers (Martha's Ladies Finger Cookies)
• Couldn't Put Humpty Together Again (Deviled Eggs)
• Ginger Bread Houses or Gingerdead Men
• Frog Prince Legs (frog legs or chicken wings)
• Little Red Riding Hood's Picnic basket (get a very traditional looking picnic basket - fill with bread, surround with sandwich making's... just be sure to blood splatter the basket or some such thing to make it creepier)
• The Princess's Peas (I can't think of a single way to make peas scary, other than Martha's Rest in Peas - which doesn't really fit here, I guess)
• This is mixed with Ghoul Friday's decor idea... set the blind mice around a plate of cheese
• Brownies or Cupcakes that say EAT ME (hehehehehehehehehehehehe...hehehe)
• Bottles re-labeled to read DRINK ME
• A big bowl of ominous looking punch, preferably in a cauldron
• (FeeFiFoFum) Blood of an Englishman (blood red punch)
• Bones - for grinding into bread (sweet bones)
  
• Four and Twenty blackbirds baked in a pie (black berry pie, with a raven prop placed next to it)

Decor

• Check out the list over at Ghoul Friday's. I'm not copying anything unless I have notes to add, and you'll find some fantastic ideas there.
• Three blind mice - set these out next to cheese on your food table
• Rapunzel's hair - you can get long, blond wigs at party stores all over around Halloween. Walmart typically has them cheap. I'd probably braid it and use it as a garland
• Witches legs sticking out of the oven - first of all, don't be planning to use your oven. Second, the principles of making witches lets would be the same as here (around step 5) - use striped fabric for the legs, and sew off the tops of the legs - don't attach them to a doll. Increase the size of the template and cloth as needed to make the legs seem "life sized." - a battery-powered candle inside your over could be neat to make it look like the embers are still burning, as long as it doesn't light things up too much
  
• Fake fur throw - if you have such a thing, you could mark it as 'the Beast' from Beauty and the Beast somehow
• Bluebeard's keys (with a spot of blood on them - extra cool if you have a creepy, scary looking door to leave them in)
• the tin soldier (partly melted) and the paper ballerina (partly burnt up)

• the woodsman's axe (blood + a little bit of 'wolf's hair' would be adorable, yes?)
• Artsy Mama shows this adorable witchy hand holding an apple - wouldn't it make an phenomenal accent at this party? If only I had the first clue how to make it...
  

I'm sure you'll all come up with many more creative options. This is a playful idea, so I would recommend a playful Halloween soundtrack. A Disney princess song every so often would be funny to me. :)

Read this for more ideas, or just for entertainment: The Gruesome Story behind Fairy Tales (not totally accurate near as I can tell, but interesting).

Bloodshot Eyes - an hors d'oeuvre

Yummy, and best served ripped straight from your victim's head oven!

Eyeballs are such an easy "scary" snack; haven't we talked about throwing an eyeball party before?

Comically, eyeball treats are the ones I usually pass off as being to unoriginal to worry about (except for lychee eyeballs because they look so awesome), but these were just a cutsey coincidence: we were making an appetizer to go with our dinner, and they happened to look like bloodshot eyes.

Since they are also YUMMY, I am sharing them with you.

• french bread (sliced)
• olive oil
• roma tomato
• shredded mozzarella
  
• sea salt
• freshly ground pepper
• black olive slices

Place the french bread slices on a cookie sheet; make thin slices out of your roma tomato, placing one slice on each piece of bread. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle just a little bit of shredded mozzarella on each piece of tomato (be sparing - just enough to give it a veiny eye look!). Sprinkle salt to taste. Sprinkle pepper to taste (I would have done without it, but husband-to-be loves the stuff). Place one black olive sliver in the center of each tomato.

Place under your broiler (on "low" setting) just until the cheese is melted and the edges of the bread begin to brown. Serve warm if you can!

The pepper and olive give this a nice, grown-up flavor. Mmmm.

Three Broomstick Swizzle Sticks

Heather Bailey has posted this fantastic tutorial on making broomstick swizzle sticks.

Perfect for a Harry Potter party, a Halloween get-together, or your Witchy Wedding.

Go visit her site for more adorably awesome ideas!

Here Kitty, Kitty.

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Boo!

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