You and I both know it wouldn’t be Halloween without a decent cocktail rich in blood. Thanks to True Blood, Eats, Drinks, and Bites from Bon Temps, the cookbook based on the HBO vampire series, we can.
At the vampire-run Fangtasia bar in ol’ Bon Temps, they specialize in cocktails, many of which use a delightful mixer based on synthetic blood, so mortals can taste what it’s like to be a vampire. I mixed up a batch of the faux “Tru Blood,” called “Ruby Mixer,” and then used it to create the cocktail endorsed by Pam Swynford de Beaufort, the show’s vampire-temptress. It’s called “Vampade,” and is the color of fresh blood. As it’s written, this cocktail is sweet enough to rot the canine teeth off a vampire, so I added more fresh squeezed lemon juice to suit. Some vodka might be a nice touch too, if you’re given to that sort of excess. (Ms Swynford de Beaufort is quick to point out that vampires are unable to drink liquor, so a little vodka can also help to keep your drink safe from the undead.)
Vampade
(makes 1 drink)
- 3 ounces Ruby Mixer (see recipe below)
- Cracked Ice
- 1 ½ ounces lemonade or sweet and sour mix
- 1 ounce blackberry liqueur
- Lemon wedge for garnish
Pour the Ruby Mixer into a highball glass filled with ice. Add the lemonade and blackberry liqueur and stir. Garnish with the lemon wedge. Serve immediately.
Ruby Mixer
(makes 6 ounces)
- 4 ounces Carbonated orange soda, such as Orangina, or San Pellegrino Aranciata
- 1 ½ ounces Grenadine
- About 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Combine the orange soda, grenadine, and lemon juice in a pitcher. Stir to blend before using.
