Friendsgiving Thanksgiving Punches Serve Up a Jovial Holiday

Thanksgiving has become Friendsgiving for many people. For many, friends are like the family that they always wanted. Instead of fighting with Aunt Mary over lumpy gravy, friends will tell you forget the gravy and wash away your sorrows with a cocktail. After all, the holidays are about being together and making memories. We all would like some happy, long-standing memories filled with love and laughter (not your sister in law setting you on fire – yes, that really happened to me)

If you’re celebrating a Friendsgiving, a holiday punch is a perfect companion to your meal. The punch gets the bartender out from behind the bar. One big bowl of libations keeps the mood jovial from the first drink to the last drop. 

Here are a few holiday inspired punches that are perfect for Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving or any time during the holiday season. 

 The Hendrick’s Gin Hippocras Punch

Created by the Hendrick’s Gin Brand Ambassador Team

Ingredients:

4 parts white wine (rather dry and fruity)

2 parts Hendrick’s Gin

1 part Chamomile tea

½ pineapple chopped

1 ¼ cups sugar

3 cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

4 orange peels

1 teaspoon grounded white pepper

Method: Combine all of the ingredients in a small pot and simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Pour into a teapot and serve hot in teacups.  Garnish with pineapple, cinnamon stick and orange peel.

Flor de Fuego Punch

Created by Flor de Caña Brand Ambassador, Ashela Richardson

Ingredients:

2 parts strongly steeped earl grey tea (hot)

1 part Flor de Caña 7 gran reserva

1/2 part blanc vermouth

1/2 part Averna amaro

Mix ingredients in a pitcher (or French press) add to each glass, a small spoon of honey. Pour in the warm punch, mix in the honey.

For the garnish, drop in one flamed orange peel and rest on the edge of the glass, a small stem of charred dried rosemary.

 Carpe Dia Punch

Created by National Ambassador Jaime Salas

Milagro Añejo  2 parts

Lime Juice 1 Part

Blackberry Syrup 0.75 Part

Sage Leaf 1 EA

Hibiscus Tea 1 Part

Ginger Beer 1 part

Garnish: Blackberries & Sage                                                                                                               

Glass: Punch bowl                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                                      

Method: Build all ingredients except ginger beer in a punch bowl over a block of ice. Top with ginger beer right before stirring interminately.                                                                                                           

Color Halloween Cocktails Orange with Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur

Orange is the color of Halloween. From the pumpkins on the lawn to the candy corn in the bowl, the spooky holiday is colored orange.

The color of the holiday, orange, is coloring some delicious adult cocktails. Here are a few adult cocktails made with Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur that can make this Halloween an orange colored festive one.

The Solerno Blood Orange Cosmopolitan

 Created by Charlotte Voisey

 Ingredients:

 1 part Reyka Vodka

 ¾ parts Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur

 ¾ parts cranberry juice

½ part fresh lime juice

Method:

Strain and shake into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with an orange zest.

                                                               

The Solerno Halloween Sour

Created by Charlotte Voisey
Ingredients:
2 parts Solerno

 ½ parts sugar syrup

1 dash Angostura bitters

 2 dashes orange bitters

Method: Shake and strain, into a tumbler or stemless wine glass over cubed ice.  Garnish with a blood orange.

 The Naughty St. Clements

Created by Charlotte Voisey

 Ingredients:

 1.5 parts Solerno

 ½ parts orange juice

1 ½ bitter lemon
Method: build in a stemmed wine glass.  Garnish with blood orange & lemon slice

SeaWorld Orlando's Halloween Spooktacular is a "fantasea"

Even as Halloween has become an all ages event, the kids are still the ones who have the most fun during this spooky holiday. From elaborate costumes to bags of candy, Halloween grows in popularity year after year. At SeaWorld Orlando, the annual Halloween Spooktacular is a fantasea. 

During SeaWorld Orlando's Halloween Spooktacular, young and old are immersed in an underwater fantasea. The event include trick-or-treating, whimsical pumpkin fish, sea-themed arts and crafts, and up-close animal encounters.

SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular takes place from 12 p.m. to park close each weekend through October 30. Like all special events at SeaWorld, Halloween Spooktacular is included with park admission.

The theme park includes other special events during the event. These items include. 

·         Penelope’s Garden Party - This dynamic “underwater” environment comes to life each weekend with a live DJ, animal interactions, a variety of craft opportunities, bubbles floating overhead and whimsical sea-themed characters.

·         Sesame Street’s Countdown to Halloween - Celebrate a Spooktacular Halloween at SeaWorld with The Count, Elmo, Abby, and the rest of everyone’s Sesame Street friends!  The Count is feeling lonely this Halloween, and it’s up to park guests and the loveable monsters from Sesame Street to help him find the Halloween spirit.  Batty bats and spooky skeletons join the fun in a song filled stage show that invites guests to dance, play and sing along.   

·         Spooktacular Dance Party - Children join Princess Penelope and her under-the-sea friends for a Spooktacular Dance Party where they can participate in line-dancing favorites as clouds of bubbles fill the evening air. The party will kick off at the Village Square in the front of the park every event night one hour before park closing.

SeaWorld Orlando is located at 7007 Sea World Drive in Orlando. Park hours vary. Tickets can be purchased online or at the park. 

 

Six Flags Great America No Mercy, terrifying scares around every corner

As the Halloween witching hour descends on Six Flags Great America, Fright Fest shows no mercy in all its frights. Now through October 31, Six Flag’s Fright Fest is filled with the scariest, demonic, fearsome events known to show no mercy. From the extreme haunted houses to the numerous scare zones, Six Flags Fright Fest is extreme. 

During the annual Fright Fest event, Six Flags Great America turns the park into a huge Halloween experience. This event takes an army of characters, behind the scenes talent and operators to create the chaos.

Here are a few facts about the annual Six Flag Fright Fest Event.

• 250 zombies and monsters lurk the midways and haunted attractions
• 30 master make-up artists use 2,500 ounces of make-up and fake blood to transform actors each night
• 25 lbs of food-grade, red vegetable dye create the blood-tinged reflection pond
• 100 flaming torches create an eerie glow over the entire park 300 bales of hay add to the fall atmosphere
• 25,200 stalks of corn complete the festive park decor
• 4.5 tons of pumpkins and 160 yards of mulch form the "thrills by day" atmosphere
• 1,000 gallons of fog juice generate the mysterious rising fog effect throughout the park
• 1,600 yards of cheese and beef cloth are used to give the illusion of spider webs around the park
• Over 1,250 minutes per fright fest evening is spent applying make-up by 15 make-up artists
• Tiny, the 200 lb spider, has been perched on the American Eagle
• For 23 years a 53 foot, 600 lb gorilla claims the sky trek tower each fright fest season signaling the start of the uprising

National Taco Day is tastier at Taco Joint

Whether your family regularly celebrates Taco Tuesday or enjoys tacos sporadically, National Taco Day is a perfect reason to indulge in this delicious treat.

Taco Joint in Lincoln Park & River North will be serving a Taco Time Platter for National Taco Day on October 4.

Taco Time Platter is a combination dish featuring a trio of tacos - Beef Barbacoa, Yucatan Pulled Pork and Chicken Al Pastor - for $7. Available for dine-in only.

For a bigger group, Taco Joint will offer "Taco Bar Tequiza" catering package. This package  features three tacos per person, plus chips and salsa for $8 per person(minimum 10 people).

It's time for tacos!

Jake Melnick's Corner Tap Fall & Football Specials

What pairs perfectly with football? Wings of course!

Head over to Jake Melnick's Corner Tap for some of Chicago's best wings. In addition to wing, Jake Melnick's will be serving a variety of fall specials. Created specially for football and fall, these specials shouldn't be missed.

*Oktoberfest Burger - Yes, it actually starts in September! House-made half pound brat patty, topped with bacon apple sauerkraut, Swiss Cheese, pickled red onion & spicy brown mustard. Served on an onion roll with fresh cut fries.
*Sweet & Sour Wings - Jumbo chicken wings fried until crisp and tossed in Jake's house-made sweet and sour sauce. Garnished with pineapple, onion and fresh bell pepper.
*Daddy Mac Foot Long Dog! New York vs. Chicago - A foot long hot dog topped with Jake's creamy house-made mac n' cheese. One half is topped "New York Style" with braised onions, kraut and spicy brown mustard. The other half is topped our way with onions, tomato, pickle, bright green relish, celery salt, sport peppers and yellow mustard.

Don't miss other football specials throughout the season. Offers like  Jake’s “4 after 4” Monday nights while the game is on the big screen. After 4pm, Great Lakes Drafts and Jameson Drinks will be discounted to $4. Don't forget the wings too!

Jake Melnick's Corner Tap is located at 41 East Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60611