How to make a squid ink cocktail

It's Halloween, which means that every single part of your life needs to be scary today.

While some aspects are always going to be scary (like your bank balance or that old woman that smiles at you from your local bakery while icing buns), the rest of your day is going to need some serious work.

Now, cocktails don't typically evoke much terror but we have a recipe for a drink that will look pretty damn evil. The Black Madžik contains Babička vodka, which was inspired by a 16th Century Czechoslovakian witches brew. See, evil.

INGREDIENTS

50ml Babicka vodka

25ml triple sec

25ml vermouth

25ml fresh lemon juice

Dash of squid ink

RECIPE

1. Get the squid ink

a. Catch a squid

Squid inhabit reefs and sea grass beds; this environment provides them with shelter, food and a place to breed.

The best way to capture the ink (and to avoid a squid deploying it in your nice and clean boat) is to lift the squid out of the water and place it in a large bucket. You should always point the bucket away from the boat.

OR

b. Buy a squid

You will be extracting squid ink from two sources: the main ink sac in the body, and small secondary deposits behind the eyes.First, pull the head and tentacles out of the body cavity. The guts will come along with the head: look for the small thin silvery sac about halfway along. Carefully detach the ink sac, taking care not to puncture it. If the ink sacs are small, or you'd like to avoid getting your hands any messier and potentially squirting the wall with squid ink, simply drop the entire ink sac into the bowl and puncture it with the tip of your knife.

OR

c. Buy squid ink in a sachet from any good fish counter

OR

d. Use black food dye from your cupboard

2. Coat the rim of the glass with lemon juice and dip in sugar for a frosted effect

3. Shake all ingredients well with ice in a cocktail shaker

4. Strain into your martini glass

5. Garnish with a black cherry

6. Remove all remnants of squid before serving