"Witch's Brew" Cocktail (Inspired by "Hocus Pocus") (BOTB 2022 Day 19) Recipe

 

Bring Out the Boos 2022

Dy 19: "Witch's Brew" Cocktail (Inspired by "Hocus Pocus")

By: The Film Bartender

    "Hocus Pocus" is the most rewatched and beloved Halloween film of modern times. It's practically a tradition for families and longtime fans of the original film to tune in to one of Freeform's many, many showings of this classic Disney film. Today, our drink is inspired by the green brew the potion the Sanderson sisters make to lure the children to them, waiting to prey on their childlike innocence and youth. Keep scrolling to find the recipe of "Witch's Brew" below!

    "Hocus Pocus" was released in 1993, and directed by Kenny Ortega based off a screenplay by Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert. The movie stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, Omri Katz, Thora Birch, and Vinessa Shaw. The film follows a young teenager, named Max, who is very against his family's new move to the town of Salem, Massachusetts. He thinks learning about the witches who were burnt at the stake in the town, as well as the mysterious lore of Winnifred, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson, is ridiculous and just for children. 

    However, on Halloween night, when he is forced to take his sister trick or treating, he convinces his crush to accompany them on their night out. She suggests they go look at the Sanderson house to welcome  Max and his family to town, as her mom is the museum curator for the old Sanderson house on the edge of town. However, when Max ignores their warnings and lights the Black Flame Candle (which the lore says must be lit by a virgin to bring back the dead), the Sanderson sisters return to Salem for the night, ready to wreck havoc and consume as many children as possible to look as young as they once were. 

    The film was positively received by critics and fans, and over the years, has become an instant cult classic. There are numerous die hard fans, and the fans are as committed as those of films like "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". Every halloween season, the channel Freeform plays "Hocus Pocus" over thirty times, with many fans tuning in to watch the classic spooky season film they first watched growing up. 

    The film is so popular and beloved that it garnered a sequel to this film in 2022, released on Disney+. The sequel is directed by Anne Fletcher, and brings back the three main stars to reprise their roles as the famous witches. They are thrown into the aspects of modern day Salem, including mobile phones, cars, and Roombas in a hilarious scene. The movie received mixed reactions from both fans and critics, with some praising it and saying it's much better than the original and others saying that it ruined the potential of the first one.

    Our drink today is based off of the spooky potion that Winnifred makes to consume the child's soul and make themselves younger. In this movie, it is the same green-ish color as the potion the famous sisters make, which perfectly fits in the atmosphere of other witch brews. Check out the recipe below to add some spookiness to your next Halloween Party, or to add a fun kick to your next viewing of this Halloween classic. 

Ingredients:

- 1 oz White Rum

- 1/2 oz Blue Curaçao

- 2 oz Orange Juice

- 2 oz Sour Apple Pucker Liqueur

- Ice

- Purple Sprinkles (for garnish)

Directions:

1. Wet the rim of a rocks glass, and place it face down on a plate of purple sprinkles to create the rim on the glass. Set aside.

2. In a cocktail shaker, add the White Rum, Blue Curaçao, Orange Juice, and Sour Apple Pucker Liqueur. Add ice to the shaker, and shake vigorously for thirty seconds to fully combine.

3. Strain the cocktail into the prepared rocks glass.

4. Serve. 

Film Fact: During a 20th anniversary screening of "Hocus Pocus", Doug Jones reveled that the moths that come out of his mouth at the end of the film are real, not CGI. In a 2018 interview with Bloody Disgusting, make-up and special effects designer Tony Gardner said that the actor wore a "mouth rig", which was a latex pocket that was attached to dentures that blocked off Jones' threat to make the moths come out. Gardner said, "There was a small hole in the very back of the pocket so that Doug could cough some air through it... an animal wrangler would place several moths in the pocket with tweezers, then the stitches would be glued shut, and we'd run out of frame so that they could get to the shot as fast as possible."

    Now you have made your very own "Witch's Brew" based off the classic Halloween film. This beloved Disney movie will go down as one of the best and most famous spooky season movies, and will keep its cult following for years down the line! Let me know in the comments below or on Instagram to let me know what you think of both this drink and this classic film!

    This is Day 19 of my "Bring Out the Boos 2022" Halloween event, where I make a new drink everyday for the month of October to celebrate the Halloween holiday! Go check out the recipes for the earlier drinks on the Home Screen of my page, and check back tomorrow to find the drink recipe for Day 20 of this event! Until then, happy drinking!