In 1982, an English New-Wave band named after a character in a 1968 soft-porn exploitation film starring Jane Fonda had a hit song with lyrics like “smell like I sound” and “mouth is alive/with juices like wine” (I’m not making any of this up!) The name of the song, by Duran Duran, was “Hungry Like The Wolf,” and the song kept running through my head as I made today’s cocktail, which is called a Wolf Bite.

Wolves have a definite place in the Halloween canon, usually in the form of werewolves. Which in turn always reminds me of this Young Frankenstein gag:

Anyway, the whole concept of werewolves dates back to the Middle Ages, but it didn’t really become a Halloween staple until the mid-twentieth century. Thia modern focus on werewolves was launched in 1935 with Universal’s The Werewolf of London. It should be noted that most of what we “know” about werewolves (the effect of the full moon, bite victims becoming werewolves themselves, silver bullets, etc) were created out of full cloth by Universal. In 1941 Universal released a second werewolf film (The Wolf Man) that starred Lon Chaney Jr, and this one really struck a popular chord.

There followed dozens of other werewolf films, including Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman (1943), Curse of the Werewolf (1961), American Werewolf in London (my fave) (1981), and of course the Michael J Fox vehicle, Teen Wolf (1985). Werewolves were also featured in the late Warren Zevon’s amusing top 40 hit, Werewolves of London (1978). Sing along with me:

But to get back to the Wolf Bite: Here’s what the recipe says about it: “This Wolf Bite shooter is one of those fun drinks with a special effect that can make a real splash at a Halloween party. It’s an interesting mix with a little surprise inside and one that guests will certainly take note of.” OK, this sounds promising, and given that we’ve established wolves/werewolves are a legit Halloween topic, let’s make one!

The Recipe: Combine 1/2 oz Midori melon liqueur, 1/4 oz absinthe, and 1 oz pineapple juice in a shaker with ice. Shake it (baby). Pour into a tall shot glass (I used a champagne glass), add a drizzle of 7-up, and then carefully add a dash of Grenadine.

The Ratings:

The drink has a neon color, with a bottom layer that’s a bit darker (c/o of the Grenadine). I think Grenadine is supposed to be the “special effect” mentioned in the recipe, but it’s not exactly “special” in my opinion. Granted, it’s the colors are somewhat unusual looking, as befits a Halloween drink. It would look even better with a suitable garnish, but even without one it visually stands out. I’ll give the appearance 2.5 points.

Moreover, this is actually a very tasty drink. The pineapple juice and melon liqueur give it sweet citrus backbone, and the 7-Up gives it an enjoyable fizz. The grenadine adds a little tartness and interest with its pomegranate flavor, and the absinthe is a totally unexpected wildcard. Somehow it all comes together, and goes down way too easy. (Fortunately, this is not a high-alcohol drink.) Taste gets 3.5 points.

The name gives a slight nod toward Halloween, but it would have been better if were called something like Werewolf Punch or an Eddie Munster. I can’t give it the full 2 points, but I’ll give the name 1.5 points.

Grand Total: 7.5 points.