Blood-curdling brews

It’s not enough for Halloween drinks to be delicious. They also have to be creepy. And that’s where we drew our inspiration for this kidfriendly, delightfully slimy grape “eyeball” punch. To up the creep factor, you can peel the grapes.

GRAPE EYEBALL PUNCH

Start to finish: 2 hours (15 minutes active) Servings: 12 8 cups (1.9 L) grape juice 2 cinnamon sticks 1 tbsp (15 mL) whole cloves 1 tbsp (15 mL) whole allspice 3, 1-in. slices fresh ginger 3 cups (720 mL) green grapes, peeled or not

3, 12-oz bottles ginger beer or ale, chilled

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the grape juice, cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice and ginger. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat. Allow to cool to room temperature, at least 1 hour. Strain out and discard the seasonings, then transfer to a large pitcher or punch bowl and chill until cold. Once chilled, add the grapes and ginger beer or ale.