Halloween doesn’t have to be all about kids and mountains of candy. It’s a great time for adults to celebrate as well. So after the little ones are asleep (or in a sugar-induced coma), it’s time to unleash your inner spooky spirit with spirits of a different kind and enjoy a frightfully good time.
Not sure what to make? Following are 16 devilishly delicious drinks that will bring a smile to even the most grumpy of ghouls.
EYE FOR AN EYE
Recipe and photo courtesy of Last Drop at the Hermosa.
Ingredients
1½ oz. Veiux Carré absinthe
¾ oz. Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
¾ oz. lemon juice
Dash of Peychaud’s bitters
1 lychee, peeled
1 blueberry
Directions
Combine Veiux Carré, Luxardo, and lemon juice into a shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Top with a float of Peychaud’s bitters. Attach blueberry to center of lychee with a toothpick or cocktail pick. Rest on top of glass, with blueberry facing up.
CRUZAN BLACK WIDOW
Recipe and photo courtesy of Cruzan Rum.
Ingredients
2 parts Cruzan Black Cherry rum
1 part Cruzan Vanilla rum
½ part chocolate syrup
1 part milk
Splash of grenadine syrup
½ cup ice
Whipped cream
1 cherry
Directions
Drizzle inside of martini glass with chocolate syrup and chill. Combine remaining ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour drink into chilled glass. Top with whipped cream and a cherry.
FLUX CAPACITOR
Recipe and photo courtesy of
Table No. 10, San Diego, CA.
Ingredients
3 oz. London dry gin
1 oz. Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
¾ oz. Créme de Violette
10 dashes of rose water
Crushed lavender
1 oz. local honey
1 oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Dry ice
Directions
Place dry ice in Erlenmeyer flask. Combine remaining ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well. Double strain into flask. Serves 2.
THE VAMPIRE’S KISS
Recipe and photo courtesy of Robert Lambert.
Ingredients
1½ oz. vodka
½ oz. blood orange syrup
4 oz. white grapefruit juice
5 ice cubes
Small mix of corn syrup and red food coloring or a red-shaded liqueur of your choice
Directions
Combine vodka, blood orange syrup, grapefruit juice, and ice cubes in a blender; blend until smooth. Use a dropper to place 2 small droplets (fang’s width apart) of corn syrup mix or red liqueur into a clear glass. Add blended drink.
CANDY CORNTINI
Recipe and photo courtesy of Camarena Tequila.
Ingredients
1 oz. Camarena Reposado tequila
½ oz. Butterscotch schnapps
½ oz. créme de cacao
2 oz. fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon dark cocoa powder
4 pieces candy corn
Directions
Rim a martini glass with orange juice, followed by cocoa powder. Combine tequila, schnapps, créme de cacao, and orange juice in a shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain into prepared martini glass. Garnish with a toothpick of candy corn.
MÉNAGE À VOILA MARTINI
Created by Niccole Trzaska, The Liberty NYC. Photo courtesy of Ménage à Trois Vodka.
Ingredients
1 part Ménage à Trois vodka
1 part Dry Vermouth
1 bar spoon baking soda
1 bar spoon indicator solution—
(cabbage water concentrate)*
Dry ice pellets
Directions
*To create cabbage water concentrate: Chop or shred 1 leaf of red cabbage. Place in water and microwave on high 4-6 minutes until boiling. Water should turn a deep purple color. Refrigerate.
Pour indicator solution in martini glass. Stir vodka and vermouth together; add mix to glass. Top with baking soda and dry ice.
MORPHING POTION #9
Recipe and photo courtesy of John Henderson and Maker’s Mark.
Ingredients
2 parts Maker’s Mark bourbon
¼ part Cherry Heering
1 dash chocolate mole bitters
1 2×2 cola cube
¾ part soda water
Orange swath
Directions
Pre-make the cola cube by freezing Mexican Coca-Cola in 2×2 ice cube tray.
Place 1 cola cube in rocks glass. Add Maker’s Mark, bitters, and soda water. Drizzle Cherry Heering over top of ice cube, which will slowly sink for bloody effect). Stir briefly. Place orange swath over surface of drink.
WITCHES BLOOD
Recipe and photo courtesy of Ungava Canadian Premier Gin.
Ingredients
1 oz. Ungava Gin
1 oz. Campari Apertivo
3 oz. sparkling lemonade
2 oz. Prosecco
Liquid nitrogen
Orange peel for garnish
Directions
In an old-fashioned glass, add a small amount of liquid nitrogen. Add the remaining liquid ingredients. Stir gently. Garnish with orange peel.
GREEN GOBLIN
Recipe and photo courtesy of Hula’s Modern Tiki, Phoenix, AZ.
Ingredients
1 oz. vodka
1 oz. peach schnapps
1 oz. DeKuyper Apple Pucker
1 oz. coconut rum
1 oz. sweet and sour mix
Directions
Combine ingredients in glass with ice. Shake to froth. Garnish with black and green jelly beans or your candy of choice.
THE ZOMBIE SHOT
Created by Rob Floyd, OCI’s Director of Mixology. Photo courtesy of 41 Ocean, Santa Monica, CA.
Ingredients
1½ oz. Bulleit bourbon
½ oz. fresh lime juice
½ oz. Monin pumpkin syrup
¼ oz. St. Germaine
1 gently pressed jalapeno
Whipped cream
Cinnamon
Directions
Warm up jalapeno to release its oil (and add warmth to the drink). Combine all ingredients into a shaker. Shake well. Fine strain into shot glasses. Top with small amount of whipped cream and then dust with cinnamon. For some added Halloween fun, lower the lights and hold a flame (kitchen lighter or torch) over the cocktail while sprinkling cinnamon. The cinnamon will not only toast on its way down, but it will also give off a spooky glow.
MONSTER MASH
Recipe and photo courtesy of Blue Wasabi, Gilbert, AZ
Ingredients
2 oz. Skyy Grape vodka
1 oz. Skyy Passion Fruit vodka
2 oz. Monster Energy Drink
2 oz. orange juice
Orange slice
Directions
Combine liquid ingredients into shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain into martini glass. Garnish with orange slice.
HALLOWS EVE
Created by Baron Tequila’s expert mixologist Brian Van Flandern. Photo courtesy of Assouline.
Available at Hakkasan New York through November 2.
Ingredients
1 ½ oz. Baron Tequila
1 ½ oz. fresh apple cider
½ oz. agave nectar
½ oz. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. cinnamon powder
Cinnamon stick
Directions
Combine all ingredients except cinnamon stick in shaker with ice. Shake vigorously. Double strain over fresh ice into rocks glass. Garnish with cinnamon stick.
BLACK WIDOW MARTINI
Recipe and photo courtesy of Zulka Pure Cane Sugar.
Ingredients
1 cup freshly brewed espresso
3 tbsp. Zulka Morena sugar
2/3 cup Godiva Chocolate liqueur
2/3 cup Solerno Blood Orange liqueur
1 cup Kahlua
1 cup vanilla vodka
Simple syrup (or orange slice)
Orange sanding sugar
Directions
Rim a martini glass with simple syrup (or run an orange slice around rim). Dip glass in orange sugar. Let dry completely. Combine remaining ingredients in cocktail shaker (can be done in 2 batches depending on shaker size). Shake well. Strain into sugar-rimmed glasses. Serves 4
WITCHES’ BREW
Recipe and photo courtesy of TART,
Los Angeles, CA.
Ingredients*
1 oz. UV Blue Raspberry vodka
2 oz. orange juice
Gummy worm
Directions
Combine vodka and orange juice in a shaker with ice. Shake well. Drink will turn green when blended. Garnish with gummy worm.
*For punch, combine 1 bottle UV Blue Raspberry vodka with 2 cartons orange juice.
GLOW-IN-THE-DARK
PUNCH (non-alcoholic)
Recipe and photo courtesy of Pamela Layton McMurtry, author of A Harvest and Halloween Handbook.
Ingredients
1 part white grape juice
1 part ginger ale
Green food color
Dry ice
Directions
Combine grape juice and ginger ale in a clear punch bowl suspended over glow sticks. Add a couple drops of green food color and dry ice for a ghoulish glow.
GHOULISH PUNCH
Created by Kevin Martin, former bar manager at Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks, Boston, MA. Photo courtesy of Privateer Rum.
Ingredients
2 parts Privateer Silver rum
2 parts mulled local apple cider*
1 part fresh citrus
1 part maple syrup
½ part Cynar
Sliced apples or citrus
Directions
Combine liquid ingredients into a punch bowl with ice. Garnish with fruit slices.
*To mull cider, combine cider, 6 cloves, 3 cinnamon sticks, 6 allspice berries, and ½ orange in a saucepan. Bring to a low simmer for 30 minutes. Strain.