Witch's Brew Dirty Soda for Halloween
This Witch’s Brew Dirty Soda is a sparkling purple Halloween drink made with color-changing butterfly pea tea, lemon juice, homemade simple syrup, and vanilla cold foam.
Ingredients
Butterfly Pea Tea Concentrate
- 2 cups hot water
- ¼ cup dried butterfly pea flowers or 4 to 6 butterfly pea tea bags, depending on brand
Vanilla Cold Foam
- ½ cup heavy cream cold
- ½ cup 2% milk cold
- 2 tablespoons simple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
For Each Dirty Soda
- ice
- ½ cup chilled butterfly pea tea concentrate
- 1½ tablespoons simple syrup or 1 to 2 tablespoons to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ cup sparkling water chilled
- ¼ cup vanilla cold foam
Instructions
- Make the butterfly pea concentrate: Add butterfly pea flowers or tea bags to 2 cups hot water.
- Steep for 5 minutes, until the tea is an intense deep blue.
- Strain out the flowers or remove the tea bags. Cool, then refrigerate until completely chilled.
- Make the vanilla cold foam: Combine cold heavy cream, cold 2% milk, simple syrup, and vanilla in a tall cup or measuring vessel.
- Froth with a handheld milk frother until thick, fluffy, and pourable, about 30 to 60 seconds. Do not whip to stiff peaks.
- Assemble each drink: Fill a clear 12–16 oz glass generously with ice.
- Pour in ½ cup chilled butterfly pea concentrate and 1½ tablespoons simple syrup. Stir.
- Add ½ cup chilled sparkling water.
- Add 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice and gently stir, watching the blue tea shift toward violet-purple.
- Spoon or gently pour about ¼ cup vanilla cold foam over the top.
- Serve immediately. Stir before drinking if desired.
Notes
The butterfly pea concentrate should be very dark blue before mixing, since ice, citrus, sparkling water, and foam will dilute the color.
Add lemon gradually. More lemon will shift the color farther toward pink.
Use very cold sparkling water and add it shortly before serving.
If the foam sinks immediately, froth longer. If it’s too stiff, froth less or add a splash of milk.
Some light streaking is normal when cream meets acidic soda. To help limit separation, keep everything cold and don’t stir the foam in too early.
For a party, make the tea concentrate ahead, but assemble each drink individually.