Looking to make some witches' brew for this year's Halloween bash? We love this recipe featured on Holidash for making up a cauldron of some scary sweet homemade root beer with dry ice. Bring on the witches' brew!
Here's what you'll need to get started:
-10 pounds dry ice
-Thick rubber dish washing gloves or oven mitts
-8 cups water
-2 cups sugar
-1 tablespoon root beer extract (usually found in the baking aisle)
-Witches' cauldron
-Ceramic or metal bowl to fit inside cauldron with an inch of room on all sides
Preparation:
Mix 1 cup water with 2 cups sugar and the root beer extract in a pitcher. Once sugar is dissolved stir in the remaining water. Place the bowl inside the witches cauldron. With gloves or kitchen mitts, place a large chunk of dry ice into the bowl, and smaller chunks around the edges. To cut the chunks, place the dry ice in a plastic cooler. Wear gloves and use a large knife or scissors to break off chunks. Add the root beer to the dry ice. The smoking effect happens when the dry ice is mixed with a liquid and usually only lasts for 5-10 minutes. Once the smoke is starting to diminish, pour a small stream of water over the ice around the edges of the bowl. Add fresh ice and water as needed.
Dry ice safety precautions:
Due to the dry ice's freezing temps, it's important that Mom or Dad take on the role of chief dry ice handler and witches' brew server. Be sure to follow the package's directions for safety, as the extremely chill can potentially leave a burn upon touch. Also take care not to put individual cubes into the drinks for this same reason; wait for the smoke to dissolve from the root beer, and serve with regular ice cubes.
Have a spooky (and safe!) Halloween!
Photo credit: Holidash; Kevin Smoot
