Bubbly Witches Brew
This Bubbly Witches Brew punch is the kid’s favorite. Made with lime sherbet, ginger ale, and pineapple juice, this green and ghoulish Halloween punch is sure to be a big hit at your next Halloween party! Mwahahahaha!
You can make this festive punch even more spooky by adding dry ice chips for a smokey, bubbly effect.
We’ve always loved throwing Halloween parties and making spooky recipes with the kids. This bubbly witches brew is definitely our kids’ favorite Halloween punch. It’s sweet, sour, creamy, frothy, and absolutely delicious.
It also happens to be the adults’ favorite Halloween party punch as well. We serve a large cauldron of non-alcoholic witches brew with a side of a fruit-flavored BOOze for the grown-ups to help themselves if they so please.
If you are looking for Halloween-themed party food to go along with your witches brew, I rounded up my favorite Fun Halloween Food Ideas to help you throw an EPIC bash. This guacamole puking pumpkin and these cheesy witches pretzel broomsticks are always a hit! If you make this Bubbly Witches Brew, be sure to tag me on social media or leave a comment on this post! I love seeing your creations!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s a kid favorite Halloween punch and perfect for Halloween parties.
- Quick and super easy. It takes just a minute to throw together.
- Witch’s brew is a great mixer for spooky cocktails.
- Only four ingredients!
Ingredients you’ll need
- Lime Sherbet – combines lime sorbet with milk to make it creamy. The sherbet makes the punch frothy and creamy.
- Ginger Ale – You could also use lemon-lime soda. I go with zero sugar to reduce the sugar load.
- Unsweetened Pineapple Juice (can) – Most pineapple juice contains no added sugar. You can also use zero-sugar pineapple juice to reduce the sugar amount.
- Lime Juice (freshly squeezed) enhances this drink’s sour punch flavor.
- Green Food Coloring (optional) – If you want to enhance the vibrancy of your punch, add a couple of drops of green food coloring. Without it, the punch will be a pale green color which is still pretty cool!
For serving:
- Punch Bowl/Cauldron
- Plastic Spooky Eyes – They can be found at Target, Michaels, and most craft stores.
- Dried Ice Chips- or a block of dry ice, cut into chunks.
How to make Bubbly Witches Brew Punch
Step 1 Add ingredients:
In a large punch bowl (or cauldron), add ginger ale, pineapple juice, lime juice, and food coloring (if using).
Before food coloring and lime sherbet is added…
Punch with a few drops of green food coloring…
Step 2 Add sherbet:
Add sherbet to the bowl and mix with a heavy spoon until the punch is smooth and well-blended.
Step 3 Garnish:
Garnish the brew with plastic spooky eyeballs and some dry ice chips. Periodically add dry ice chips to the bowl to make the spooky smoky effect last longer.
Recipe Tips
- I’ve used food coloring to make this punch a deeper vibrant green color, but you can leave that out if you are leery of using artificial color. I’ve done it both ways.
- If you can find the dry ice chips, use those. They are easier to work with than the blocks and you can add them in a little time to keep the smoky effect going longer.
- If serving with a side of alcohol for the grown-ups, coconut rum and fruity-flavored vodkas taste great.
Looking for more Halloween party drinks? Here are a few more punch recipes we love.
- Dragon’s Blood Punch from Sandra Lee via Food Network
- Halloween Eyeball Punch from Olivia’s Cuisine
- Black Widow Venom Halloween Punch from The Lady Behind The Curtain
Variations & Substitutions
Make an orange version! Give your guests the option of green or orange witches brew. To make an orange Halloween punch use orange sherbet and orange juice. To make the orange more vibrant add a drop or two of yellow and red food coloring.
To lighten up the sugar in this punch, you can use sugar-free diet ginger, or a low-sugar alternative. I always make mine with diet soda, like this one, and it’s always a hit.
If you cannot find lime sherbet or would like to make a dairy-free witches brew, you can use lime sorbet instead of sherbet. Keep in mind, that the punch won’t be as thick and creamy. I know Walmart and Publix carry the sherbet.
Dry Ice
What is it?
Dry ice is EXTREMELY cold ice that creates a super cool bubbling, smoky effect when it comes in contact with liquid. You should be able to find it at your local large chain grocery store, but do not buy it until 1 to 2 hours before you need it. If it’s left out too long it will evaporate on it’s own.
How do I handle dry ice?
Be sure to handle the dry ice with care because it is COLD. It is way too cold to touch with your bare hands, so be to sure to use heavy gloves or tongs when transferring the dry ice chips to the punch.
Is dry ice safe added to drinks?
While it’s totally safe to drop the dry ice chips directly into the brew, it is NOT safe to actually eat the dry ice. I only recommend serving the dry ice directly in the punch if you can trust guests not to put dry ice in their drink.
Otherwise, you can assemble it so that the dry ice never touches the punch. To do so, fit a punch bowl in a cauldron and pour enough water in the cauldron (on the outside of the punch bowl) to activate the dry ice.
Storing
It’s best to only make what you need of this punch. Once the sherbet melts the texture isn’t the same. However, you can mix the ginger ale and pineapple juice together ahead of time and then mix in the sherbet before serving.
FAQ
You can replace lime sherbet with a different flavor (the color will be different) or use lime sorbet. Note that sorbet doesn’t have any cream, so the drink will not be nearly as frothy.
Coconut rum or another fruity flavored rum or vodka tastes great mixed into this drink. I like to serve it on the side so guests can spike their own glass.
As long as there aren’t any curious kids to worry about, yes -the alcohol can be mixed directly into the punch.
For the amount of punch this recipe yields, you can add 2 to 2 1/2 cups of liquor. Each 8-ounce serving will have about a shot each.
If you make this Bubbly Witches Brew, be sure to tag me on social media or leave a comment on this post! I love seeing what you make!
Maybe you saw this classic image on Pinterest? Same post! I just updated it on November 15, 2023 with helpful info, tips, and pretty new pictures. This fun original recipe remains the same.😃
More Halloween recipes
Peanut Butter Apple Monster Mouths
Cheesy Witches Pretzel Broomsticks
Happy Halloween!!👻
Bubbly Witches Brew
Ingredients
- 1 quart lime sherbet
- 2 liter bottle ginger ale chilled (I use zero-sugar ginger ale)
- 46 oz can unsweetened pineapple juice chilled (you can also use zero-sugar pineapple juice here)
- 1/4 cup lime juice freshly squeezed
- *optional: a few drops of green food coloring for added effect
Instructions
- Pour ginger ale, pineapple juice, food coloring (if using) and fresh lime juice together in a large punch bowl.
- Add sherbet and stir to mix.
- Garnish with spooky eyes (you can find these plastic eyeballs at Amazon, Target, Michaels, and most craft stores) and dry ice for a smokey bubbly effect.
Notes
Dry Ice
What is it? Dry ice is EXTREMELY cold ice that creates a super cool bubbling, smoky effect when it comes in contact with liquid. You should be able to find it at your local large chain grocery store, but do not buy it until 1 to 2 hours before you need it. If it’s left out too long it will evaporate on it’s own. How do I handle dry ice? Be sure to handle the dry ice with care because it is COLD. It is way too cold to touch with your bare hands, so be to sure to use heavy gloves or tongs when transferring the dry ice chips to the punch. Is dry ice safe added to drinks? While it’s totally safe to drop the dry ice chips directly into the brew, it is NOT safe to actually eat the dry ice. I only recommend serving the dry ice directly in the punch if you can trust guests not to put dry ice in their drink. Otherwise, you can assemble it so that the dry ice never touches the punch. To do so, fit a punch bowl in a cauldron and pour enough water in the cauldron (on the outside of the punch bowl) to activate the dry ice.Recipe Tips
- For the photos, I used a few drops of food coloring to make the green more vibrant but you can leave that out if you are leery of using artificial color.
- If you can find the dry ice chips, use those. They are easier to work with than the blocks and you can add them in a little time to keep the smoky effect going longer.
- If serving with a side of alcohol for the grown-ups, coconut rum and fruity-flavored vodkas taste great.
Nutrition
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You garnish with dry ice?
Yes, we put in the dry ice right before the party. I love the dry ice chips. You can slowly add them to keep the smokey effect going.
Thanks for all of these great ideas… I am so gonna have fun serving these non-alcoholic drinks for a kids party.
I am having an adult party and love the punch idea, but what type of alcohol would be best with this punch? Also is is safe to put the dry ice into the punch? in past parties I have put the dry ice on the bottom of the caldron then the punch bowl on top, but I have to continue putting the dry ice in to make it smoky. Where do you find the dry ice chips?
Hi Joyce! A pineapple vodka would be a fun option. I like to serve the booze on the side and let my guest DIY the cocktails.
how much vodka do you use? and do you put in another bowl?
Hi Sammie! I like to serve the vodka on the side and let the guest spike their own. That way they can adjust to personal preference. ๐
we are mixing it do you suggest two cups in the brew?
I cannot for the life of me find lime sorbet, sherbert, ice cream…None and I have called 10 grocery stores. Anything you suggest using instead?
Hi Geri! It’s lime sherbert and I know that Publix, Kroger, and Walmart carry it in the ice cream section. Do you have one of those stores near you?
Easy to make ! I cut the pineapple juice in half yo decrease the sweetness and added whipped vodka for our adult Halloween party. It was a big hit!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Shirley! Thanks for the great feedback!
What is whipped vodka? And what if one gets a piece of the dry ice in their cup. Can they drink it without harm?
Hi Sherry! I’m not sure what you mean by whipped vodka. Where do you see this? I would avoid getting dry ice into the cups since it’s very cold. Dry ice is not toxic, but very very cold. It typically sinks to the bottom of the bowl, but you can place the punch bowl in a cauldron, fill it with water around the punch bowl and drop the dry ice into the water as an alternative.
Hi there,
Where do you find the ice chips? Do you put them into the drink or in a separate container?
Hi Morgan! Iโve always gotten them at our the grocery store. A lot of grocery stores carry them. I think Costco and Walmart have them, too. Yes, I put it right in the punch, a little at a time, to keep the bubbly effect going. Just be careful not to serve any dry ice with the punch.
I know food coloring is optional but did you use any for this picture?
Hi Brandy! Yes, I did use a few drops of green food coloring for the photo.
Awesome
Can I replace regular sherbet for lime sherbet. Canโt find lime sherbet anywhere?
Hi Tiffany! Yes, you can use other flavors but it will affect the color. Do you have a Publix nearby? They usually carry the lime.
Up to how long in advance can I prepare this ?
Hi Sierra! You can mix the pineapple and lime juice together ahead of time, but I would wait until right before serving to add the ginger ale and sherbert.
Hi I’m in Australia and don’t think we get anything called lime sherbert here, (except for sherbert powder in small quantities). So I’ve just had to google it, is it like a sorbet ?
Thank you !
Hi Rhonda! Sherbert is similar to sorbet but it has a little cream added.
Great post! Thank you for sharing!
Iโm scare to use dry ice , but I want the brew effect in the punch . I have never use Dry ice , reading the safety tips in using it makes me feel uneasy . Could use ice block instead of ice chips . The safety tips says not to eat nor drink .what you suggested ?
Nancy, you can always put the punch bowl into a cauldron with some water around the bottom and add the dry ice to that. This way it’s not in the punch.
Easy recipe, not too sweet, and actually tastes good! I didnโt use dry ice or food coloring and it still turned out great.
So glad you enjoyed it Annie! ๐ Thank you for leaving a review!
where do you find canned pineapple juice ?
Our grocery stores have them in the juice aisle, but you can use whatever pineapple juice is available in your area. It should still turn out great.
Love it!