Sips & Synopsis - This Weeks Makings

• Treats for Grown-Ups

• Trivia Question

• Drink of the Week - Salted Caramel White Russian

• Mocktail Moment: Maple Cream Soda

• Why “trick or treat” should never have an age limit

🎃 What’s in Your Glass This Week...

Halloween is almost here, but this year we're skipping the crowds - we’re going straight for the good stuff: boozy treats that feel like dessert in a glass.

This week's lineup is rich, sweet, and a little nostalgic, with grown-up versions of your favorite fall indulgences. Think espresso martinis with chocolate bitters, salted caramel Russians, and a maple mocktail that feels like a cheat day.

✔️ Drink of the Week: Salted Caramel White Russian 
✔️ Bonus sips: Pumpkin affogato, boozy s'mores milkshake
✔️ Mocktail: Maple Cream Soda
✔️ Story: Why “trick or treat” should never have an age limit
✔️ Links to sweeten your setup
✔️ Quote + trivia, because even indulgence can be intelligent

Ready to treat yourself?

Trivia Question❓

Which candy was invented first: Milk Duds, Reese’s, or Snickers?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter

Drink of the Week: Salted Caramel White Russian

Like a Twix bar met a coffee shop and decided to get into cocktails. It's creamy, cozy, and slightly dangerous.

Ingredients:

• 1 oz vodka

• 1 oz Kahlúa (or any coffee liqueur)

• 1 oz salted caramel liqueur (or use syrup)

• 1 oz heavy cream or milk

• Optional: caramel drizzle + pinch of flaky salt for garnish

Directions:

1. Fill a rocks glass with ice.

2. Add vodka, coffee liqueur, and caramel. Stir gently.

3. Top with cream, drizzle caramel over the top, and add a tiny pinch of flaky salt.

🍫 Bonus Boozy Treats

1. Pumpkin Affogato Martini

• 1 oz vanilla vodka

• 1 oz espresso

• 0.75 oz pumpkin spice syrup

• 0.5 oz coffee liqueur

• Optional: scoop of vanilla ice cream as garnish

Shake all ingredients, pour into a martini glass, and drop a small scoop of ice cream right in. It’s the espresso martini’s sweeter cousin.

2. Boozy S'mores Milkshake

• 1.5 oz marshmallow vodka (or vanilla)

• 1 oz Irish cream

• 2 scoops chocolate ice cream

• 1 graham cracker, crushed

• Optional: toasted marshmallow garnish

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Rim your glass with crushed graham crackers and top with a toasted marshmallow. Nostalgia level: unlocked.

Mocktail Moment: Maple Cream Soda

• 1 oz maple syrup

• 0.5 oz vanilla syrup or extract

• 4 oz club soda

• 1 oz cream or oat milk

Build in a glass over ice and stir. It’s like the soda fountain of your dreams... but with fall energy.

Hidden Minis & Halloween Magic

A few years ago, I threw a dual Halloween party - kids downstairs, adults upstairs, and yes, costumes were required for everyone because I like to have fun! Since we weren’t in a trick-or-treat zone, we made our own fun. The kids hunted for candy we’d hidden all around the basement.

Upstairs? The adults got in on the action too with mini spirits hidden around the adults-only zone, tucked into cabinets and coat pockets like little liquid treasures.

It was a chaotic and oh-so-fun. Adults crouched behind couches looking for Fireball nips. A friend found a bottle of Bailey’s under a blanket and laughed with joy. It reminded me: you’re never too old to get a treat - you just need to redefine what a “treat” means.

This week’s cocktails are exactly that. Treats. Silly. Sweet. And absolutely worth the hunt.

🛍️ Sweeten Your Setup

• 🍬 Mini Liquor Bottle Set – 12-Pack Sampler – Perfect for recreating your own grown-up “trick or treat”

• 🍫 Caramel Drizzle Sauce – Dessert Grade – For topping drinks, desserts, or just spooning