Christmas - you’re pretty cool but all that added pressure of gift giving and endless family visits really add up. Hanukkah, you’re great, but 7 nights? That’s a big commitment. Thanksgiving - you’re pretty rad but a 10 pound weight gain, leftover turkey sandwiches for two weeks straight, and freezing your nips off while watching that football game or Macy’s thanksgiving day parade can wear a little thin. Easter? Too heavy on the church commitment and Easter eggs. New Year's Eve? No offense, but by the time we get to you, we’re pretty holiday’d out. It’s not your fault.
But, Halloween? You take the (proverbial party) cake.
What’s not to love about a holiday where you can get wild, dress up in costumes, eat candy like it’s going out of style, and throw back a vodka press or two (or seven). All for reasons you’re not really sure of.
At the Vodka Press, the only thing we might love more than Halloween is to party.
If you were celebrating with us this holiday, this is how it would go...
Karly:
I don’t need a reason to get all my friends together, wear costumes, and drink, but Halloween is a perfectly (and perhaps more acceptable) excuse.
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| ©Karly Kingsley of The Vodka Press |
First and foremost, of course, I’d feed you. I’m not for peeled grapes that feel like eyeballs or making you stick your hand in a cold pile of spaghetti but I will make you some pumpkin curry soup with a cute little creme fraiche cobweb, squid ink pasta, and some roasted bones
(sorry Kit). There will be plenty of beer but Halloween is the best for getting creative with cocktails
(ask Zoe). I’m thinking hard cider spiked with fireball, some cleverly garnished martinis, and plenty of October inspired beer.
We’ll dress up, excitingly or not, dance to Halloween themed dance remixes of 'Thriller' and any other zombie/dead inspired music and get down until we pass out, wake up, and call out of work in the morning and then, and only then, will we be glad that Halloween only happens but once a year.
Kit:
I’ve taken Arbor Day as an excuse to dress up, so when Halloween finally rolls around I’ve generally been scheming on costume ideas for weeks. Besides dressing up as something outlandish, and possibly exciting, Halloween as a celebration of the fall season is my favorite reason to get festive.
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| ©Karly Kingsley of The Vodka Press |
How about hot apple cider (add some brandy and vodka and let ‘er simmer with orange juice and cinnamon sticks), pumpkin bread and maybe roasted vegetables to nibble on as you transform from your everyday self into whatever haunting beauty you’ve decided to masquerade as for the evening? Add some incense or a cinnamon-y candle and you’re practically one of the Sanderson sisters.
In addition to getting a bit, ahem, spirited, take a moment to appreciate the change of season.
This is fall at its best: crisp, clear, glorious in its orange leaves and blue skies. Enjoy raking up those piles of, bake a pie with fresh picked apples, or just do a little of errand running on foot before it gets too cold to enjoy the need for boots and scarves.
Go on, howl at the moon. You know you want to.
Zoe:
Halloween’s the perfect time of year to slip into something exciting, gather with a group of friends (21+, sorry kiddies!), mix up some
Zoe Grimm Reaper cocktails, and indulge in decadent delights.
Costumes are a MUST at my Halloween party (just ask my better half), and I’ve got 5 costumes changes in store for the night. Just who will I dress up as? Well, you’ll have to join me to find out.
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| ©Karly Kingsley of The Vodka Press |
My favorite adult-friendly treats to serve - Irish carbomb fudge brownies, vodka and tequila lollipops, and salty beer caramels. Nothing says Halloween like boozy candy and sweet treats. (Imagine my voice as I say the following:
Mmmm…sooo good.)
Spooky decorations and Halloween-themed music are nice but really, in the end, the only “must” at a Halloween party is that you’re being safe (practicing safe sex, watching out for suspicious behavior, making sure there are designated drivers, etc.).
So if you were partying with me, I’d be handing out candy, cocktails, condoms, you name it...and, if necessary, I’d also make sure you get home in one piece!
Happy Halloween from all of us here at The Vodka Press
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| By TheCulinaryGeek from Chicago, USA CC-BY-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons |
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