Everyone, it seems, likes to decorate their home for the Halloween season. Some go for the scary look, such as the house I saw in Benicia last weekend that had blood splatters and decapitated mannequins. Others seem to be aimed at young children, with friendly ghosts or cute bats or (somewhat confusingly) Minions. But even if you’re not into Halloween per se, it does seem that virtually everyone puts out a pumpkin or two. They might get a real pumpkin that they’ll carve on Halloween, or they might get one of those plastic, light-up pumpkins. (Our daughter-in-law found a high-tech pumpkin whose face is animated while it sings various songs.)
My point is that pumpkins are de rigueur for Halloween. And our house here at Chasing Phantoms Headquarters is no exception. You see, my wife has gone all-in on the pumpkin theme. How all-in, you ask? Well, I’ll show you a few pictures, and you see if you can spot the pumpkin display that graces our home:
If you picked any answer, you’re right. They are all actual, unretouched photos of the Pumpkin-mania that’s descended on our home.
So, surrounded as I am by the festive gourds, I figure that today’s Halloween Cocktail should somehow feature a pumpkin. So here’s my contribution to the pumpkin theme:
Today we’re making a Pumpkin Pie Martini, as described on the Pioneer Woman website. Who said I’m not open to new experiences??
Conceptual Soundness: This is a drink with pumpkin puree, rum, vanilla vodka, maple syrup, half-and-half, pumpkin pie spices, and whipped cream. Here’s how Pioneer Woman describes the drink: Made with real pumpkin puree (which your PSL is most likely not) and topped with a dollop of frozen whipped cream that melts into a heavenly foam topping, this recipe is equal parts fall dessert and fall cocktail. You had me at “heavenly foam topping.” Any drink with the key words “pumpkin pie” and “martini” is a sound concept indeed. 4 points.
Appearance: Admittedly, everything looks good in a martini glass. But this drink has a distinct pumpkin/syrup color, a creamy texture, and nice dollop of whipped cream. To me, that’s both inviting and alluring. If only I’d had something to rim the glass with. But that’s on me, not the recipe. I give this 3.5 points.
Taste: I really wanted to like this. I was anticipating something like a boozy milkshake. Alas, my first sip was a disappointment. The flavors seemed off. It might have been the spices, which seemed like a risky addition. Or the uncooked pumpkin puree might have been too dominant. Or maybe it was the uneasy interaction of the whipped cream with the rum and vodka. Whatever the reason, that first sip was a disappointment.
The second sip, however, was a different story. Maybe my taste buds just had to acclimate to the unexpected flavor. But that second sip was pretty good. The third was great. The final sip was in nectar-of-the-gods territory.
I know what you’re thinking; You think the accumulation of alcohol in my bloodstream weakened my judgement. But I really think this is a solid drink. The flavors, while unexpected, come to grow on you. (Literally.) I confess I ended up making myself a second glass. But I settled on my rating (3 points for flavor) before that indulgence.
Ease of Preparation: It’s more work than I’m used to for a cocktail, but it’s not a huge lift. You need to chill your martini glass and freeze a few dollops of whipped cream ahead of time. Otherwise, you just throw everything into a shaker with ice. The only item I had to go out and purchase was pumpkin puree; everything else I had on hand. (Technically, I didn’t have vanilla vodka, but Frontier Woman says I can just add vanilla extract to my plain vodka). 2.5 points.
PS: While gathering supplies at the bar, I noticed some additional pumpkin decor. It’s endless!
Chasing Phantoms 