Say what you will about the tiny tri-colored treats, candy corn is (almost) irresistible. Okay, so they're not one of my favorites but there's something about a bowl filled with them that draws me in and I just can't help picking up a few pieces when I pass by. I remember eating what seems like pounds of candy corn as a kid and just the thought of that today makes my stomach turn. However, this childhood favorite is one that is picked up over and over in the world of adult drinks. Just like many of us continue don costumes for Halloween, we often revert to the tastes of those innocent days and candy corn is a classic.
Camarena Candy Corn Cordial
The typical 'candy corn' cocktail - and there are many of them - contains a sweet element that is often butterscotch, a nut, and sometimes chocolate with orange juice, and some thick ingredient like milk or cream. The goal of these drinks is to remake the popular candy in liquid form and usually the taste is a close replica. Yet, it does take a certain person to fully enjoy many of the creamy variations of these drinks and to be honest I'm not one of them.
That said, there are two candy corn cocktails that I think hit the mark in terms of taste while avoiding that thick tongue-coating saccharine of the heavier drinks. One is Jonathan Pogash's Candy Corn and this one does not follow the candy corn 'guidelines' I spelled out above. It is, instead, a kettle corn-infused gin with a citrus grenadine, and Moscato for the sweet touch. This is the elegant version of the candy corn.
In a somewhat more standard rendition, there is this new Camarena Candy Corn Cordial. It begins with a reposado tequila on top of which the more traditional flavors of butterscotch, cocoa, and orange are added. It's not a rich drink, but one with a depth of flavor and just sweet enough to get the point across that it is candy inspired.
Flipping the coin and going with the rich candy corn cocktails, these are ones that will truly satiate the sweet tooth. Though I personally do not prefer this style, there are those that do and that is all good. The newest one that I've added to the database comes from UV Vodka. I plan on covering this topic further next week, but there has been a saturation of dessert-flavored vodkas released lately and they've created quite a buzz (of the love/hate variety). This Candy Corn Cocktail from UV uses their cake-flavored vodka and it is one of those heavy drinks, employing orange, amaretto, and milk. If that combination is not sugary enough for you, the candy corn rim will certainly fix that.
Then, we pull from the archives a layered shooter that is equally sweet and essentially a liquified duplication of the candy itself. In the Candy Corn shooter one layers Galliano, orange curacao, and cream for a striped effect that can also be built in a cocktail glass. Though the lasting aspect of that concept makes my stomach churn as easily as handfuls of candy corn.
One thing that I take away from this study of candy corn cocktails is that there is a way to replicate childhood favorites in adult beverages to match a variety of tastes. For the drinker who wants the full experience of sweet and rich, there's a drink. For the drinker who wants the flavor combination without the richness, there's a drink. Have fun with your candy corn no matter how you take it because this candy cocktail concept is not meant to be serious and snooty, nor is Halloween... let loose and enjoy.
