We Olive Witch’s Brew

This spooky potion is perfect for your next Halloween party. Mix your favorite vodka along with apple cider, pomegranate juice or cranberry juice (depending on the color you want, if you are not using food coloring), lemon, and some black sugar to rim your glass! 

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces of apple vodka or your favorite vodka
• 1 ounce of apple cider
• 1 ounce of pomegranate juice or cranberry juice
• 1 squeeze out of a lemon wedge
• Crushed ice
• Dry Ice, optional
• Black Sugar for the rim, optional
• ⅛ teaspoon activated charcoal for coloring or Food Coloring, optional

Directions:

1. If desired, rim your martini glass with black sugar. To make the sugar stick we used the moisture from the sliced apple. 
2. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the cider, pomegranate juice/cranberry juice, lemon, vodka, and food coloring if you are using it. 
3. Strain into prepared glass. Add a very, very small amount of dry ice, if desired and be sure to wait until the ice fully dissolves to drink or serve as dry ice can be dangerous if it has yet to melt.

NOTE ABOUT DRY ICE –  ONLY ADD COMPLETELY CRUSHED DRY ICE. Dry ice is simply solid CO2 gas and it goes straight from solid to gas without a liquid phase in the middle (this is called sublimation).

So the smoke effect you see here is the solid dry ice evaporates. Wait until the smoke effect stops because then you know the dry ice has completely evaporated, and the drink is now completely safe to drink. Just crush the dry ice (to a powder). I buy pellets OR add the dry ice into an ice bag and crush it using an ice-crushing mallet or similar tool. ALWAYS wear gloves when handling dry ice. 

You can add a little to the bottom of your cocktail glass to give it that spooky, smoky effect when you pour the drink, and maybe add another touch of powdered dry ice after that for a smoky effect that lasts a bit longer. But you should NOT swallow or ingest bits of dry ice. Wait until the dry ice has completely evaporated. This happens fast, and it leaves no residue behind as it evaporates. The powdered dry ice evaporates even faster.

And ALWAYS use gloves when handling dry ice. Never touch it with bare hands. Make sure dry ice is used in a ventilated space. In a part setting, make sure the cocktails are used in an open setting to avoid CO2 build-up.