Readers Handily Take To Halloween

I've got to hand it to our readers -- they certainly know a thing or two about fright night.

Several readers wrote in to say they have tried in their own punch bowls the "frozen Halloween hand" trick that recently was mentioned in Liquid Solutions. That's where you fill a non-latex glove with punch or juice and freeze it. Then you peel off the glove and use your ghoulish floating icy "hand" to add an extra level of chill to the punch.

Some folks said the floating hand was an instant hit at their parties, but others complained that it made a disappearing act far too quickly. One way to prevent your punch partner from handily escaping is to also chill your punch to near-freezing so that it doesn't melt as quickly. Or you can freeze several hands and add them throughout the course of the party.

Reader Denise Fetty came up with some frightfully cunning ideas -- not just for Halloween, but for other holidays as well.

Fetty said she purchased a "brain" mold from a party-supplies store, filled it with ginger ale and added some food coloring for a ghoulish effect . She then stuck the thing in the freezer. (Note: You might want to warn people using the refrigerator of what you are up to. You don't want any fainting going on.)

"I have also added plastic spiders or frozen gummies to add to the 'gross" factor,' Fetty says.

For the punch, Fetty uses one half-gallon of orange sherbet and four or five 2-liter bottles of either orange soda or ginger ale. For adult parties, she suggests adding a flavored vodka (lime, lemon or mandarin orange might be nice) to the punch.

Fetty places the brain in the bottom of a punch bowl, cauldron or large carved-out pumpkin and scoops six to eight large sherbet helpings into the punch bowl. She pours the soda on top of the ice mold and sherbet. Fetty advises to let the punch stand for about 10 minutes and then gently stir to mix the flavors, and the Halloween punch is ready.

"Add additional sherbet, soda and vodka as the punch runs dry. I also have additional ice rings prepared, just in case," Fetty says.

Fetty suggests that on other holidays, you can do the same thing with appropriate festive molds and mixes.

For December holiday parties, use raspberry sherbet and ginger ale or 7UP with a flavored vodka. On St. Patrick's Day, try lime sherbet and ginger ale or 7UP with a flavored vodka.

Here's a frightfully terrific tip: You can find other spooky ideas for Halloween in our special section.

Have any party-time beverage ideas to share? Give me a shout. Your idea might make it in a future Liquid Solutions column.