It’s that time of year again: the costumes are ready, the candy is bought, and now it’s time to prepare for a marathon evening of trick-or-treating with the kids. Sure, Halloween is mostly about making sure they have a fun night, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prepare to make the best of the experience for yourself. To help you along the way, we at Aervana plotted up a step-by-step guide to help you eat and drink your way through to a successful Halloween.
1. Twix - Late-harvest Pinot Noir
Source: flickr.comYou’ll likely pull this Twix from your own Halloween candy supply prior to embarking for tonight’s trick-or-treating with the kids. Sure, you technically bought them to hand out to kids who come to your house, but— hell, there are always extras, and you’re worth it. You have a long night ahead of you, and it’s important to prepare accordingly with a little sugar kick and a trick-or-treating pre-game glass of wine. While the kids put the finishing touches on their costumes, pour yourself a glass of late-harvest Pinot Noir, sit down and unwrap that Twix (a totally solid candy choice, so give yourself a pat on the back for doing your part around the neighborhood). The dark, medium-bodied Pinot will provide the perfect smooth opener for the rest of the evening, and its chocolaty-sweetness will pair excellently with the cookie-caramel goodness of your Twix.
2. Skittles - Riesling
Source: flickr.comAbout halfway through trick-or-treating around the neighborhood, you’ll likely start resenting your children for bringing in so much candy and not offering you any. This is normal. The solution? Pocket a bag of Skittles while they get ready to head up to the next house. It’s important not to eat the Skittles now, because the high-degree of chewing involved will almost definitely give you away. Tuck that baby away and take a mental break, dreaming of the refreshing glass of Riesling you’ll drink later with your pilfered score. Fruity and naturally acidic, the Riesling will complement the Skittles' flavor and help cut through the sweet taste.
3. Hershey's - Cabernet Sauvignon
Source: flickr.comYou’ve made it back home— congratulations! Timeless memories were made, kids are happy, other parents complimented your costume making skills— all big wins. Now your kids are starting in on the next essential part of any Halloween night: attempting to beg, barter, cheat and steal each other out of the night’s best candy. While they’re distracted conning one another, help yourself to a Hershey’s bar. Always a classic, the melt-in-your-mouth simplicity of this milk chocolate treat will transport you into a Zen-like state. Pair it with a seat on your comfiest chair and a glass of full-bodied, dark fruit-flavored Cabernet Sauvignon to complete the experience.
4. Box of Raisins - Whatever boxed wine you have in the house
Source: flickr.comNow comes the time in the night when your kids will come up out of their candy mania just enough to remember you exist and that you partially facilitated the bounty of the evening. They’ll want to offer you something from their stash as a sign of love and gratitude, but— since they’re still in deep with their candy craze— they won’t be physically able to hand over anything even halfway decent. They’ll fish around to the bottom of their pillow cases and return with the absolute worst haul of the evening clutched in their palm: the box of raisins from the older couple down the street. Do your best to smile and thank them— they’re doing the best they can under the conditions— then walk into the kitchen, put the raisins away somewhere you’ll find them when you’re really desperate for a snack, and take a swig of whatever boxed wine you have around to console yourself.
5. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups - Tawny Port
Source: flickr.comThis is the moment you’ve been waiting for since you woke up this morning. The kids have finally gone to sleep in a sugar crash that guarantees they’ll be out for at least nine hours, your shoes are off after a night of trekking around the neighborhood, and the candy stash is left unprotected for you to take your unfettered pick from. That’s right, grab those Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups— you’ve earned it. And while you’re at it, uncork a bottle of Tawny Port for the perfect complement to your late-night prize. The nutty, figgy-ness of the Port will accentuate the peanut butter flavor of the Reese’s Cups, with just the right amount of sweetness to cap off the evening. It also doesn’t hurt that fortified wines are higher in alcohol content; everyone’s safe in bed, after all.
Happy Halloween from all of us at Aervana!