A Groovy Old Fashioned: An ‘Evil Dead’ Cocktail

I need you, dear reader, to do me a favor: If you ever find yourself at a solitary cabin in the woods with a hidden basement, read no literature and play no tapes within its depths. What you should do is grab your gear and go to the local Holiday Inn. It’ll be a much better time and result in far less bloodshed.

The Evil Dead (1981).

Thanks to Sam Raimi’s story, Bruce Campbell’s crazy eyes, and somewhere around 300 gallons of blood, we were given the first of myriad incredible installments to a series that earned its name: The Evil Dead. A movie that spawned 2 sequels with a third on its way, a remake, comic books, a TV show, and even a musical. Yes—a musical. One with a whole number sung by the taxidermized deer from the second film. The Evil Dead then, now, and always will perfectly encapsulate what it means to be “campy” within horror, no pun intended.

Like so many good things in life, this story was born in the backwoods of Tennessee. The cabin within the movie actually housed all 13 crew members during their 12-week time in principal photography. They began shooting in December, 1979, taking on the brunt of a harsh winter. By the end of their stay, they turned to burning the furniture just to stay warm. On top of that, the cabin had no plumbing, so they would have to go days without showering. It didn’t help that they were continually covered in buckets of blood, making the whole situation that much worse. Bruce Campbell’s shirt once froze from how bloodsoaked it was and then shattered when he tried to put it back on.

Speaking of blood, what was the blood in the movie? I bet it was something that you could easily wash off and definitely wouldn’t attract bugs. Wait… Nope. It was a mixture of Karo corn syrup, non-dairy powdered coffee creamer, and red food coloring. Campbell considered this his “good blood recipe.” Why use something impractical like fake theatrical blood when you could use syrup and coffee creamer? Thanks, Bruce. Without you, Billy Loomis wouldn’t have had that tasty little finger treat (Once again… if you know, you know). Looking at Campbell’s blood recipe made me think exactly what everyone else is thinking right now: Sounds like a wonderful Old Fashioned. Just me? Fine. Grab yourself a bottle of good ole Tennessee whiskey and join me in making:

A Groovy Old Fashioned

• 2oz of George Dickle Rye Whiskey

• 0.25–0.5oz Blood Syrup*

• 3 dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters

• Tiny Picture of the Necronomicon

In a glass, add George Dickle Rye Whiskey, Blood Syrup, and Peychaud’s Bitters. Stir over ice. Garnish with a tiny picture of the Necronomicon. Please, just don’t read it. Once again, I did not.... Do as I say, not as I do.

*The weirdest syrup you may ever make but hear me out: Combine equal parts of Dark Karo Corn Syrup and hot water. We are specifically using Dark Karo because it contains molasses. Normal corn syrup carries little to no flavor other than sugar. Once these are combined, add 1/2 Tablespoon of Coffeemate French Vanilla Powdered Coffee Creamer. Drip 2–3 drops of Red Food Coloring into the mixture. This syrup is essentially the exact recipe for blood from the movie and, no, I don’t apologize for creating such an abomination.

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Article by Noah Welter

Noah J. Welter is a Pittsburgh based bartender and film artist. His cocktail creations have been featured throughout the world in a multitude of bars and immersive events. Noah takes a distinctly unique approach to the creation of his cocktails by combining his love for film and cocktail culture, historically linking them together. To find more of his work, drink and otherwise, you can visit www.noahjwelter.com.

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