Whether you like to watch scary movies all year or you wait until Halloween to work up the nerve, The Horror Movie Night Cookbook and Western Son Vodka have you covered with cocktails and treats perfect for pairing with thrills and chills.
Whet Your Ahhh!-petite
Authored by Richard S. Sargent, The Horror Movie Night Cookbook from Ulysses Press includes 60 recipes with photographs inspired by the types of movies that make you sleep a little less easily at night. As an avid horror movie fan, I really love the diversity of the movies the book covers. Some of my favorite classics like “Jaws” and “Psycho,” as well as some newer films like “The Conjuring” and “Broken Lizard’s Club Dread” are included. If you’re a horror fan, chances are you’ve seen a lot of the films mentioned!
If you’re throwing a Halloween party, the cookbook is a good fit for hosting inspiration. There are appetizers, main courses, and desserts included. I tried my hand at the “Flypaper” recipe inspired by the 2006 psychological thriller, “Bug.” (It’s a good one if you haven’t seen it—performances by Michael Shannon and Ashley Judd will have your skin crawling.) The dessert came out looking a little gross, which should probably be expected from something called “Flypaper,” but it had a soft texture and a yummy, sweet flavor like a lemon bar.
Drink Your Frightful Fill
The Horror Movie Night Cookbook (available for purchase on Amazon) also features cocktail recipes complete with a drinking game to go along with the movie inspiring each tipple. I made “The Debbie Salted Apple Cider Martini,” named for Laurie Metcalf’s reporter character in the second installment of the “Scream” franchise. The drink was strong and a nice mix of tangy and sweet flavors, and the drinking game would surely have you seeing Ghostface by the end of the movie!
For the vodka, I used Western Son Vodka, a spirit distilled in Pilot Point, Texas, using American corn and natural ingredients. There are a variety of flavors of Western Son Vodka available and a list of recipes for each one on the website.
If you’re planning on staying up all night for your own scary movie marathon this Halloween (It’s finally on a Friday, after all!), you might need a little fuel to keep you going. Western Son’s take on an espresso martini might just do the trick:
West-Presso Martini
2 oz Western Son Original Vodka
1 oz Espresso
.5 oz Coffee liqueur
.5 oz Simple Syrup
Garnish with espresso beans
