SlyFox Plans to Bewitch Brady Street

“Come, we fly!” To SlyFox, that is, for the cocktail bar’s Hocus Pocus-themed Halloween pop-up.

Come Oct. 28 through 31, the bar’s sleek interior will transform into an eerie lair — suitable for villainous witches and thrill-seeking Milwaukeeans alike.

This will be the first Halloween for SlyFox, which opened in August at 1692 N. Van Buren St. Managing Partner Andrew Logman said that he wanted to plan something outside of the ordinary for the holiday, and given the hype surrounding the upcoming release of Hocus Pocus 2, a pop-up dedicated to the cult-classic Halloween film seemed like a good option.

The event will feature five craft cocktails inspired by the 1993 film and its 2022 sequel, which is set to release on Sept. 30.

Binx, a cocktail inspired by the black cat in the original film, will get its deep color from cold brew coffee and black rum. Bitters, coffee liqueur and amaro will lend layers of complexity to the drink.

Unfaithful Lover Long Since Dead will be a riff on The Zombie, a fruit juice and rum-soaked tiki cocktail.

A pumpkin-based margarita, The Circle Of Salt, incorporates house-made pumpkin juice and Reposado tequila. To balance the pumpkin flavor, Logman adds an acidic agent (citric or malic acid) to the juice in a process called acid-adjusting. Juicing the pumpkins in-house is rough on the blender, but the vibrant orange color and flavor are worth it, Logman said.

A non-alcoholic cocktail, The Candle Lighter, will also be available, but Logman said the recipe is still being developed.

Sticky Rice on Brady, which shares a building with SlyFox, will be in on the weekend-long celebration.

Logman said he and the team are considering hosting a Halloween costume contest on Halloween night, Monday, Oct. 31. For those wishing to debut their costumes earlier, the pop-up coincides with Halloween Night on Brady Street, which will be Saturday, Oct. 29. Attendees can enjoy a round at SlyFox before venturing out to a participating bar for the first round of judging. Winners from each bar will convene at Nashville North for the finals. Winners will be announced at midnight, with a $1,000 cash prize for first place, $500 for second place and $250 for third place.

SlyFox will be open 4 p.m. to midnight for the duration of the event, which will run through Halloween night.

Until then, head to Disney+ to catch up with Winifred, Sarah and Mary. The 1993 film is currently streaming, with the sequel soon to come.

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