From the Dark

Of Herbert West, who was my friend in college and in after life, I can speak only with extreme terror. This terror is not due altogether to the sinister manner of his recent disappearance, but was engendered by the whole nature of his life-work, and first gained its acute form more than seventeen years ago, when we were in the third year of our course at the Miskatonic University Medical School in Arkham. While he was with me, the wonder and diabolism of his experiments fascinated me utterly, and I was his closest companion. Now that he is gone and the spell is broken, the actual fear is greater. Memories and possibilities are ever more hideous than realities.

So begins HP Lovecraft’s Herbert West – Reanimator. It’s a story about a mad scientist who develops a glowing green serum that brings the dead back to life,only with dread consequences. It first appeared in Home Brew,an amateur magazine published by his friend George Houtain in 1922,would re-appear in the March 1942 issue of Weird Tales,and would be the basis of a series of Re-Animator movies starring the B movie great Jeffrey Combs. It was also the inspiration for the pair of Tiki drinks I’m posting this week. Don’t be afraid….

Mix #236 Miskatonic Reviver

1.5oz vodka
1oz Midori
1oz pineapple juice
3/4oz lime juice
1 dash Bittermen’s Boston Bittahs*
tonic water

Shake everything except tonic with ice. Strain into beaker with fresh ice and top with tonic water.

*I used Peychaud’s bitters.

Created by the folks at Shudder for their Last Drive In series,this turned out a bit tart and watered down. While I love Shudder’s stuff,they unfortunately need to stick to horror and leave the cocktail mixing to the pros.

Mix #237 Reanimator

1.5oz Plantation Xaymaca
1/2oz Plantation OFTD
3/4oz lemon juice
1/2oz passionfruit syrup
1/4oz Don’s Zombie Mix*

Combine ingredients with ice and shake or flash blend. Pour into Zombie glass.

*Don’s Zombie Mix = equal parts grenadine,falernum,curacao,and absinthe

The first drink was your trick,this one is your treat. A proper Tiki drink created by mixologist Jason Alexander,this is a complex drink with sweet/spice/citrus and an absinthe finish. Since only a quarter ounce of Zombie Mix was used,I just used 2.5ml of each. 1.85ml would’ve been exact,but 2.5 is the closest my jigger will measure,and I didn’t feel like using a dropper for everything. The absinthe really comes forward,so if you’re not a big fan,cut it back to just a couple drops. A proper Tiki cocktail made by an expert.

So go ahead and mix up a serum to make your Halloween season fun. And don’t worry about the reanimated,you can always call Elvira to help out.