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Grim Reaper Drink Recipe: Kahlua, rum and grenadine

By MixThatDrink

Remember the Shark Bite, which added three drops of grenadine at the end to look like blood in the water? The Grim Reaper drink has a similar effect, but this time I figured out how to make it look a whole lot cooler.

This delicious cocktail blends Kahlua with white rum and grenadine. The flavor is like a mix of cherry and chocolate mocha with hints of caramel. It’s fruity and rich, and most people at a party will like it.

It’s a little tricky to make, however. You’re supposed to mix everything together, add some ice, and then dribble grenadine on top of the ice cubes to make it look like blood.

The only problem is… well, maybe it’s just me. Or my ice cubes. Or my grenadine. But I found the grenadine rolls off my ice so quickly it’s lost in the drink.

Overhead view of Grim Reaper cocktail

I’ve tried this many times, and I just can’t get it to work. Maybe it’s my lack of skills. Maybe it only works with certain shapes of ice cubes. All I know is, it’s really frustrating.

So here’s what I do: I add the dash of grenadine for flavor, and then I drop just a couple of drops of red food coloring onto the ice.

That stuff sticks to the ice very well for several minutes and creates a stringy effect that kind of looks like bloodshot eyeballs. Yes, it’s a cheat. I admit it. But when presentation matters, I’m not above a little cheating.

Grim Reaper drink in rocks glass with ice

This cocktail is obviously a great choice for a Halloween drink or a spooky movie night. It’s also fun anytime you want to impress your friends with something that’s kind of gross but really cool.

You can mix up a big batch of the rum and Kahlua in advance, but you’ll always need to add the grenadine at the end to get the blood effect.

Grim Reaper drink in rocks glass with ice

Like most Kahlua drinks, this one is pretty sweet. It’s also fruity. It’s terrific served with snacks like popcorn or bacon crackers. If you want to enjoy it with a meal, then I would think of it as something like a cherry cola.

Which means that anything that goes with cherry coke should go well with this drink. Try pairing it with a copycat In-and-Out burger or a turkey club sandwich.

Grim Reaper drink in rocks glass with ice

Grim Reaper Drink Recipe

Yield: 1 drink
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

This stunning looking drink looks like blood in dark water. It's perfect for Halloween parties. The taste Is somewhere between coffee and berry, and it might remind you of a cherry Coke.

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce Kahlua
  • 1 ounce white rum
  • Dash of grenadine

Instructions

    1. Pour Kahlua and rum into a highball glass.
    2. Add two ice cubes.
    3. Pour the grenadine very slowly over the ice cubes for a red tint. (Or see above if this doesn't work for you.)

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