Witches and their brews are quintessential images associated with Halloween. So a brewing pot full of blue flames would make a perfect addition to your Halloween party. Particularly if that pot were to be filled with a bewitching and intoxicating potion. Well, I guess it’s fortunate that alcohol burns blue! I think it’s time to make a flaming party punch!!!
Backstory: So the idea for this drink came when I was watching an episode of Made in Spain hosted by José Andrés. He was visiting a town in the Galician region of Spain and sipping on a drink called queimada. I’m not sure if it was Andrés’ enthusiasm for the beverage or the mystical way in which it’s prepared, but I just had to try it at home.
Queimada comes from the Celtic tradition of the Galicians in Spain. It is a punch made of orujo (similar to grappa) mixed with coffee beans, lemon peel, cinnamon sticks and sugar and then lit on fire. It is prepared in a clay pot and while the flames burn, a “spell” is recited in which evils are banished, the drink is called upon to purify it’s drinkers and the four elements are asked to help bring this purity to those familiar souls who are not present. The mystical tradition surrounding this drink fascinated me. I looked up the renowned chef’s make-it-at-home friendly recipe and gave it a whirl. I was completely underwhelmed. I’m guessing that queimada is an acquired taste, one that I haven’t yet acquired nor have any of my friends. So instead, I decided to make my own recipe.
But before I get into that I want to share with you what I’ve learned. When it comes to flammability, not all alcohol is created equal. A spirit is unlikely to burn unless it’s at least 100 proof. A liqueur, on the other hand, its much more flammable due to its sugar content. So if you are making substitions, bear this in mind. Now, on to the recipe.
What You Need:
2 bottles of red wine (quality doesn’t matter too much here)
1 bottle of 100 proof spiced rum (reserve a few tablespoons worth)
1 cup of orange flavored liqueur (and a few tablespoons extra)
4 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 strip of orange peel
1 strip of lemon peel
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup fresh lemon
What to Do:
Pour the wine into a pot and add the cloves, cinnamon sticks, orange peel, lemon peel and sugar. Heat while stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Do not boil.
In a separate pot, combine the orange juice and lemon juice and heat until just under a boil.
Remove the wine from the heat and pour into a fire-proof glass, ceramic or metal punch bowl. Add the rum and the orange liqueur. Keep the juice in an easy-to-pour container (such as a measuring cup or pitcher) on the side. Hold a ladle over the punch and pour the reserved liqueur and rum into it. Using a lighter-gun or long match, light the mixture in the ladle on fire. Slowly and carefully pour the liquid from the ladle into the punch bowl. Let the flames burn for about 30 seconds to a minute and then slowly pour the citrus juice over the flames to extinguish them.
The punch bowl I found actually reminds me of Harry Potter (Halloween appropriate). So I’m going to leave you with the suggestion that dress as Dumbledore or Professor McGonagoll, split your guests up into three teams, and then make the teams compete with each other over who can make this punch the best. Of course, this should probably be done at the beginning of the evening before any other alcohol is consumed.
Currently based out of Boston, Jesal is a blogger, freelance writer, yoga enthusiast and lifelong vegetarian who spent four years eating her way through New York City and various other cities around the globe. After answering hundreds of emails and phone calls answering the question, "Where's a cool place I can take my vegetarian friend out to eat" she started Veggiewala to efficiently share her knowledge of the vegetarian food scene with curious carnivores, flexitarians and other vegetarians.