The Thirteen Drinks of Halloween 2020 – Thirteen

Luck is a funny thing. When it shines on you, nothing can stop your efforts, when it turns away, even the simplest plans fall to ruin. I’ve always been a contrarian when it comes to the traditions here. 13 is my lucky number and I have a certain fondness for black cats, which makes today’s final thirteenth drink of Halloween so fitting. Won’t you please join me now as we stand and make a tribute to the tiki classic, Black Magic. 

This classic tiki drink was created by Mariano Lucidine at Fort Lauderdale’s historic, Mai Kai. Although I hung out in that neighborhood and have passed this iconic tiki bar many times, I have never actually been there. An issue I will rectify when the world reopens. Assuming they make it and are able to reopen. It is funny to find out as an adult that the weird Polynesian looking place across from Skyline Chili is a tiki Mecca. After so many disappointing Halloween concoctions, I figured we should go with something tried and true for our final installment. Plus, my niece got this most excellent black cat mug for me and I knew this was the perfect drink. 

We are flash blending this one so grab the mixing cup and add 1 1/2 ounces of dark Jamaican rum, I chose Smith + Cross; 1 1/2 ounces of Hamilton Jamaican Pot Still Black; 1 1/2 ounces of chilled coffee, 3/4 of an ounce each of orange, lime and grapefruit juice, 3/4 of an ounce of rich honey simple syrup, 1/2 an ounce of Don’s Mix (cinnamon simple syrup with grapefruit juice instead of water); 1/4 ounce of St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram and two dashes of angostura bitters. Add 1 1/2 cups of crushed ice and crank up Santana’s “Black Magic Woman” before flash blending for 10 seconds or so, just enough to get it frothy. Pour into something suitably spooky, like this Lucky Black Cat mug and top with more crushed ice. Spray some more angostura on the ice, for good measure. Add a straw and garnish with some coffee beans and candy corn.

Of course, this is wonderful. Tiki drinks, at their best, are complicated, with lots of ingredients that combine to make a layered, complex drink and this one fits the bill. Always make this drink. It’s a coffee based tiki drink, how could you not?

So there you go, The final of our Thirteen Drinks of Halloween. I hope you have enjoyed this exploration of what is right and mostly wrong with themed cocktails. It has been fun on our end, but I am looking forward to getting back to making things on whim and fancy; choosing things I want to drink rather than things that fit our theme. Like I said at the beginning, I’m not good at staying focused, even on something as simple as this. Thanks for your support and your continued patience with these random shouts into the darkness. I hope you have a very Happy Halloween and that you stay safe, stay hydrated and stay spooky, my friends.