Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku..... - Day #30 - FIENDISH FOOD FRIDAY (Fifth Course)

Welcome back, Boils & Ghouls...

... to 'Day Thirty' of "Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku" which brings us to the fifth & final "Fiendish Food Friday" for 2015 - a series of posts in which I have recommended a selection of food-related Roku channels - each offering suggestions for some "scary starters", "macabre mains" and "devilish desserts" plus an assortment of (ahem) "finger food" - making it easier for you to cater to the ghoulish guests at your beastly ball at Hallowe'en Hall on October 31st !!

By now, your macabre menu should have been well & truly sorted... so, rather than share another food channel offering suggestions for more ghastly grub to feed your ghoulish guests, we thought we'd end this series of posts with a beverage-related Roku channel to help get your own Hallowe'en party started, by providing some instructional videos for a range of seasonal cocktails that you can enjoy now and then bestow upon your fiendish friends when they arrive at your spooky soirée tomorrow night !!

In case you were not already aware, this libation-based Roku channel can be found in the "Food" genre (i.e. category) of the Roku Channel Store in all regions. Generally speaking, 'Drinks [by iFood.tv]' provides a collection of over 4,000 instructional videos containing recipes for all kinds of drinks from Cocktails to Smoothies, Party Shots, Teas, Ethnic Drinks, Holiday Specials & more. These "How-To" style videos can be used to improve your mixing and shaking skills to such a frighteningly good level, it could leave your Hallowe'en party guests in complete shock and awe, as they marvel at your new-found bartending talents !!

Obviously, having multiple genres to choose from (shown as "Categories"in the main menu) as part of the 'Drinks [by iFood.tv]' Roku channel means not all of the included content is relevant to this post. However, the inclusion of a 'Search' function - found under "Categories (Options*)" in the main menu - HINT: Give just three clicks of the 'LEFT' directional arrow from 'Home' within the "Categories (Options*)" sub-menu and you'll be on 'Search' - meaning it is very easy to whittle down the list, by sticking to our general theme, and entering the word "Halloween" as a search term, to obtain a set of results that are specific to our requirements.

Now, ordinarily, you'd use an original Roku remote to enter text via the on-screen keyboard shown:- 

HINT: Click on the above image to ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!

Although, if you've tried that method previously, you'll know that it can be a bit fiddly to "type" your search term  into the required field. For this reason, I STRONGLY RECOMMEND that you enter the required text USING THE FREE ROKU REMOTE APP for either iOS (if you have an Apple mobile device) or Android, since the keyboard for touch-screen mobile devices are (generally) far easier to use than the directional buttons on a remote control when it comes to typing. If you have yet to install the Roku app on your mobile device, you can download them easily by using the relevant link(s) below:- 

If you have an Apple mobile device (running iOS 7.0 or later)...

DOWNLOAD FREE: Roku App (from iTunes App Store)

Or, for those of you with Android mobile devices (running Android 2.3 and up)...

DOWNLOAD FREE: Android App (from Google Play Store)

Even if you don't intend using the app(s) with this particular channel, I would urge you to go ahead and download them anyway because of the increased functionality they offer over the original Roku remote(s). You could also find that the app makes using your Roku streaming media player far easier (yes, that is possible) and, not to mention, an all together more enjoyable experience, too !!

Anyway once you've entered the search term, "Halloween", and then hit the on-screen 'Search' button to perform the task, you should then see a message saying: "Searched Results For. Halloween". Beneath this will be a list of instructional videos for drinks recipes that will be suitable for serving at any Hallowe'en party (including several non-alcoholic options for kids & designated drivers, etc). To give you some idea, as of the date of this post, searching for "Halloween" drinks recipes via the 'Drinks [by iFood.tv]' channel gave results for twenty-five Hallowe'en Cocktail videos, as shown:-

• How To Turn Hallowe'en Candy Into Cocktails
• Hallowe'en Nog - A Hallowe'en Cocktail
• Hallowe'en Cocktail - The Vampire Bite
• Pirates of the Caribbean Hallowe'en Cocktail
• Hallowe'en Green Eyes Cocktail
• Hallowe'en Spooktacular Punch
• Ghoul Drool Hallowe'en Drink
• Hallowe'en Ghost Hand Punch
• How To Make Scary Hallowe'en Punch
• How To Make Your Cocktails Spooky For Hallowe'en
• Hallowe'en Cocktail - Black Widow Martini
• Bloody Butcher - Hallowe'en Mocktail (NON-ALCOHOLIC)
• Hallowe'en Special Black Cherry Cooler
• Hallowe'en Cocktail - The Heart's Blood
• Hallowe'en Cocktail - Dram"BOO"ie
• Hallowe'en Cocktail - The Kinky Vampire, with Kinky Liqueur
• Hallowe'en Cocktail - The Thing Cocktail
• Hallowe'en Cocktail - Glow In The Dark Cocktail
• Hallowe'en Cocktail - Zombie Bite, with Lucid Absinthe
• The Poison Mocktail - For Hallowe'en (NON-ALCOHOLIC)
• How To Mix Hallowe'en Pumpkin Punch
• Eyeball Hallowe'en Punch
• The FullyRaw Jungle Juice
• Spinach Banana Green Monster Smoothie (NON-ALCOHOLIC)
• Pumpkin Spice Skinny Chai Latte (NON-ALCOHOLIC)

You could also try searching this channel, or (perhaps) the 'YouTube' channel, or even elsewhere (including online) for some past favourites from previous Hallowe'en celebrations, such as these:-

• Hallowe'en Screwdrivers with Black Vodka and Orange Juice
• Hallowe'en Bloody Brain Shooter
• Flaming Jack-O-Lantern Cocktail
• Klingon Disrupter Shooter
• Dracula's Libation Cocktail
• Obituary Gin Cocktail
• Warts and All Cocktail
• Graveyard Cocktail
• How To Make a Screaming Banshee Martini
• The Nordic Death Cocktail
• Voodoo Lady Cocktail
• Flaming Zombie Cocktail
• Tasty Holiday (Hallowe'en) Cocktail - Infused  Rum Drink with Blackberries

Given that there's now less than 24 hours until Hallowe'en, we thought this would at least afford you an opportunity to put your feet up & try any of these creepy cocktails before deciding on which one(s) to serve to your guests (or liven up your own evening) tomorrow. That said... AS ALWAYS, when it comes to the consumption of alcohol, PLEASE REMEMBER TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY !!

With that in mind... and NOT that we're suggesting you do BUT even if you were to test several creepy cocktail recipes, from this collection of "How-To" videos, between now and when your guests arrive, it should still allow you to find the perfect poison for your fiendish festivities & help improve your mixing skills in the final hours before your own humdinger of a Hallowe'en (H)extravaganza (sic) !!

Meanwhile, according to the channel description for 'Drinks' by iFood.tv, taken from the Official Roku Website, the channel was developed for Roku by Future Today Inc. (which happens to be the company behind iFood.tv). If that sounds familiar to you, it could be because they are also responsible for the development of the 'FitYou' channel on Roku streaming media players, as well as the food channel 'Bollywood Masala' and MANY OTHER FAMILIAR FOOD CHANNELS from the Roku channel store(s) IN ALL REGIONS. Should you need to contact Future Today Inc. (the developer of the 'Drinks [by iFood.tv]' channel) you can easily do so via the iFood.tv Twitter Feed: @ifoodtv or else, get social through: iFood.tv (Facebook). Of course, you can always find out more about Future Today Inc. by visiting the Official iFood.tv Website VIA THIS LINK, where you will find their full contact information PLUS details of their other associated websites. 

Those of you who wish to add this channel to the Hallowe'en-themed entertainment on your Roku player(s) are going to have to do so by navigating to the "Food" genre (i.e. category) from within the Roku Channel Store on your streaming player(s). The reason for this is that the ACCESS CODE for this channel REMAINS UNKNOWN, having yet to be made public via any of the usual sources. Sadly this means that, if you are unable to access the Channel Store on your device at this precise moment, you will not be able to add the channel by simply LOGGING-IN to your Online Roku Account, scrolling down to the 'Manage Account' section, and using the "Add a Channel" option to take care of things using an ACCESS / VANITY / INVITATION CODE. Sorry about that !!

Anyway, that's pretty much all there is to it, except to point out that  the 'Drinks [by iFood.tv]' channel has been given an average score of "3.5 out of 5" from 469 ratings (so far) in the channel store description from the Official Roku Website. That statistic alone should be reason enough to give this a try, never mind the fact that ALL VIDEOS ARE FREE-TO-WATCH too !!

Still, that's all for today... but remember to come back in 24-hours for 'Day Thirty-One' and the last instalment of "Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku" for this year, when I will provide your final dose of Hallowe'en / Horror-themed content for streaming via Roku player, as we finally reach the conclusion of our "Countdown To Hallowe'en" for 2015... but, when you're done with this blog, don't forget to visit the other contributors to the 2015 Countdown To Hallowe'en and see what Hallowe'en "treats" they have in store for you as you "trick 'r treat" their (virtual) homes !!

Fangs again, for stopping by !!

Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku..... - Day #29 - TOXIC TIPPLE THURSDAY (Fourth Of A Gill)

Welcome back, Boils & Ghouls...

... to 'Day Twenty-Nine' of "Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku" which brings us to the fourth & final "Toxic Tipple Thursday" for 2015 - a series of posts in which I have recommended a selection of "batty brews" and "spooky spirits"... all of which are perfectly suited to the Hallowe'en season and can help to keep those ghastly goblets full to the brim throughout your fiendish festivities !!


So... if you're planning to while away the hours, during these dark autumnal evenings, by enjoying a licentious libation or two to get into the (ahem) "spirit" of things, you could do worse than look back through the posts made via this blog EVERY THURSDAY since the start of October for more "creepy cocktails" with which to find your "Dutch courage" in readiness for the fright-fest of Hallowe'en !!

To recap... having kicked things off with the "Unofficial Beer of Hallowe'en", aka "Hobgoblin", and followed that up with a dark & mysterious porter (or, "stout", if you prefer) called "Black Wych", both from the same 'Wychwood Brewery', I then mixed things up a bit by bringing you a spooktacular spirit, in the shape of 'The Kraken' black spiced rum, for my third post in the series. Today's post goes beyond the monsters of the deep and invites you to "experience the sinister side..." as we ignore the "Angel's Share" (lost to evaporation) and opt instead for "The Devil's Cut" which is far better suited to Hallowe'en and the long dark nights in this "season of mischief" we all know and love !!

The James B. Beam Distilling Company, who created this richly flavoured & distinctly bold bourbon, explain on their website, FOUND HERE, that as bourbon ages a portion of the liquid is lost from the barrel due to evaporation and that, as mentioned above, is called the "Angel's Share". However, once the barrel is emptied, a certain amount of whiskey is left "trapped" within the wood and it is that which they refer to as the "Devil's Cut"... hmmm, 'Angels' & 'Demons' - that sounds like a good theme for a Hallowe'en (H)extravaganza if you ask me !! Anyway, the folks at 'Jim Beam' developed a proprietary process by which they "pull" the rich whiskey that's trapped inside the wood of the barrel (once it's been emptied) and they "hold" the extracts until the desired bourbon "notes" have developed their proper balance. After that, they blend it with "extra-aged" bourbon and bottle it at '90 Proof'' or, as we tend to call it over here, 45% ABV... with the end result being "a robust premium bourbon with deep colour, aroma and character" (their words, not mine) which we know as the "Devil's Cut" bourbon... but, don't just take my word for it, the "proof" is (quite literally) on the label as the (above) image shows and, while you're at it, why not check out "the other side" of the label, too?!

The essence of this distinctly bold bourbon is the rich flavours unleashed (no, not like the Kraken!) from deep inside the wood of the barrel. The taste is best described as, "full-bodied, with intense oak and vanilla notes" and you'll find that the "finish" is long and smooth, with a hint of sweetness. Despite being around for only a few years, "Devil's Cut" has already notched up a few accolades, as well as some favourable reviews, all of which can be viewed online, VIA THIS LINK.

Aside from drinking it neat, or over ice (aka "on the rocks"), there are a number of interesting ideas for some "creepy cocktails" that can be made in order to better serve your ghoulish guests on Hallowe'en. The most popular variants are to mix it with coke, or ginger ale & bitters, although you'll find many more "recipes" & suggestions for other "ingredients" on the Jim Beam website, HERE. Of those shown, there are a half dozen or so that (I feel) are particularly suited to Hallowe'en and to which the "Devil's Cut" name lends itself (at least, in part) rather nicely, as follows:-

• DEVIL'S KREWE PUNCH - who doesn't love a good bowl of "punch" at a party?! This one is mainly comprised of Devil's Cut + Pomegranate Liqueur + Pineapple Juice + Cranberry Juice but you will find a full list of ingredients, plus additional notes on how to make it in THIS DRINK RECIPE.
• DANCING WITH THE DEVIL - it usually takes one or two "liven-ers" to get the party in full swing and, judging by the name of it, this should certainly get them moving! This one is mainly comprised of Devil's Cut + Triple Sec + Fresh Lemon Sour + Passion Fruit Juice + Tabasco but (again) there's a full list of ingredients, plus further notes on how to make it in THIS DRINK RECIPE.
• THE DEVIL & MISS MARY - of course, the best dances involve a partner but when you're both tired of dancing you and "Miss Mary" (or whomever you happen to be with) are likely to be in need of some refreshment such as this! In it, you'll find a blend of Devil's Cut + Tomato Juice + Worcestershire Sauce + Tabasco Sauce + Freshly Ground Pepper + Onion Salt + Garlic Salt + Fresh Basil Leaves and (as above) there's notes on how to make it in THIS DRINK RECIPE.
• DEVIL WITHOUT A CAUSE - if you happen to spot a loner, in the corner of the room, they'll likely be stood there with one of these looking "too cool for school" but not (necessarily) a ringer for 'James Dean' although (it is possible) they may be! Anyway, if you're equally as curious about what's in their glass as you are about them, this one has Devil's Cut + Ginger Ale + Angostura Bitters and (once more) there's notes on how to make it in THIS DRINK RECIPE.
• DEVIL'S CRUSTA - aside from being a disease of the scalp (I kid you not!), which already makes this suitable for any ghastly gathering in my book, the cocktail aficionados among you may recall the "Brandy Crusta", originally invented in 1852 by Joseph Santina, which is the more likely source of inspiration for this drink - if only to lend it's name (in part) although the presence of both 'Maraschino Liqueur' and 'bitters' suggests there's slightly more to it than that! For the record, this particular cocktail is mainly comprised of Devil's Cut + Maraschino Liqueur + Angostura Bitters + Simple Syrup with details on how to make it in THIS DRINK RECIPE.
• THE RIVER STYX - okay, so there's no "devil" in the name of this one but you can rest assured that there is definitely some "devil", "in the detail" as the saying goes, to be found in this drink! The proof of that, lies in the list of ingredients for this cocktail... which include: Devil's Cut + Dry Vermouth + Fresh Pineapple Slices + Fresh Rosemary Sprig + Blood Orange or, if you prefer, Pomegranate Syrup and you can discover how to make it in THIS DRINK RECIPE.

Of course, I can't claim to be an "expert" on Jim Beam, or the "Devil's Cut".. but I have consumed this particular spooky spirit in a variety of "creepy cocktails" and (IMHO) the best way to enjoy it is "on the rocks" (i.e. neat over ice) but, if you prefer a mixer, my favourite pairing for it is coke... which, as I said before, is a bit of a "no-brainer" since, as with rum, people have blended "whiskey & coke" for ages - sometimes, the "tried & trusted" traditional mixers really are the best... although (perhaps) for Hallowe'en that should be "tortured & twisted" mixers?!

As to where you can find this spooky spirit in the UK... it seems your options are few & far between, when it comes to the main supermarkets, with 'Asda' and 'Tesco' proving to be the only connoisseurs of "creepy cool" this Hallowe'en - as well as among the cheapest places to buy "Devil's Cut" in UK just now - and, if it's in stock, Asda are (currently) offering a 700ml bottle for ONLY £16.00 (normally £24.00) whereas those who shop at Tesco pay just £20.00 (otherwise £25.00) for the same product - no prizes for guessing which one will be getting a "cut" of our money before the weekend festivities !!

Meanwhile, if any of you are in need of further persuasion, there's a bunch of "promo" videos to be found on the "Official" Jim Beam 'YouTube' Channel, VIA THIS LINK, one of which I've decided to share with you (below) as it's one they have screened on the "Devil's Cut" webpage too:-

So, there you have it... and, even if you are not invited to (or hosting) your own spooky soirée this Hallowe'en, you could do worse than sit back and sip your way through a glass or two of the "Devil's Cut" bourbon whiskey to while away the hours. Speaking of which... you might want to spend some of that time doing a bit of online shopping in the "Official" Jim Beam 'American Stillhouse' Store, FOUND HERE, as you sup your bourbon. No matter how you enjoy it, however, once you've emptied the bottle... instead of recycling it in the (hopefully) usual manner, you may wish to consider repurposing it as a "Hallowe'en" candle-holder, as we suggested with the "Black Wych" & "Kraken" bottles previously. Again, from our experience black candles work well with this bottle but, equally, ivory or red candles look every bit as good, especially once the wax has dripped down the sides !!

Before signing-off, I should (perhaps) also point out that this 'Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey' is fairly strong (45% ABV) and a 700ml bottle is equivalent to 28 UK units of alcohol so PLEASE ENJOY RESPONSIBLY and, if you are unsure, visit www.drinkaware.co.uk for full guidelines. That said, if you do happen to like it, why not post your thoughts via the "Official" 'Jim Beam' Twitter Feed: @JimBeam for those of you with a Twitter account. Alternatively, if you'd rather get social with them via different means, there's also an "Official" 'Jim Beam' Facebook Page: Jim Beam (Facebook) but either way, when leaving your comments, don't forget to tell 'em @ukrokuchannels sent you !!

Finally, to round-off this fourth instalment of "Toxic Tipple Thursday" on 'Day Twenty-Nine' of the annual 'Countdown To Halloween', I thought I'd better clarify how this ties-in with having a Roku player... and, as mentioned during the inaugural post of this series, there's two ways to look at this:- 

01. If you watch a Hallowe'en / Horror Movie at the cinema, the chances are you'll have something to eat & drink while you enjoy the film... so, as you stream your Hallowe'en / Horror Movie at home (via your Roku player), why not enjoy a glass of the "Devil's Cut" bourbon whiskey with it too ?!!

02. You could always copy the above images and stream them to or via your Roku player using one of the many "Photos & Video" channels in the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store to view them on your TV... perhaps (even) as part of a Hallowe'en Screamsaver (sic) using assorted images from the various Flickr and/or Picasa photo groups that carry Hallowe'en / Horror images - just a thought !!

Anyway, that's all for today... just remember to come back in 24-hours for 'Day Thirty' and more Hallowe'en-themed content, in "Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku", when I will reveal another devilish dish for what will be the final instalment of "Fiendish Food Friday" this year, as the "Countdown To Hallowe'en" 2015 draws to an end. In the meantime, why not visit the various websites of the other contributors to the 2015 Countdown To Hallowe'en and see what Hallowe'en "treats" they have in store for you ahead of the annual festivities this weekend?! ;-)

Fangs (as always) for reading !!

Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku..... - Day #22 - TOXIC TIPPLE THURSDAY (Triple Distilled)

Welcome back, Boils & Ghouls...

... to 'Day Twenty-Two' of "Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku"  and to the third instalment of "Toxic Tipple Thursday" in which I aim to recommend a selection of "batty brews", "creepy cocktails" and (perhaps, even) some "wicked wines"... all suited to the Hallowe'en season !!

So, if you're planning to host your own spooky soirée on October 31st, you should make a point of visiting this blog EVERY THURSDAY between now and Hallowe'en for some inspirational ideas on how to keep those ghastly goblets full to the brim throughout your fiendish festivities !!

Anyway... having kicked things off with the "Unofficial Beer of Hallowe'en", aka "Hobgoblin", and followed that up with a dark & mysterious porter (or, "stout", if you prefer) called "Black Wych", both from the same 'Wychwood Brewery', I thought I'd mix things up a bit by bringing you a spooktacular spirit for my next post in this series. Equally nice on it's own over ice, or as an ingredient in any number of creepy cocktails... this black spiced rum will be enough to make any beautiful banshee scream with delight at your Hallowe'en (h)extravaganza! Of course, some say "beauty" is in the eye of the beholder, but (on this occasion) it's probably more accurate to say it's in the eye of the... errrr, Kraken?!... YIKES !! WHO TOLD YOU TO UNLEASH THE KRAKEN ??!!!

Okay, so maybe it would have been more appropriate to say that the "bottle" is in the eye of the Kraken but (once you see it for yourself) there's no denying it's a work of art, as this image shows:- 

The attention to detail even extends as far as the bottle cap, where you'll find another image of the bizarre & fierce sea creature from which the rum takes it's name, as per the "close-up" photo below:-

If further proof of the Hallowe'en "pedigree" for this "squid ink" of a drink were needed, then how about the fact that, just two years ago, they teamed-up with extreme cake makers, "EvilCakeHead", for their "Eat Your Heart Out" event, which ran throughout October, in the build-up to Hallowe'en 2013. In fact, a special variation on the familiar Kraken Rum label imagery was created specifically for that event, incorporating an anatomical "heart" in place of the Kraken head & stomach, as shown:-

For those of you who may be interested... you can see what sort of "edible horrors" they came up with for Kraken Rum on the 'EvilCakeHead' website where you'll find more, IN THESE POSTS. Also, if you'd like to check out the life-sized "slaughtered pig" cake they've created for last year's festivities, have a read of THIS POST too... and discover more about Miss CakeHead, HERE.

Aside from that, Kraken have also been known to support various other horror-related events, such as the "Zombie Pub Crawl" in Minneapolis, as evidenced by THIS TWEET from the event and there's even a time-lapsed video of their inflatable Kraken tentacles being setup, IN THIS VIDEO, posted on the 'Vimeo' website. Not forgetting that, simply by purchasing a bottle of Kraken Rum, you'll also be investing in a traditional "party game" for your ghastly gathering when you "spin the bottle" as suggested, IN THIS TWEET, which I came across earlier. Then, as well as games, there's the Kraken apps for both "Android" and "iOS" (i.e. Apple) mobile devices should you feel the need for some extra entertainment "on the go"... perhaps as you head out to your spooky soirée?!!

Alternatively, if you find yourself stuck in front of a computer screen on Hallowe'en, you can always take advantage of the FREE DESKTOP WALLPAPERS and ANIMATED GIF's on the Kraken Rum website, or have a read of their "journal" (aka Tumblr Feed), FOUND HERE, maybe download the Kraken game app, VIA THIS LINK, or else just browse their OFFICIAL WEBSITE at your leisure. Either way, you're going to want to grab yourself a bottle of Kraken so that you can join in with all the fun as well as "Put A Beast In Your Belly" in time for the Hallowe'en celebrations on October 31st !!

Meanwhile, let me tell you a little more about 'Kraken Rum' and how it can be used to supercharge your Hallowe'en celebrations... essentially, what you're getting (as I said before) is a black spiced rum - think something along the lines of 'Sailor Jerry' and/or 'Captain Morgan' spiced rums, only different - in which the base rum is from Trinidad & Tobago and distilled from molasses made from local sugar cane.  The rum is then aged for 12-24 months, before a mixture of spices (including cinnamon, ginger & clove) are added. Kraken pride themselves on the fact that all of the added ingredients in their rum are natural and that Kraken is both gluten-free and vegan friendly !!

First imported to the UK in 2010, by Proximo UK, you can find their Kraken black spiced rum in some of the major supermarkets (Sainsburys, Asda, Tesco, etc.) for around the twenty quid mark, or slighty over, depending on where you shop. For the record, Sainsburys (currently) has a special promotion whereby you can pick up a 70cl bottle for £19.50 (normally £22.50) which should remain valid at least through to Hallowe'en and even a few days beyond, if you find yourself having to re-stock in time for bonfire night. As far as I know, it's the cheapest in the UK (as I type) but you could equally pick up a bottle via Amazon UK, for the same price of £19.50, if that suits you better !!

Aside from drinking it neat, or over ice (aka "on the rocks"), there are a number of interesting ideas for some "creepy cocktails" that can be made in order to better serve your ghoulish guests on Hallowe'en. The most popular variants are to mix it with coke, or pineapple juice, although you'll find many more "recipes" & suggestions for other "ingredients" on the Kraken website, VIA THIS LINK.

Of course, I can't claim to be an "expert" on Kraken Rum... but I have read THE BOOK, as well as seen all of THE MOVIES and, whilst I don't (yet) own THE T-SHIRT, if you follow the link(s) you'll see that I know where to find them. Perhaps more importantly, I have consumed this particular spooky spirit in a variety of "creepy cocktails" and (IMHO) the best pairing for it is coke... which is a bit of a "no-brainer" really, as people have been mixing "rum and coke" for decades now !!

I mentioned earlier in this post that the Kraken is a "bizarre & fierce" sea creature... and I got to thinking about another pretty "fierce" sea creature that starred in a certain 1975 film which (I think) is also totally suited to the Hallowe'en season, on account of the terrifying nature of the 'Great White' shark and all of the "scares" the audience are put through during the course of that particular movie. Now, being that we are talking about rum which (itself) is very much associated with those at sea, and during (and/or after) the consumption of said "rum" such seafarers are known to be fond of a song or two, other wise known as a "sea shanty"... well, some of you may recall a certain scene in "Jaws" with a song about "Spanish Ladies" which you may feel like singing yourself, while enjoying your Kraken rum. For those that aren't (yet) familiar with the tune, here it is... accompanied by some suitable footage of "Orca" (the shark hunter's boat) from "Jaws":-

The actual scene in "Jaws" where 'Quint' (Robert Shaw) sings the "Spanish Ladies" sea shanty to 'Matt Hooper' (Richard Dreyfus) occurs when they are both standing on the docks and can be viewed on 'YouTube', VIA THIS LINK, if anyone is interested. FYI: there is also a short reprise of the song, again by 'Quint', just prior to a drunken chorus of "Show Me The Way To Go Home" by 'Chief Brody' (Roy Scheider) plus 'Quint' and 'Matt Hooper' when they are aboard the boat, on the hunt for the shark. Since you may well find yourselves singing this towards the end of your own spooky soirée come Hallowe'en, I thought I might as well share that with you, too:-

So, there you have it... and, if you are not invited to (or hosting) your own spooky soirée this Hallowe'en, you could do worse than sit back and watch "Jaws" and other water-related horror classics, while enjoying a glass of Kraken rum and singing a few "sea shanties" to while away the hours. No matter how you choose to enjoy it, however, once you've emptied the bottle... instead of recycling it in the (hopefully) usual manner, you may wish to consider repurposing it as a "Hallowe'en" candle-holder, as we suggested with the "Black Wych" bottles previously. Again, from our experience both black and white candles work well with this bottle which, in addition to the labelling & detailing already mentioned, also has those useful handles built-in for added portability !!

Before signing-off, I should (perhaps) also point out that this rum is fairly strong (40% ABV) and a 700ml bottle is equivalent to 28 UK units of alcohol so PLEASE ENJOY RESPONSIBLY and, if you are unsure, visit www.drinkaware.co.uk for full guidelines. That said, if you do happen to like it, why not post your thoughts via the 'Kraken Rum' Twitter Feed: @KrakenRum or their 'Kraken Rum UK' Twitter Feed: @TheKrakenRum_UK. Alternatively, if you'd prefer to get social with them in other ways, there's also an "Official" Facebook Page: Kraken Rum (Facebook) but, when leaving your comments, please don't forget to tell 'em that @ukrokuchannels sent you !!

Finally, to round-off this third instalment of "Toxic Tipple Thursday" on 'Day Twenty-Two' of the annual 'Countdown To Halloween', I thought I'd better clarify how this ties-in with having a Roku player... and, as mentioned during the inaugural post of this series, there's two ways to look at this:- 

01. If you watch a Hallowe'en / Horror Movie at the cinema, the chances are you'll have something to eat & drink while you enjoy the film... so, as you stream your Hallowe'en / Horror Movie at home (via your Roku player), why not enjoy a glass of black spiced rum with it too ?!!

02. You could always copy the above images and stream them to or via your Roku player using one of the many "Photos & Video" channels in the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store to view them on your TV... perhaps (even) as part of a Hallowe'en Screamsaver (sic) using assorted images from the various Flickr and/or Picasa photo groups that carry Hallowe'en / Horror images - just a thought !!

Anyway, that's all for today... just remember to come back in 24-hours for 'Day Twenty-Three' and more Hallowe'en-themed content, courtesy of "Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku", when I will reveal the next devilish dish for "Fiendish Food Friday", and (again) this time next week for the last "Toxic Tipple Thursday" in our "Countdown To Hallowe'en" 2015...

Fangs (as always) for reading !!