When murderous pumpkins pop out from the beer aisles, and crimson-colored cocktails bulge with eyeball toppers, I just want to settle into a barstool somewhere and find a drink that will truly scare me.
“Scary date night it is!” my lovely Nate says as he whisks me away. We’re heading towards The Repp, a dark little haunt in Snohomish, Washington, which serves up killer drinks and dishes.
When we arrive, I scan the drink menu for the scariest concoction I can order, and I think it’s the dark and stormy, and I know I won’t be disappointed. The bartenders at The Repp are quite generous with the alcohol in their drinks, but the drinks still taste delicious and balanced. When I try to be generous with the alcohol in my drinks at home, I end up with something that tastes like medicine and gives me heartburn. In other words, I somehow manage to create the equivalent of a smidge of simple syrup that shares a teeter totter with an entire warehouse. That absolutely does not happen at The Repp. Ever.
When my drink arrives, I want to cry because it’s incredibly beautiful. It’s Elvira in a glass, with a hazy, ghost-like hem and a wedge of lime stuck in her hair. Also, there’s a straw running through, where maybe her arm might be. And when I take a sip, I taste high-quality rum. I’m not sure which kind exactly, but it’s probably not the kind I have at home, and the ginger beer is super sharp and spicy. I don’t ever want to leave. And I probably shouldn’t—for a while. I should let the drink settle, maybe take a walk around outside and look at the Halloween decorations or try on a few outrageously priced blouses in the boutiques—maybe have a conversation with Elvira, who will tell me to decide against any purchases because I’ve got perfectly good, cheap blouses at home.
And I think I know now what I want to be for Halloween: A dark and stormy, which pairs well with chats with Elvira and just a wedge of lime.
Cecilia Kennedy once taught Spanish and English courses in Ohio for many years. She now lives in the Greater Seattle area, and writes horror stories. Her blog (Fixin’ Leaks and Leeks: https://fixinleaksnleeksdiy.blog/) chronicles her humorous (and perhaps scary?) attempts at cooking and home repair.