"Dracula's Kiss" Cocktail (Inspired by "Dracula" (1931)) (BOTB 2022 Day 9) Recipe

 

Bring Out the Boos 2022

Day 9: "Dracula's Kiss"(Inspired by "Dracula" (1931)

By: The Film Bartender

    Dracula is one of the most famous monsters in literature and film. He is perhaps the sole reason why vampires are so popular in novels and movies, and he has been around since the creation of film. He is known for biting and sucking his victim's blood, which not only feeds him but can turn his victim into a member of the undead as well. Our drink today, named "Dracula's Kiss", is inspired by the infamous act that the famous vampire enacts on his victims in numerous film adaptations of his story. 

    Dracula was created by Bram Stoker in his 1897 book that is named after the famous vampire. It follows a solicitor named Jonathan Harker who visits Transylvania, where Count Dracula resides. The story is told through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles, giving the story no real protagonist. When the book was released, it received many positive reviews and feedback on the novel, and Dracula was made famous by this classic novel. Everyone loved the story of Transylvania and the undead monster that inhabits it so much that it was adapted almost as soon as film was created.

    In 1922, "Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror" was released, which was an unofficial and unauthorized adaptation of Stoker's novel. It was the first display of the Prince of Darkness on the silver screen. However, numerous things were changed in the film, such as plot points, characters, and even naming the classic vampire Count Orlok. This was so the filmmakers and the studio cannot be sued or get in trouble for adapting this classic novel, even though they have stated multiple times that Stoker's story was the main inspiration behind their film. 

    However, Universal Studios was able to obtain the rights to the character and the story, releasing "Dracula" in 1931, directed by Tod Browning and starring Béla Lugosi in the titular role. This movie was the first English-language film to be made about the vampire, and was an instant hit. Not only did it open the door for Universal to make many more films based off classic monsters, but allowed this story to be adapted many times throughout cinema's history. A major example is Francis Ford Coppola's "Bram Stoker's Dracula", which starred Gary Oldman in the classic role and was a direct adaptation of the original novel. There is also plans in motion to have Robert Eggers remake the 1922 foreign-language film, with Bill Skarsgård in the starring role. 

    At the same time, the story and the character have inspired so many different vampire creations, with "Twilight" being the major example recently. It made people all over the world fall more in love with vampires and vampire relationships, seeing them more as misunderstood characters rather than haunting creatures that want to kill everything they see. 

    Today's drink is inspired by the classic act of Dracula and other vampires biting and sucking all of the blood out of their prey. The drink is blood-red in color, and contains ice that have were molded in the shape of Dracula's fangs. Check down below for the recipe!

Ingredients:

- 2 oz White Rum

- 5 oz Cranberry Juice

- 1 oz Grenadine

- Ice

- Dracula Fang Ice Mold

- Water

- Maraschino Cherry (for garnish)

Directions:

1. Hours before making this drink, take the Dracula Fang Ice Mold and fill the slots with water. Stick it in the freezer and allow them to freeze and get hard.

2. Once the ice is frozen, start preparing the drink by adding normal ice cubes to a cocktail shaker. Then add in the White Rum, the Cranberry Juice, and the Grenadine. Shake vigorously until well combined. 

3. Fill a rocks glass with ice to the top, and strain the drink into the glass. Pop out the Fang ice cubes and top the drink with the ice cubes on top. Garnish with a cherry either on the side of the glass or inside the drink. 

4. Serve

Film Fact: The original release of 1931's "Dracula" featured an epilogue, with Edward Van Sloan talking to the audience about what they had just seen. This was removed for the 1936 re-release and is now assumed to be lost. The later-released "Frankenstein" similarly copied this model by featuring a prologue. 

    Now you have made your very own Bloody cocktail inspired by Dracula and the many victims he has claimed over the years! This drink will be a major hit at your next Halloween Party, with the theming of the fangs to be a fan favorite amongst your friends and family! Feel like a real vampire this Halloween Season by drinking the blood of Dracula with these cool Ice Fangs!

    This is Day 9 of my Bring Out the Boos 2022 Halloween Event, which celebrates the Halloween Season by drinks being posted every day through the month of October! Let me know in the comments what you think of this drink, and which drink is your favorite so far! Check back tomorrow to find my drink recipe for Day 10! Until then, happy drinking!