Ghoul-Ade Over Gopher Guts

This Halloween party drink is all about the gross-out factor. Green-tinted homemade lemonade gets spooned with partially set cherry gelatin that wobbles and clings to a spoon like, well, gopher guts. Kids go absolutely wild for it.

The lemonade base is simple: fresh lemon juice, water, and sugar tinted green with food coloring. The “guts” are cherry gelatin pulled from the freezer at the perfect halfway point, when it’s set enough to hold together in lumpy, stringy blobs but not firm enough to be a solid block.

Timing the gelatin is everything. At 45 minutes in the freezer, it should be thick and jiggly but still spoonable. Too firm and it won’t look like guts. Too liquid and it just dissolves into the lemonade.

Kitchen Tips

• Check the gelatin at 35 minutes. Every freezer is different and you don’t want it to set solid. You’re looking for a thick, scoopable consistency.
• Strain the lemon juice to catch seeds. Nothing ruins the gross-out fun like actually biting into something unexpected.
• Serve with long spoons so guests can scoop up the gelatin from the bottom of the glass.
• Make extra gelatin. Kids always want more guts.

Variations

• Use lime gelatin instead of cherry for an all-green, extra-gross look.
• Add gummy worms draped over the glass rims for more Halloween atmosphere.
• Use sparkling water instead of still water for a fizzy Ghoul-Ade.