Name: Witches' Brew
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 1/2 hr (includes steeping)
Yield: Makes about 3 quarts
Ingredients: 2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks; 5 whole cloves; 3 tablespoons finely chopped peeled ginger; 1/3 cup water; 1/3 cup sugar; 1 (25 1/4-ounce) bottle sparkling cider (about 3 1/4 cups), chilled; 4 cups cranberry juice cocktail, chilled; 1 (1-liter) bottle club soda or seltzer, chilled; 1 cup dark rum (optional); Ice blocks in any shape (see cooks' note, below)

Witches' BrewStephanie Foley

Punch is one of the easiest ways to set the Halloween mood—all you need is a cauldron, perhaps, or a pointy black hat and ice block "hands."Not every blend of fruit juices takes well to the with-or-without option of alcohol, but the combination of sparkling cider and cranberry juice cocktail, subtly enhanced with a spice syrup, both support an optional dose of dark rum.

Cooks' notes:

•To make hand-shaped ice, fill powder-free, latex-free rubber gloves with water and tie wrist end securely, then freeze.
•Syrup can be made 1 week ahead and chilled with spices. Strain before using.

Recipe notes

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

15 Halloween Cocktails and Drink Recipes
First, pick your costume. Then pick your poison.

Classic French Bouillabaisse With Rouille

This flexible recipe is all you need to bring this iconic Provençal seafood stew to your table.

Salmon With Sizzled Nut Salsa

A savory-hot salsa made with mixed nuts (like the kind dubbed cocktail nuts meant for snacking) gives roast salmon a kaleidoscope of textures and flavors.

Smothered Italian Sausage

This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.

Dulce de Leche

Make this versatile caramel at home with our slow-simmered method using milk and sugar—or take one of two sweetened condensed milk shortcuts.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Butternut Squash–Kale Salad With Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.

Béchamel Sauce

This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.

One-Pot Chicken Thighs With Cilantro Rice and Beans

This one-pot dinner cooks chicken thighs directly on top of a bed of flavorful cilantro rice studded with black beans for a complete dinner.

Recipe notes

15 Halloween Cocktails and Drink Recipes