Carnival of Souls

October 26, 2017

Carnival of Souls - Large Format Punch

Hosting Halloween this year? Keep things scarily simple with a large format punch from Road Soda, the latest cocktail book from our publishing imprint, Dovetail.

Author Kara Newman tracked down this recipe in Portland, at a "Pig and Punch" event organized by Bay Area cocktail and hospitality firm The Bon Vivants. While the pork may have been the savory centerpiece, it was the 13 gallon trash can of booze that caught Newman's eye.

Named after a 1962 horror film, this bittersweet punch balances aged rum with Campari and cold brew coffee. This downsized (three liter) recipe can be served in a large punch bowl—or a small, clean, food-safe bag lined trash can, if that's how you roll!

Carnival of Souls
Makes 16 servings

24 ounces (3 cups) Don Q añejo (aged) rum
12 ounces (1½ cups) Luxardo amaretto
4 ounces (½ cup) Campari
8 ounces (1 cup) passion fruit puree, such as Perfect Puree brand
32 ounces (4 cups) cold-brew coffee
8 ounces (1 cup) lime juice
12 ounces (1½ cups) brown sugar syrup (recipe follows)
2 ounces (¼ cup) Angostura bitters
16 lime wheels, for garnish

Combine the rum, amaretto, Campari, passion fruit puree, coffee, lime juice, brown sugar syrup, and bitters in a punch bowl or small, lined trash can. Add a large block of ice. Garnish with the lime wheels.

For The Brown Sugar Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup brown sugar

In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil, then add the sugar, stirring continuously until it dissolves. Lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Stored in the refrigerator, the syrup will keep for at least 2 weeks.

large format punch bowl