Sweet Peach Trepanation

The Sweet Peach Trepanation, or simply the Numbskull, is a cocktail inspired by ice ball drinks and Bellinis. This delightfully ghoulish drink is sure to be a hit with your guests!

This recipe can easily be made into a virgin mocktail by omitting the peach liqueur and replacing the sparkling wine with a non-alcoholic sparkling juice.

For this drink you'll need:

• Bellini mix (peach puree and juice)
• Sparkling wine
• Grenadine
• Peach liqueur
• Skull ice mold
  
• Marinade injector, or similar syringe
• Blender or food processor
• Martini glass

For a non-alcoholic version, skip the peach liqueur and use sparkling juice or soda instead of champagne.

I purchased these skull ice molds from Think Geek and am very happy with them! The small hole in the top makes it tricky to fill the molds, so I use a syringe designed for injecting marinade into meat to add the water.

Put together the two halves of the molds and fill with water using a syringe. Gently tap the mold to remove any air bubbles and top up the water if some splashes out.

Place the mold in the freezer and freeze until there is a thin wall of ice around the edges but the center is still liquid. This may take some experimentation. In my freezer the ideal timing is 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Carefully remove the top half of the mold.

Run the syringe needle under hot water and then use it to pierce the top of the skull. Drain out most of the water with the syringe and return the ice skull to the freezer until needed.

Repeat this process several times until you have enough hollow ice skulls for your party.

Occasionally my molds would leak, so I try to check on them after an hour or so and if they have leaked I use the syringe to top them up with more water.

Combine the Bellini mix with crushed ice in a blender or food processor.

I used a store bought Bellini mix, but you can make your own, if you prefer, with peach puree.

Mix two parts grenadine with one part peach liqueur.

Add the Bellini mix to a martini glass.

Place an ice skull on top.

Pour sparkling wine into the glass.

With the syringe, fill the hollow skull with the grenadine mixture.

For the best results, add the champagne and then fill the skull in front of your guests. Watching the skull fill up with the red liquid adds to the drama of the drink!