Satan's Whiskers Recipe

It's Halloween, and trick-or-treaters of all ages are planning an evening of merriment and mischief. For a seasonally appropriate way to get the weekend started, consider this classic gin-laced troublemaker: the Satan's Whiskers.

Dating to at least 1930, Satan's Whiskers is actually relatively modest in firepower, perfect for celebrating a festive evening without making it an early night. Gin is mixed with equal parts sweet and dry vermouth and fresh orange juice, and the mixture is given crisp depth by adding orange bitters and the gentle sweetness of orange liqueur. This last point results in two versions of the cocktail: the curled version, which uses orange curacao for the liqueur; the straight version employs Grand Marnier. (A third, more recent version of the drink is the Satan's Soulpatch, which swaps bourbon for the gin.)

Halloween obviously falls on a Friday this year--so why are you still inside at your computer? Turn up the music, put on your costume and fetch the cocktail shaker; there's plenty of devilry to get into tonight.