DIY Hangman’s Blood

The Hangman’s Blood, as the name suggests, is not for the faint of heart. It was first described in the 1929 novel A High Wind In Jamaica by Richard Hughes. A novelist known for his dramatic works, it’s no wonder the drink is equally as dramatic, and even slightly confusing. While the drink is by no means simple, it is certainly easy to make. With so many different liquors in the Hangman’s Blood, we recommend you take a water break between each glass.

Ingredients:

Rum - Any non-flavored rum will do. However we recommend a light amber rum to add a touch of sweetness.

Gin - Once again you can use any gin, but London Dry happens to be our favorite for this particular drink.

Brandy - Whatever your favorite brandy is to sip should be the brand you add to this drink. A touch of Remy Martin will do this drink justice.

Whiskey - Once again anything will do, but a bottle of Jameson’s Irish Whiskey will never steer you wrong and is readily available most anywhere.

Port - We can’t prove it, but this may be used more to add to the dramatic color than it has to do with flavor. Once this drink is mixed, it’s a hard flavor to pick up.

Stout - You’ll want to pick a stout you like, but that is bold enough to stand up to the other liquors in this glass. Think Guinness or Dragon’s Milk.

Champagne - You’ll only be using just a touch of this, so we recommend finding a small sample bottle. Or if you’re at a party, break open a bottle for other guests and save a bit for the Hangman’s Blood.

The hardest part of making this drink is measuring all the liquors that go in. Make sure you have a hearty pint glass, or a goblet if you’re feeling fancy, handy to pour everything into. We recommend making this glass by glass, but you can set up an assembly line if you know you’re serving a lot. If you want this cold, make sure your ingredients are chilled before hand, this isn’t a drink you add ice to..

• 2 oz Rum
• 2 oz Gin
• 2 oz Brandy
• 2 oz Whiskey
• 2 oz Port
• 1 bottle of Stout
• A Splash of Champagne

Pour the rum, gin, brandy, whiskey, and port into the glass. We know this is looking intimidating already! Top off with about half of the bottle of Stout (6-7 oz), and finish off with a splash of champagne. This drink should have a nice foamy head at this point and look...a little like blood. This is a great drink to serve at Halloween, or for a Bachelor party. To increase its spooky look, you can add a couple chips of dry ice for dramatic effect.