Brain Hemorrhage Shots Are The Halloween Drinks That Taste As Scary As They Look
Although any holiday can be a drinking occasion, Halloween is inarguably one of the most fun. You can give your drinks spooky names, color them green, purple, or blood red, and even keep them cool with eyeball ice cubes. Who wouldn't want to try a Halloween eyeball punch recipe?
Of course, one of the creepiest Halloween drinks is the brain hemorrhage shot, originating sometime in the mid-2000s. As you can imagine, the drink gets its name from its eerie appearance, which resembles a bleeding brain suspended in some sort of liquid. Gross, yes, but isn't that the spirit of Halloween?
At first glance, the brain hemorrhage shot looks like it would be difficult to make, but it's actually relatively simple. With a little bit of practice, you'll be handing out perfect brain hemorrhage shots in no time. So, with all that being said, let's get into how to make this Halloween shot.
Crafting a perfectly horrifying brain hemorrhage shot
Believe it or not, the most basic brain hemorrhage shot calls for only three ingredients — peach schnapps, Baileys Irish Cream, and grenadine. First, pour chilled, high–alcohol content peach schnapps into your shot glass, filling it about halfway.
Next, take your Baileys Irish Cream, either on a spoon, in another cup, or even in a syringe (for the spook factor, of course), and slowly pour it into the shot glass. For the best "brain," be sure to pour the cream in a circular motion. Lastly, add a splash of grenadine syrup at the edges of the drink. The syrup's bright red color and viscosity will make your "brain" look like it's bleeding as it pools at the bottom of the shot glass.
Interestingly, introducing Baileys Irish Cream to schnapps causes the cream to coagulate. In other words, the cream becomes clumpy and thick, which isn't always the most appetizing. Curdled cream can also take on a bit of a soured flavor, so the brain hemorrhage shot isn't going to be everyone's favorite.
Variations on the classic brain hemorrhage shot
As is to be expected with a Halloween drink, the brain hemorrhage shot has several equally spooky variations, including the zombie, alien, and monkey brain hemorrhage shots. The zombie shot adds crème de menthe for green coloring and mint flavoring, to be poured between the peach schnapps and Baileys Irish Cream. The result? A creamy brain suspended in a super-creepy green and red liquid.
As for the alien hemorrhage shot, you start with your schnapps and cream, then add a few good sips of Blue Curacao before adding your grenadine. The Curacao adds an orangey, citrusy flavor, as well as bright blue coloring. In the end, you'll have layers of cream, blue syrup, and red "blood" syrup. Yum.
Last but not least, we have the monkey brain hemorrhage shot. This one mixes things up a bit, starting with layers of vodka and tangy lemon juice. You can then add your Baileys and grenadine as described previously. Maybe this particular drink will satisfy our need to know what the monkey brains in Indiana Jones tasted like?