In honor of Halloween, I’ve been looking for cool drinks and recipes to help celebrate the festivities (like these Halloween cupcakes and creepy cocktails), but then it hit me. How could I forget about the most iconic concoction in history, the Witches’ Brew from Macbeth? I decided to visit the local apothecary and make the brew myself.
TBH, the ingredients were pretty hard to find, but once you go deep enough into the woods, it gets easier. I didn’t have a cauldron, but a Crock-Pot works just fine, and I think it’s a lot more convenient than building a bonfire (unless you’re into that).
Ingredients
1. Fillet of a fenny snake
2. Eye of newt
3. Toe of frog
4. Wool of bat
5. Tongue of dog
6. Adder’s fork
7. Blind worm’s sting
8. Lizard’s leg
9. Owlet’s wing
10. Scale of dragon
11. Tooth of wolf
12. Witches’ mummy, maw and gulf
13. Of the ravin’d salt sea shark
14. Root of hemlock digg’d i’ the dark
15. Gall of goat
16. Slips of yew
17. A tiger’s chaudron
18. Cool it with a baboon’s blood
So, I basically added in the ingredients one by one, and I’ll be honest, the developing black goop didn’t smell that great, but then it started to fizz and bubble. For a second I thought I had created life, but I think that’s a different recipe entirely.
I figured the brew was ready when my Crock-Pot started glowing green and wolves outside started howling, so I got out my best goblet and chugged that sucker down. Here’s how the concoction faired.
Texture
The brew slips easily down the throat (probably because of the newt eyeballs), but I HATED the wool of bat. It felt like I was swallowing bits of a carpet, and I’m going to be honest, I may have rug burn on my throat. Surprisingly, I didn’t mind the wolf teeth that much, but it was only bearable because I shaved them.
#SpoonTip: Dull the tips of the dog teeth, so it doesn’t irritate your throat.
Taste
At first it tasted really bitter. It was almost like I wanted the throne, but I couldn’t have it — that was super weird. Then the flavors of power, corruption, and ambition started to overlap and come together, and I think my taste buds died at the hand of battle in the end. However, I can still succesfully salivate at the sight of chocolate, so I think we may be okay.
The sea salt shark definitely packed a flavorful punch, but the fillet of fenny snake balanced it out really well. However, there was too much of a tongue taste. The adder’s fork or the dog’s tongue would have been fine, but both was a little overwhelming. I also loved the lizard’s leg and owlet’s wing because they tasted like chicken, and I’m seriously thinking of using them for chicken noodle soup in the future.
Appearance
There’s more to the black goop than meets the eye. At first I swear I saw the faces of my ancestors swirling around (an effect of the hemlock) and then it turned this pearly green shade (probably from the combination of the dragon scale and the baboon’s blood).
For a final touch, I adorned the top with extra slips of yew and hemlock. Hemlock is actually poisonous, so you shouldn’t eat too much, but today is my cheat day, so I’m living large.
#SpoonTip: When it asks for frog’s toe tips, use the toe tips of a red-eyed tree frog because they add a gorgeous splash of orange, making this drink the perfect Halloween celebration.
Final Thoughts
Although the ingredients aren’t that common and evil spirits may haunt your kitchen for a while, this brew is definitely a fun Halloween activity for any party. I swear, after drinking it, I could see into the future.
But, for those with weaker stomachs, these No Bake Witches Hats are just as fun and equally as delicious. So, no matter how you decide to celebrate Halloween, just remember to do it with spooky style, some ghoulish glamour, and a little bit of magic.
Note: I didn’t actually make this brew, but I had to spook you in honor of today. Happy Halloween, weenies.