This Re-Animator Serum is the perfect Halloween shot! It’s fun, festive, and a great party trick. It’s made with banana rum, blue curaçao, and a secret ingredient that makes it glow under a black light!
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A Spooky Layered Cocktail – That Glows!
I’ve crafted this glowing (and incredibly tasty!) Halloween drink that will blow your mind. It’s inspired by the cult classic Re-Animator. Have you seen it?! The movie features a serum that glows, just like this one. We’ll skip right past the spookiness of the film and just pretend to be a mad scientist/bartender mixing up tricky and tasty treats!
The Re-Animator Serum has deliciously smooth banana rum, sweet blue curacao, and a secret added touch that makes it glow when you put in under a black light!
The secret ingredient is Riboflavin, and we’ll talk more about that later. But for now, it’s time to break out the fun Halloween props and set yourself up for a night of fun. These Halloween shots are going to be the talk of the party!
What You’ll Need
This shot only requires three ingredients! Here’s what you need:
- Blue Curacao: This is a blue-tinted Caribbean Liquor. It’s citrusy and sweet.
- Banana Rum: This rum finishes very smoothy which makes the shot that much more enjoyable!
- Riboflavin (Vitamin B-2) Capsule: This is the magic touch! This is what makes the shot glow when it’s under a black light. You can pick these up at your local drug store, or I bought mine on amazon: B-2 Capsule.
Equipment Needed:
- Test Tubes: You can absolutely use regular shot glasses, but I think these fun test tubes really dress up these halloween shots. I used graduated cylinders for these photos, but they could get expensive for a party. If you are having a lot of people, I recommend looking at something like these plastic test tubes with lids instead. You get a lot more for your money and they are plastic!
What Is Riboflavin?
Here’s a little bit of information about this vitamin and, surprisingly, secret ingredient in this Halloween shooter.
Riboflavin is one of the B vitamins, B-2 to be exact. But, what does that mean? Vitamin B-2 is found naturally in a lot of foods that we eat on a regular basis. Some of these foods include milk, eggs, yogurt, spinach, and almonds.
It’s also available as a supplement in capsule form, and that’s what we will use here. Interestingly enough, when you dissolve the supplement into liquid, then that liquid glows in a black light. This is mindblowing and really cool. Science is fun! (Even for adults!)
How to Make Re-Animator Serum Shots
Let’s get started! Here are the instructions for making this super fun shot!
First, you’ll pour the blue curacao from a measuring glass into a tall graduated cylinder. It’s important that you don’t rinse out the measuring glass!
Add half of the banana rum. Next, pour the banana rum into that same measuring glass. It’s going to get a little bit of the leftover blue color from the blue curacao.
Open up one of the Riboflavin capsules and get ready to pour a tiny amount of the powder into the cup.
Sprinkle the powder into the measuring cup. Then, you’re going to take a very small amount of the powder and pour it into the banana rum. Now, watch it turn green!
Pour the banana rum into the graduated cylinder. Go slow and don’t rush it! This is how you build the layers of color.
Pour the rest of the banana rum into the measuring cup. Then, add some more powdered Riboflavin into the rum. Swirl it around and watch it turn yellow.
Pour the next layer of color into the graduated cylinder. Remember to go really slow. It helps to hold the cylinder on the side.
Finally, turn on the black light! Now you can watch your Re-Animator Serum glow under the light. It’s so cool! Then, of course, enjoy it…because it’s also really delicious.
Tips and Tricks
Here are a few tips to follow while making the shot:
- Since this recipe uses all shelf-stable ingredients, this is the perfect shot to use for a Halloween party. You can make it ahead of time! Consider making a batch and using it as black light décor. Your guests will be amazed at the drinkable decorations!
- You can also add the Riboflavin to the alcohol ahead of time if you are going to be making lots of shots for a Halloween party. You can have it premixed and ready to go to make the layered shots.
FAQ
I found mine in the Halloween section at Michael’s craft store. However, they are sold abundantly online. The graduated cylinders found at Michael’s are great for drinkware but remember, they are for show! Don’t depend on the measurements on the sides. They are likely incorrect! If you can’t find graduated cylinders near you, and would prefer not to shop online, a 3-ounce double shot glass will work, in a pinch. However, the color gradation will be less noticeable. If making these for a party, I highly recommend using some cheap plastic test tubes!
Yes! Just one of the Riboflavin capsules will make at least 50 of these shots. That said, Riboflavin is considered extremely safe, even in high doses. This is because what’s not used by the body is expelled through the urinary tract.
The amount of Riboflavin we add to this shot is extremely small and does not affect the flavor. Though it will taste bitter n large amounts.
No. Riboflavin fluoresces, which means that it needs the energy from a UV light/black light in order to get its molecules up and jumping. If you don’t have a black light already, I recommend these black light bars. They worked great for our last halloween party.
Yummy Ideas for Serving
Are you ready to have some fun?! Here are some fun ideas for serving this glowing drink!
- Don’t forget your Halloween party snacks! Some fun and filling snack ideas to serve with this recipe are my Pumpkin Cheese Ball, Mummy Hot Dogs, and Pumpkin Spice Chex Mix.
- Serve with other colorful beverages. If you’re looking for other fun-colored cocktails to serve with this shot, try my Jolly Rancher Drinks! Or go wild with some Halloween Hot Cocoa Bombs!
- Find fun garnishes. You can check out the Halloween section of the craft store to find fun straws and other garnishes to put in your Halloween drinks.
- Get some other foods that glow in black light. Did you know there are quite a few other foods like ice cream, yogurt, ketchup, and honey that also glow in a black light?! Get creative and give it a try!
Re-Animator Serum
Ingredients
- ½- ounce blue curaçao
- 2- ounces banana rum, divided
- Riboflavin, Vitamin B-2 capsule
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Instructions
- Using a measuring cup with a pour spout, add blue curaçao to a graduated cylinder. Do not rinse the measuring cup after you pour the blue curaçao. You’ll need the remnants for the next step.
- Add 1-ounce of the banana rum directly to the unrinsed measuring cup. This will give you a slightly blue-tinted rum. Gently pull open a single Riboflavin capsule. Very lightly sprinkle a small amount of the yellow powder on top of the rum. A little goes a long way. Swirl it around in the measuring cup or give it a good stir to mix. The powder will turn the rum green.
- Tipping the graduated cylinder slightly at an angle, SLOWLY pour the green-tinged rum down along its inside wall. The blue and green will slightly blend where they meet but, as the cylinder fills, the color change becomes more apparent.
- Add remaining 1-ounce of banana rum to your measuring cup. Again, sprinkle a very small amount of the Riboflavin in the rum. Mix in the powder. Your rum will be yellow.
- In the same manner as before, tilting the graduated cylinder and pouring slowly down its side, add the yellow-tinted rum until all of the rum has been transferred.
- Shot is now ready to serve! It will glow in the dark if in a black light!
Notes
Nutrition
More Easy Cocktail Recipes
- Pumpkin Coquito
- White Peach Sangria
- Grapefruit Paloma
- Frozen Mango Margarita
- The Best Mojito
- Mexican Carajillo
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