October is my favorite month, for a number of reasons–the change in weather, the availability of darker and heavier beers on tap, and of course the approach of Halloween. Somehow all three of those come into play at the annual Poe Fest in Baltimore. The two-day festival is always held on the weekend closest to October 7, which of course is the date Poe died in Baltimore, under mysterious circumstances, in 1849. This year therefore marks the 175th anniversary of Poe’s death. Astute readers will recall I visited Poe Fest in 2019, and I’m returning this year for a very special reason. Let me explain:
Remember the story (“A Dying Wish”) I presented in serial form as part of last year’s October blog posts? I’m pleased to report that it’s been nominated as a finalist in Poe Fest’s literary contest called The Saturday ‘Visiter’ Awards. So I will be attending the Festival, where the winner of the contest will be revealed at the Black Cat Ball on the night of October 5. I will of course report on the outcome, along with photos, the next day.
Meanwhile, as has become our tradition here at Chasing Phantoms, we’ll be making daily Halloween-themed posts throughout the month of October. This year we’re bringing back a fan favorite: Daily reviews of seasonal treats.
Just part of the day’s work here at Chasing Phantoms.
Now, I’m aware there’s been some controversy over how we’ve defined “seasonal treats” in the past. This year we’ll be expanding the concept to its breaking point, like a Nerd Rope that’s stretched until it snaps and scatters little Nerd candies all over the carpet.
So let me be perfectly clear: We are defining “seasonal treats” as any nutritionally-suspect foodstuffs traditionally associated with the month of October. Specifically, we will be reviewing treats in four categories, with (roughly) a week devoted to each category.
Week 1: Seasonal offerings from chain coffee shops (Starbucks, etc)
Week 2: Halloween candy
Week 3: Seasonal offerings from ice cream and donut chains (BR, Winchell’s)
Week 4: Seasonal alcoholic beverages
Yes, we here at Chasing Phantoms are willing to conduct this research for the benefit and edification of our loyal readership. Think of us as a Halloween-themed version of Consumer Reports, just without the standards or credibility.
The fun kicks off tomorrow. Be sure to share the news with your friends!
It’s only two weeks until October begins! And you know what that means….
It means that soon this blog will once again be turned over to a month-long Halloween extravaganza.
Loyal readers will recall past themes: 31 poses of Mr. Spookybones,
a sampling of 31 different Halloween treats,
a review of 31 Frankenstein movies,
and a disastrous attempt to pour 31 different Halloween cocktails.
This year I have planned something that’s quite different and, I think, highly entertaining. I can’t reveal details at this point, but let’s just say that you should cancel all your October engagements and set aside the month to dutifully follow this blog. And you should also spread the word to your family, friends, and parole officers. Just tell them to direct their browsers to http://www.waytrips.travel.blog starting on October 1. Remember, “If you dig Halloween, then this blog must be seen!”
OK, OK–I’ll give you one hint. Every year in October, General Mills re-releases their retro breakfast foods named Frankenberry and Count Chocula. Ponder that a bit.
Certainly I must be the first person to notice the double meaning of the word “spirits” around Halloween….
Uh, I had this graphic specially commissioned for this blog…
Anyway, it’s finally October, when I traditionally turn over this blog to a series of 31 posts on a particular Halloween-related theme. And as I revealed a few weeks ago, the theme this year is Halloween cocktails. Now, I should admit that I’m not much of a mixologist, but I’m thinking that Halloween cocktails, with their scary and creepy vibe, would be more forgiving than the those rather punctilious drinks you’d have around, say, Christmas. It also provides me with an excuse to stock my bar with a bunch of the more epicene liqueurs that I normally eschew. I’m looking at you, Tempus Fugit Liq De Violettes.
Each day I will make a different Halloween cocktail, drink it, and rate it. Such is the kind of self-sacrificing behavior I’m known for. Then, I will rate the drink along three dimensions:
(1) Appearance–i.e., to what extent does it evoke the Halloween season? Up to 4 points.
(2) Taste–i.e., is it even drinkable? Up to 4 points.
(3) Name–i.e., does it at least have a cool moniker? Up to 2 points.
Thus, each drink can score up to 10 points. At the end of the month I’ll summarize the top picks, and maybe add one final surprise.
So let’s get to it! Our first drink is a Pumpin Martini.
Pumpkins, more than anything else, symbolize Halloween–or at least they have since the mid-19th century. Before that time, the English-speaking world was carving turnips for Halloween (I’m not making this up). It thus fell to the Americans to introduce the larger and much easier-to-carve pumpkin for making Jack O’Lanterns. It’s yet another example of American ingenuity.
For today’s cocktail, we use actual pumpkin innards, which certainly sounds promising. I used canned pumpkin puree, but if you want to be really authentic, just use some of the scoopings left over from carving your jack o’lantern.
The recipe: Combine 2 oz vodka, 1/2 oz heavy cream, 1/2 oz pure maple syrup, 2 Tbsp pumpkin puree, and 1/4 tsp of pumpkin pie spice in a shaker with ice. Shake and serve in a martini glass. You can coat the rim of the glass with graham crackers if you like, and that sounds like a great addition, but alas, our cupboard was bare.
Shaken, not stirred.
The ratings: From the outset, let me acknowledge that someone who shall remain nameless (but his last name is Boilard and he is about 32 years younger than me, and he shares half of my DNA) warned me that I couldn’t allow pumpkin-flavored drinks to qualify as “Halloween spirits,” because in my Halloween candy blogs last year I lambasted fall-themed candies for being not properly Halloween themed. OK. Maybe I was a little hasty last year. But more to the point, pumpkin-based drinks are highly evocative of Halloween. One of my most potent Halloween memories is the rich, pungent, musky smell of a jack o’lantern after the lid has been charred by a candle flame all evening.
Somehow, this Pumpkin Martini brings back those memories. For me, at least, pumpkin sightings were limited almost exclusively to the week leading up to Halloween. We’d carve our pumpkin with a kitchen knife, and Mom would toast the pumpkin seeds in the oven, which Dad would then consume by the handful while he watched Warriors basketball on our cheap, portable TV. A few days later my brother and I would don homemade costumes (invariably a “hobo”) and collect literally tens of thousands of calories worth of candy from homes displaying a lit jack o’lantern. This was of course the Golden Age of Halloween.
Brother Dave at left front, with me standing behind him.
Anyway, the point is that pumpkin-based cocktails are a legitimate expression of Halloween spirits.
So, on a scale of one to four, I give the appearance of this Pumpkin Martini a solid three points out of four. This is mainly due to the authentic orange color, which, while lightened by the whipping cream, still has the unmistakable pumpkin hue. In addition, the obvious creamy texture, evident by the slight undulations on the surface of the drink, scream (as a Halloween drink should!) that this is a festive and fun libation.
How it’s supposed to look. (Photo c/o A Couple Cooks.)
For taste, I give this drink 3.5 out of 4 points. It’s got honest pumpkin flavor, and the consistency is rich and velvety. The pumpkin pie spice adds depth and interest. However, upon the second or third sip (or in my case, upon the second drink) the taste becomes a little cloying. I do wonder if a healthy coating of graham crackers would have lengthened the staying power of this drink?
For the name, I give it 1 out of 2 points. I mean, it’s not really a martini (though it’s in a martini glass). But it’s definitely pumpkin, and the name “pumpkin martini” is playful and contrarian.
In sum, this is a worthy kick-off for our month of Halloween cocktails.
OVERALL SCORE: 7.5 points.
Reminder: I’m still soliciting recommendations for Halloween drinks to test-drive this month.
Chasing Phantoms 