With today being the eve of All Hallows' Eve, I thought maybe Pau Hana Friday should come a day early. I don't know about you guys but we're over here prepping for trick-or-treaters and are planning on heading over to our neighbor's house for the after trick-or-treating party. Since I'll be busy playing scary music, passing out candy, and the like, I figured I better prep my contribution early: and whip up some SNAP punches. Remember when I mentioned Art in the Age and their wonderful SAGE? Well this week's Pau Hana beverage is made with their insanely delicious SNAP. SNAP a Lebkuchen (or ginger snap) spirit made with blackstrap molasses, clove, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, rooibos tea, and vanilla. It is insanely delicious and plays well with bourbon. It is also the perfect partner for pumpkin and persimmon, which is why I'm sharing with you a Pumpkin SNAP Punch as well as a Persimmon SNAP Punch. That's right, two for the price of one.

These punches are the perfect drink to serve up tomorrow, one because you can make them ahead of time, and two because they are so festive (they're orange!). The third reason should be a given but in case you couldn't guess, they're also insanely delicious. They're spicy, sweet, and perfectly smooth making them ideal for your All Hallows' Eve party or your next cocktail hour. Beware, like all good punches, they do pack a *ahem* punch, so while they may be tasty, please keep in mind that each serving contains an ounce of bourbon and an ounce of SNAP! 

Best part of these punches? They're easy to make! Ridiculously easy. And they're fun because you get to pull out your blender, wizz em up, then store em in the fridge till you're ready to serve them up. No shaker necessary, which isn't to say you can't shake these up before serving but I promise you these punches will turn out best if you blend them. The pumpkin puree and persimmon juice/puree are both pretty thick and could use a little extra help mixing in there with the rest of the ingredients. Just be sure to give your punch a quick shake before serving.

In other news, what's everyone dressing up as? We managed to wait till the last minute, so we'll be rocking capes and these masks from Sleep No More. What I wanted to dress up as was Agatha and Zero Moustafa from The Grand Budapest Hotel. I also wanted to make Mendl's amazing Courtesan au Chocolat. Guess there's always next year. 

A note on the persimmon juice. Make sure to use only very, very ripe Hachiya persimmons or run the risk of that numb-mouth-feel that comes with eating Hachiyas that aren't really ripe (blame it on the tannins). Also, don't forget to peel them (mouth-puckering will occur if you forget)!

Pumpkin (or Persimmon) SNAP Punch

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 4 oz. (1/2 c.) SNAP
• 4 oz. (1/2 c.) Bourbon (I used Redemption High-Rye Bourbon)
• 16 oz. (2 c.) Spice Apple Cider (I used R.W. Knudsen's Cider and Spice)
• 2 oz. (1/4 c.) freshly squeeze meyer lemon juice
• 4 oz. (1/2 c.) pumpkin puree OR 4 oz. (1/2 c.) Hachiya persimmon juice/puree
• 1/2 oz. (3 tsp.) agave
• Lemon twists (optional for garnish)

TOOLS

• Blender
• 0.5 oz. and 1 oz. jigger or measuring cup and spoons
• High ball glasses
• Citrus juicer
• Juice jar (for storing/serving)
• Ice

FIX

1. Combine all ingredients in blender (except lemon twists) and blend on medium-low speed until thoroughly combined (about a minute). 
2. Transfer to juice jar and store in refrigerator until completely chilled or until ready to serve. 
3. Divide into four highball glasses filled with ice and garnish with lemon twists.
4. Serve and enjoy. Happy Halloween!!