If you need some Dutch courage to get through the Halloween horror movies, try this cocktail twist on a great Irish tradition.Getty
Ireland has some spooktacular Halloween traditions and one of our favorites has always been the anticipation of who will get the ring in the traditional Barmbrack bread.
Barmbrack is a fruit-filled bread, so-called because it is “breac” (pronounced as brack, the Irish for speckled) with dried fruit and candied peel and it's a delicious treat for grown-ups on Halloween night.
Traditionally, different objects are baked into the brack, such as a coin, a ring, or a piece of cloth, which are said to predict the future of those who come across them in their slice.
The ring, believed to show who will next get married, is the most popular addition to barmbrack and a tradition that can still be seen today, even in store-bought barmbracks. Tokens such as the coin suggest you will be rich if you find it and the piece of cloth that you will be poor.
If you’ve overindulged on the candy, however, leaving no room for a nice slice of barmbrack, Food & Wine came up with the perfect solution, helping you wash down all those sugary treats while still paying homage to Irish tradition. Check out the recipe for a Halloween Barmbrack Cocktail, below!
Halloween Barmbrack Cocktail Recipe
Serves one drink.
Ingredients:
- Ice
- 2 ounces (1/4 cup) single-malt Irish whiskey (60 ml)
- 1/2 teaspoon St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram (rum-based allspice liqueur)
- 2/3 ounce Toasted-Raisin Syrup (19 g)
- 1/2 ounce heavy cream (14 g)
- 1 large egg yolk
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish
Method:
Simply load up your cocktail shaker with ice, add all of the ingredients apart from the nutmeg garnish, and shake well.
Strain the cocktail into your glass and use the nutmeg to garnish.
Slainte!
H/T: Food & Wine
*Originally published in August 2016. Updated in October 2024.