How to Tap a Pumpkin and the Drinks to Fill it With!
There is no better way to celebrate Fall than in the company of friends and family, sharing good food, laughter, and a few sweet treats. Hosting a Fall party where all this takes place is, in our humble opinion, the absolute best way to welcome the season of apple cider, hearth fires, bright colors, and thankfulness.
Now, we consider ourselves experts on throwing parties, especially when you're in a crunch for time. We know that the secret to every successful party lies in the details; that's what takes a party from "good" to "wow-worthy". Lighting, food and beverage selection, music - all of it plays a role in the success of the party, but it's the little things, like candles and an uncluttered, well-decorated, open space, that make for a guaranteed success. And for Fall-themed parties, we can't help but think that a tapped pumpkin is an absolute must in the details category!
How to Tap a Pumpkin:
Supplies needed:
A large pumpkin
Carving kit
A tap kit
A sharp knife
Directions:
1. Carve the top of your pumpkin off and scoop out the insides of the pumpkin, making sure you're particular about getting every seed and all the stringy bits out, as they can clog the tap.
2. Using a pen or pencil, draw a dot near the bottom of your pumpkin where you’d want your spigot to be. Make sure you choose the pretty side of your pumpkin! If your pumpkin is very thick-walled, use your spoon to thin the wall out a bit from the inside, but be careful not to poke through to the other side.
3. Using the drilling tool included with your kit, carve out the area you just placed a dot. Insert the spigot according to the directions, and voila! You have a pumpkin keg of your very own! Feel free to lightly carve any designs into the outside of the pumpkin, always making sure you never poke a hole into the pumpkin. You want this to remain liquid-tight.
What to Fill it With:
Now that you've got your pumpkin keg, you've got a ton of beverage options to fill it with! Let's start with sweet drinks for the kids, since we don't want to leave them out!
For the kiddos:
For kid-friendly options, try:
• Apple cider
• Pumpkin Spiced Chocolate Milk
• Vanilla Milk
• Any kind of Sparkling Juice
Hot beverages can be fun, too, and if your pumpkin is thick-walled, you won't have to worry about it collapsing halfway through your party.
• Pumpkin Spiced Hot Chocolate, or Caramel Hot Chocolate
• Hot Apple Cider
• Pumpkin Spiced Vanilla Milk
Let's grow up:
Adult beverages, admittedly, are a lot more fun! We have so many chilly weather cocktail ideas we couldn't possibly list them all here. Since we're {obviously} the biggest fans of wine there are, though, let's start with some of our favorite wine cocktails:
• Pumpkin Sangria: Follow our recipe for the Holiday Spiced Sangria. It's that easy!
• Try a Cabernet Old Fashioned, but substitute the cherries for pears and add a touch of cinnamon.
• Our Classic Ginger, Pear, and Cranberry cocktail is also a huge hit at parties, and would be adorable in a pumpkin.
• Mulled Wine is an absolute MUST.
If you're not feeling the vino, however, these classic cocktail ideas are delicious too!
• Any of these Pumpkin Spice Cocktails would be dreamy!
• Any Pumpkin Ales, or your favorite beer, of course!
• This Apple Cider Moscow Mule looks fabulous - if you try it, let us know what you think!
• Using our Chai Tea Mix and Latte Recipe, add Vanilla Vodka and some simple syrup to taste, and you've got a Boozy Vanilla Chai Tea.
• This Blood Orange Blackberry Rum Punch is gorgeous, so if you make it, leave the top off your pumpkin and take lots of pictures to share!
• And of course, boozy hot chocolate made with your choice of liquor is a MUST to add to this list, especially if you sweeten it with our Pumpkin Spice Syrup!
There you have it! An absolutely perfect way to celebrate sweater weather: one or two tapped pumpkins, and the most delicious roundup of sweet, boozy drinks. What do you think? Share this with your friends and family, and if you tap a pumpkin, share your pictures with us using the social links below!
