The Spirit World

Honestly there are few things in this world as creepy or disgusting as the anatomy of an eyeball. Remember the scene from Hostel? I still can’t watch that one because my eyes are too near and dear to my livelihood and just the thought of an eye popping out of the socket creeps me out.

As many chills as that thought gives me, recreating the eye in the form of a garnish for Halloween drinks is the ultimate in creepy garnishes, beating out any plastic novelty stir stick, demon rim ornament or floating fake teeth. What is really disturbing is that you can use real food to get the look of a deformed, disfigured eyeball, it’s just a matter of putting a few pieces together.

Creating eyeball garnishes do take a little time and effort but when you see the look on a guests face (even if it’s behind some store bought plastic mask, you know) its worth it. Some people will be utterly put aback and some will think it’s the coolest thing ever. These eyes can garnish any drink, the lychee-eye is best for light and fruity martinis while the radish-eye is great for vegetal drinks, even dirty martinis.
My favorite edible eyeball is the lychee and blueberry that garnished the Mad Eye Martini recipe from Hpnotiq. This one is so realistic and oozy, gooey that it completely fits the spirit of Halloween and the best part is that it tastes really good.

 Lychee Eyeball Garnish:

• 1 canned grade AA lychee in syrup, drained
• 1/4 tsp cherry, strawberry or raspberry preserves
• 1 blueberry

1. Dry lychee and fill with preserves
2. Place blueberry, blossom end facing out, into the cavity.
3. Skewer with cocktail pick (search for Halloween theme picks or picks that look like a miniature ice pick for the full affect).

The radish eye takes a little more work and requires you to plan at least one night ahead. If you’re planning on making these for a large party I suggest a drink or two while skinning the radish, not only can it become tedious, but you’ll find your creativity growing as you go and your “eyes” will  come out even better. These eyeball garnishes are frozen into ice cubes and can either be floating inside a drink or skewered. The recipe that these were originally paired with is called Vampire Juice, a horseradish and lime vodka version of the Bloody Mary from Finlandia Vodka.

Radish Eyeball Garnish:

• radish
• green olive with pimento

1. Peel radishes, leaving thin streaks of red skin on to represent blood vessels.
2. Using the tip of the vegetable peeler, or a small, knife, carefully scoop out a small hole in each radish, roughly the size of an olive.
3. Stuff a green olive, pimiento side out, in each hole.
4. Place one radish eyeball in each section of an empty ice cube tray.
5. Pare the radishes down a bit to fit, if necessary.
6. Fill the tray with water and freeze overnight.