This Witches Brew drink is a Halloween cocktail with a bright green color and sweet-tart flavor! Step it up with dry ice for a bit of bubbling magic.
Every October, I find myself looking for cocktails that are both spooky and sophisticated. That’s exactly the vibe of this Witches Brew drink with its electric green color. The funny thing is, beneath all the drama it’s actually a balanced sweet-tart cocktail!
I’ve tested countless Halloween cocktails over the years, and this one is a gem. It’s got flavor depth from the melon notes in Midori, paired with bright citrus. Adding dry ice makes the brew bubble and boil with magic smoke wisps! It’s optional but worth it for the spectacle (I think!).
Why This Halloween Cocktail Works
Most spooky drinks are super sweet or one note, but this one tastes deliciously balanced. Here the Melon liqueur is fruity and Cointreau is citrusy, and it has just the right sweet tart flavor with the fresh lemon juice.
I also really love how fun the bright green color is, paired with the wisps of smoke and blood red cherry. If you don’t want to do dry ice you could also add an egg white foam topping.
Ingredients In a Witches Brew Drink
The name Witches Brew drink is used for various types of Halloween drinks: some are bright purple, others deep blue, and some are served in punch bowls. My recipe uses bright green melon liqueur and lemon juice to make a classic cocktail with a sweet tart flavor. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Midori, a Japanese melon liqueur
- Cointreau or Triple Sec, an orange liqueur
- Fresh lemon juice
- Dry ice, optional (read all the safety information below first!)
Stir the ingredients with ice cubes, strain it into a lowball glass, and garnish with a chunk of dry ice. It will bubble and boil, just like you’d imagine from a Witches Brew!
Why Midori Belongs on Your Bar Cart
Midori is a unique bright green liqueur that you may not have heard of, but it’s easy to find at most liquor stores! Here’s why it’s worth adding to your collection for the Witches Brew drink:
- Midori is a bright green, honeydew melon flavored Japanese liqueur. It was first released in 1964 as Hermes Melon Liqueur. When released in the US in 1978, the name was changed to “Midori,” the Japanese word for green.
- It tastes very sweet, with a candy-like honeydew melon flavor, and is typically mixed into cocktails instead of drinking it straight.
- You can use up your bottle with classic Midori cocktails like the Midori Sour, Tokyo Tea or the Japanese Slipper.
Dry Ice Safety: Read This First
Working with dry ice may sound intimidating, but it’s actually quite manageable once you understand the basic safety guidelines:
- DO NOT touch dry ice with bare hands. Dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide, which forms at temperatures below -109°F. It can give you frostbite because it is so cold. Use gloves when handling it, and use tongs for dropping it into drinks. Holding it for more than 10 seconds is considered very dangerous.
- DO NOT drink the dry ice itself. This is crucial to tell your guests. The ice cube settles to the bottom of the drink and should disappear in about 5 minutes. You can sip the drink carefully while the dry ice is still at the bottom, but don’t let it slide to the top of your glass or try to consume it.
For more detailed information, check out my guide on How to Make Dry Ice Drinks and Cocktails.
Buying, Breaking, and Storing Dry Ice
Here are some notes on logistics for using dry ice in the Witches Brew drink:
- Purchasing and storage: Buy the dry ice 1 to 2 hours before you plan to serve. Dry ice is available at most grocery stores and is sold in large blocks (here’s a store finder). It does not last in the freezer, so once you’re home place the plastic bag of dry ice in a cooler with the top off. Keep away from children and pets.
- Breaking into chunks: Right before serving, drop the plastic bag on the ground several times to break it into large chunks. Then put on safety goggles and gloves and break it into small chunks with a screwdriver or ice pick. The ideal size is 1/2-inch to 1-inch chunks: heavy enough to sink in the drink but small enough to disappear after a few minutes.
- Final storage: Wrap the chunks in a towel and place in a cooler with the top off until serving. Again, don’t put them into the freezer!
Making a Batch for a Halloween Party
To make a 16-serving recipe of this drink for a small punch bowl, combine 3 cups Midori, 3 cups triple sec, 2 cups fresh lemon juice. Stir it together in a pitcher with ice, then strain into the punch bowl. If you want to stretch it and have less alcohol, use equal parts Midori, triple sec, and ginger ale or lemon-lime soda, then add lemon juice added to taste.
How to add the dry ice to a punch bowl: Using tongs (do not touch the dry ice!), add 2 of the 4 to 5-inch chunks of dry ice to the punch bowl, which will sink to the bottom and immediately make a smoking effect. The smoking will last 5 to 10 minutes. Do not drink the dry ice! For kids, ladle out punch by skimming off the top. If you’d like you can ladle out a small chunk of dry ice into a glass for adults, but wait until the cube disappears before enjoying your drink (or you can take sips with the dry ice in the bottom).
Witches Brew Drink
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The Witches Brew drink is a spooky cocktail with a bright green color! It’s festive and tastes perfectly sweet tart.
- Author: Sonja Overhiser
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Stirred
- Cuisine: Cocktails
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Instructions
- Make the drink: Add the Midori, Cointreau and lemon juice to a cocktail mixing glass (or cocktail shaker). Add 2 handfuls regular ice cubes and stir until cold. Strain the drink into a lowball glass. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.
- Break the dry ice into 1-inch chunks (if using): Do this as close to the time you’ll be serving the drinks as possible, though you can buy the dry ice a few hours in advance. Start by dropping the plastic bag with the dry ice on the ground several times to allow it break into large chunks. Remember never to touch the dry ice with your bare hands! Put on goggles and gloves. Break the dry ice into smaller pieces using a screwdriver or ice pick. The ideal size is 1/2-inch to 1-inch chunks that are large enough to sink to the bottom of the drink, but small enough to disappear in a few minutes. Wrap the small chunks in a towel and place them in a cooler with the top off until you’re ready to serve the drinks. Do not place the dry ice in the freezer.
- Add the dry ice: Using tongs (do not touch the dry ice!), add a 1/2-inch to 1-inch chunk of dry ice to the glass, which will sink to the bottom and immediately make a smoking effect. The ice cube will disappear in about 5 minutes. Do not drink the dry ice! Wait until the cube disappears before enjoying your drink (or you can take sips with the dry ice in the bottom). Review these Dry Ice Handling Instructions.
Notes
*Dry ice is available at many grocery stores and comes in a large block. Buy it a few hours before you plan to serve the drinks (it does not store in the freezer). Read more about Dry Ice Safety here.
Punch bowl batch: See the “Making a Batch for a Halloween Party” section above for instructions on how to make a batch drink.
More Halloween Cocktails To Try
Looking for more Halloween drinks or spooky ideas for cocktails? We’ve got them! Here are a few fun Halloween cocktails to experiment with that are classic cocktails with ghoulish names:
- Try a Halloween Margarita or Halloween Sangria
- Go for a spooky Vampire’s Kiss
- Make a big bowl of Halloween Punch or channel wizards and witches with Butterbeer
- For classics, try a Death in the Afternoon, Corpse Reviver, or Zombie
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” -Dakmama
