She Strengthens

Glowing Halloween Punch: A Spooky Twist on a Classic Recipe

This Halloween, impress your guests with a spooky and eerie punch that’s sure to be the talk of the town. The secret ingredient? Quinine, a bitter alkaloid found in tonic water that reacts to UV light, giving the punch a glowing blue hue.

The Science Behind the Glow

Quinine is responsible for the characteristic bitterness of tonic water, but it also has a unique property that makes it react to ultraviolet light. When exposed to a standard black light, the quinine in the tonic water glows an otherworldly blue. However, it takes a significant amount of tonic water to achieve this effect – our test kitchen found that it needs to make up at least 50% of the volume in the recipe.

Balancing the Bitterness

To balance out the bitterness of the tonic water, we mixed it with sweeter ingredients like pineapple juice, Cointreau, pisco, and lime juice. This creates a refreshing and fruity flavor profile that’s perfect for a Halloween party.

Creating the Severed Hands

In a nod to Martha Stewart, we created glowing “severed hands” by freezing tonic water in latex gloves. This not only adds a creepy touch to the punch but also helps to keep it cold. Simply fill the gloves with flat tonic water, squeeze out the air, and freeze them overnight.

Tips and Tricks

• To get the maximum luminescence, place the punch bowl under a couple of black lights.
• Use a high-quality pisco, such as one distilled from South American white Muscat grapes, for the best flavor.
• Make sure to flatten the tonic water before freezing it in the latex gloves to avoid bubbles.
• Plan ahead and make the severed hands at least a day before serving the punch.

Recipe

Severed-Hand Ice Cubes

• 2 medium or large powder-free latex gloves
• 3 cups flat tonic water, such as Fever-Tree
• 2 rubber bands

Punch

• 3 cups pisco
• 1 1/2 cups Cointreau
• 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 15 limes)
• 1 1/2 cups naturally sweetened pineapple juice
• 7 cups tonic water, such as Fever-Tree, chilled

Instructions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper and set aside.
2. Fill one glove with about 1 1/2 cups of flat tonic water, squeeze out the air, and close the opening with a rubber band.
3. Lay the glove flat on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the second glove.
4. Place in the freezer until solid, at least overnight.
5. In a 3-1/2-quart container, combine the pisco, Cointreau, lime juice, and pineapple juice. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 to 3 hours.
6. When ready to serve, remove the severed-hand ice cubes from the freezer and let sit for 3 to 5 minutes at room temperature.
7. Add the tonic water to the pisco mixture and gently stir to combine.
8. Cut away and discard the rubber gloves, then place the ice-cube hands in the punch and serve underneath black lights.