A cheers to say so long, Halloween (and the Frankenstein on my window), and the tasty Halloween OREOs that round out my drink and dessert (the licorice kind of makes a smiley face…)

A great recipe from Esquire (yet again.) Searching the baking aisle for the demerara sugar really paid off: licking the muddler after mixing sugar, bitters and water was a TREAT.

VODKA OLD-FASHIONED

An old-fashioned is a big, bold cocktail, just some whiskey on ice with a little of this and a little of that to point up the flavor. But if you try it with good-quality (unflavored!) vodka, it’s like looking at the negative of a familiar picture. Suddenly the shadows–in this case, the bitters, sugar, and lemon — are the bright spots, and you can see just how well they work together. In an old-fashioned glass, thoroughly muddle 1 tsp demerara or other raw sugar with 3 dashes Angostura bitters and a tsp of water until sugar has dissolved. Add 2 oz vodka. Add some ice. Stir briefly.