I’ve been on a real vampire kick recently. First it was the Twillight series (Oh, Edward…) then a Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathon (Oh, Angel…), and now the TrueBlood series and Sookie Stackhouse books (Umm…Bill?). I even saw a sign in a bookstore for a “vampire romance” section. Is it something about today’s state of affairs that attracts us to tales of the bloodsucking and undead? Or is it just me.

So I’ve had blood on the brain. Then, at work, I noticed a batch of recipes for  Bloody Mary’s. Could there be a creepier name for a drink? Rob Chirico did a in interesting rundown of the history of the cocktail for Hair of the Dog, which has little to do with horror, unless you find a hangover terrifying. But I can’t help but feel a chill thinking of the screaming of little kids as they chant “Bloody Mary” into a mirror. Brrrr.

So for my Halloween party, I’ll be whipping up a batch of these — maybe with some peeled grapes for an “eyeball” garnish. And a bit of roasted garlic to keep the vampires away.