Show off your mixology skills with a Halloween Cocktail that looks as good as it tastes. The Infection is a sour melon cocktail with a red wine float.
The Infection is based on a classic daiquiri, but incorporates Midori liqueur for a creepy green tint. The black Luxardo cherry and float of red wine contrast with the green to create a visually stunning drink. It may look like a witch’s brew, but the approachable flavor is perfect for your spooky party.
Infection cocktail recipe
Infection
Ingredients
- 1/2 oz Lime Juice
- 1/2 oz Simple Syrup
- 1 oz Rum (White)
- 1 oz Midori
- 1/2 oz Red Wine
- 1 Luxardo Cherry
Instructions
- Place the maraschino cherry in the bottom of the serving glass
- Combine all ingredients except the wine in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice
- Double strain into the serving glass
- Float the wine on top of the cocktail by slowly pouring it over the back of a bar spoon
Nutrition
Detailed instructions and notes
Place the maraschino cherry in the bottom of the serving glass first. That way, you keep the cherry syrup that clings to the outside from affecting the green color of the drink. I recommend Luxardo cherries, but there are alternatives like the Filthy Black Amarena Cherries. (Read my full review of Luxardo Cherries).
I recommend using a small but deep serving glass, like a Nick & Nora or a small wine glass. The V-shaped Martini glass will work as well. A wide glass, like a coupe, just isn’t deep enough to get good contrast between the red and green liquids.
Next, mix the simple sugar, fresh lime juice, and white rum and shake over ice. Double strain as you pour, using a fine mesh strainer, so that you don’t get any pulp or ice crystals in your glass.
Finally, measure the wine and slowly pour it over the back of your bar spoon to float it on top of the drink. I used a dry Spanish wine, like a Tempranillo or a Monastrell.
How I created the Infection
I wanted to create a Halloween cocktail that turned heads when someone carried it across the room, so I knew I’d be creating a layered drink. However, it also had to taste amazing. It’s easy for drinks to get too sweet when you’re layering liquids, because sugar content controls density. So I went with a sour cocktail base.
I chose Midori for the green color. I didn’t want to use food coloring – that seems cheap.
I originally started with tequila as the base spirit, but I just couldn’t get the vegetal taste of the tequila to balance well with the melon, so I switched to white rum. I used the classic 2:1:1 ratio for a sour drink, but dialed back the volume since there would be 1 oz of Midori in the glass. So, you can think of this drink as a classic Daiquiri with Midori and the red wine float from a New York Sour.
That’s the secret when creating new recipes – start with the classics and modify them!
I chose the name “Infection” because I wanted a word that piqued the imagination without being gross. The drinker could imagine that the cherry was a pathogen, and the green infection was spreading through the drink to the wine at the top. More sensitive imbibers could just enjoy a Halloween-looking cocktail without thinking about anything that would turn the stomach.
This is the first original cocktail I’m posting on Home Cocktail Craft, and I’d love to have your feedback on it in the comments below!