With Halloween Weekend upon us, many across the nation will be donning their best outfits, hitting up parties, and the like. To help kick things up a notch, we’ve got some cocktails perfect for Halloween weekend and beyond.
For this coming Halloween cocktail roundup, we’re seeing an array of colorful and inventive cocktails that we think will get the festivities trending in the right direction. Just like the decorations and costumes we’re sure to be wowed by, some of the cocktails below require a little bit of creativity and craftsmanship.
In our opinion, the cocktails below cover a wide range of spirit bases, liqueurs, bitters, and mixers. Hopefully, you find yourselves a new favorite. Have a safe and happy Halloween.
American Devil
Ingredients:
1.5 parts Hudson Whiskey Bright Lights, Big Bourbon
.5 part Blackberry Liqueur
.5 part lemon juice
3 parts ginger beer
Method:
Squeeze a half ounce of lemon into a glass with ice. Add .5 oz blackberry liqueur and 1.5 oz Hudson Bright Lights, Big Bourbon. Top with ginger beer and stir to incorporate. Garnish with a lemon wheel and a blackberry.
“Tuthilltown Spirits Distillery is the first such facility in New York since the days of prohibition and produces Hudson Whiskey. Its Bright Lights, Big Bourbon is an award-winning offering from the brand. At 92 proof, the whiskey can stand up to anything you throw at it and drinks fantastic neat as well.” – D.L.
Autumn Apple Snap (Created by Hendrick’s Ambassador Vance Henderson)
Ingredients:
1 ½ parts Hendrick’s Gin
¾ Part Lemon Juice
¾ Part Apple Juice or Apple Cider
Top with Ginger Beer
Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a highball glass filled with cubed ice and lightly churn. Garnish with Apple Slides and nutmeg.
“As I always tend to remind readers of this space, Hendrick’s Gin is how I got involved in cocktails as a hobby and now a part of my duties as a writer. As a gin, Hendrick’s works amazing as a cocktail base and this might not be the scariest drink on the list but could end up being one of the tastiest.” – D.L.
Beetle Juice
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Espolon Blanco tequila
0.75 oz Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge
0.75 oz Orange Juice
0.5 oz Lime Juice
0.5 oz Beet Syrup
Method: Add all ingredients to tin and shake with ice. Strain into a double old fashioned glass over fresh ice. Garnish with an orange half moon.
“Any drink that uses Grand Marnier would be a good idea. However, maybe don’t say this cocktail’s name three times in a row during the spooky weekend.” – D.L.
Blood Moon
1 ½ Oz BACARDÍ Superior
½ Oz Lime Juice
2 Oz Ginger Beer
Blood Orange Slice
Amarena Cherry
Method: Combine BACARDÍ Superior, blood orange syrup and lime juice. Shake vigorously with ice. Strain into a highball glass and top with ginger beer. Garnish with a blood orange slice and cherry.
“Combining the classic BACARDÍ Superior rum with a blood orange syrup from Monin, this fits the weekend’s theme quite perfectly. The recipe we were sent called for the Superior, although the Lemon expression is in the photo.” D.L.
Bubbling Cauldron
Ingredients:
1 part Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
3/4 part frozen limeade concentrate (about 1/2 of a 12-ounce can), thawed
3 ½ parts cold water
3 12-parts cans ginger beer, chilled
1 part green tea ice cream
Method:
Stir together Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, limeade concentrate, 3 1/2 cups cold water and 1 can ginger beer in a punch bowl. Scoop the ice cream into the punch. Pour the remaining 2 cans of ginger beer over the top to create a foam. Optional: Garnish with candy eyeballs. Serve and enjoy your Halloween cocktail!
“For those hosting parties this weekend, a punch bowl situation might be both economical and convenient. Add in a little flourish with the touches and garnishes and now we’re cooking…eyeballs?” – D.L.
Candy Corn Cocktail
0.5 oz Sorel
2 oz Skrewball Whiskey
1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
0.75 oz Simple Syrup
1 Egg White
Combine whiskey, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white in a cocktail shaker. Shake until combined and foamy, about 10 seconds. Add ice and shake until chilled, about 10 seconds. Strain into a cocktail glass and top with a liqueur.
“I’m a big fan of Sorel and I hope more folks discover this delicious, Carribean-influenced liquer. Skrewball is peanut butter flavored whiskey, which I haven’t tried yet. As one of those people who love candy corn, I’d enjoy this.” – D.L.
Cinnamon Zest Espresso Martini
3 oz Vanilla Après Hours
.75 oz Painted Donkey reposado
.75 oz cinnamon simple syrup
.25 Cointreau
Shake and serve in a coupe topped with orange zest.
“Après Hours is a canned cocktail brand we recently tried out and really enjoyed. We’re not familiar with Painted Donkey, but we like the idea of pairing a rested tequila with Cointreau, another must have for every cocktail enthusiast.” – D.L.
Copper Skies
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Aged Whiskey
0.75 oz cinnamon syrup
0.5 oz lime juice
1.5 oz coconut water
Grapefruit soda
Grated cinnamon
Grapefruit peel garnish
Directions: Combine whiskey, cinnamon syrup, lime juice and coconut water in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 5 seconds. Strain into a highball glass over fresh ice and top with grapefruit soda. Garnish with a grapefruit peel and fresh grated cinnamon.
“Anytime we can feature Uncle Nearest in one of our roundups, we will. What I definitely want to say is that this is one good-looking cocktail.” – D.L.
Dance With The Devil
Ingredients:
1 Part DeKuyper® Triple Sec liqueur
2 Parts Jim Beam® Devil’s Cut® Bourbon
1 Part Fresh Lemon Sour
1 Part Passion Fruit Juice
2 Dashes Tabasco® Sauce
Cherry
Preparation:
Shake with ice. Strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with cherry.
Don’t Get Ghosted!
Ingredients:
2 oz of Half Shell Vodka
.5 of cherry juice
1 oz of orange juice
1 oz of cranberry juice
Splash of cherry juice
Recipe:
On the inside of a Highball glass, drip cherry juice along the edge. In a shaker, fill with ice and add the cherry juice, orange juice, cranberry juice, and vodka. Shake vigorously. Fill Highball glass with ice. Pour ingredients in. Garnish with cherries and dehydrated orange slices.
“This cleverly named drink comes from the minds of the folks at Distillery 98, one of the better vodkas I’ve tried in years.” – D.L.
Frankenlime Collins
Recipe:
1.5 oz Gin
.25 oz Midori
.5 oz Lime Juice
5 oz Q Spectacular Tonic
1 Lime Peel
Method: Shake all ingredients except the Q Spectacular Tonic and strain into a large glass mug. Top with chilled Q Spectacular Tonic Water and garnish with a lime peel.
“Q Mixers offers an array of mixers and its Spectacular Tonic adds the proper fizz to this fun cocktail. It’s alive! I’ve always wanted to say that.” – D.L.
Ginger + Orange Cranberry Raspberry Spritz Recipe
1 oz ginger
Simple syrup
1/2 fresh orange
1 can Cranberry Raspberry Spindrift
Fresh or dried orange slices for garnish
Add ginger simple syrup to your glass.
(Can’t find ginger syrup at the store? Make your own! Add 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar to a small saucepan and stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat, add 1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger, cover and let sit for ~20 minutes. Strain out the ginger and enjoy!). Squeeze fresh orange into the glass. Add ice. Top with Spindrift Cranberry Raspberry and stir to combine. Garnish with orange slices. Cheers!
“Not everyone needs or wants a boozy drink on Halloween and I really dropped the ball on Sober October coverage this year. That said, I can always count on Spindrift to put together something timely and this one looks like another winner.” – D.L.
Hot Apple Cider
Ingredients
1 bottle (750 mil) Four Roses Bourbon
½ gallon Apple Cider
5 cinnamon sticks
3 orange peels
30 cloves
Directions: Combine bourbon and apple cider in a crock pot and heat at a low setting for two hours. Fill a glass mug with bourbon and cider mixture. Add cinnamon sticks, making sure that the liquid is not boiling. Peel sections of the oranges, and garnish each cocktail with a clove-studded orange peel.
“The epitome of keeping it simple, boozy apple cider in a multi-serving format would be another great party starter. Don’t sleep, Four Roses Bourbon is one of those ones.” – D.L.
Jack The Ripper
1 oz vodka
.5 oz raw carrot juice
.5 oz Bauchant orange liqueur
Lemon twist
Mix all ingredients and pour into a shot glass. Garnish with a twist.
“Loving the the name of this one. I’ve yet to try Bauchant as I’m a fan of orange liqueurs. Looks like a little goes a long way.” – D.L.
Heidi’s Black Magic-Rita
Recipe:
1.5 oz PATRÓN EL ALTO
1 oz blackberry syrup
1 oz fresh lime juice
1 drop of Scrappy’s Fire Water Tincture
Black lava salt and sugar spider web garnish
Preparation:
In a shaker combine PATRÓN EL ALTO, blackberry syrup, lime juice, and ice and shake. Strain and pour over ice in a rocks glass with a black salt rim. Top with two drops of fire water tincture and a sugar spider web garnish.
Blackberry Syrup:
In a small saucepan, mix one cup of sugar, one cup of water with five large blackberries. Simmer and let the sugar melt. Once the blackberries are soft, muddle them with the back of a spoon. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and let cool.
Sugar Spider Web Garnish:
Combine 1 ¼ cups of sugar, ¼ cup of light corn syrup, and ¼ cup of water with muddled blackberries in a small saucepan. Start on low heat and periodically whisk to increase temperature. Using a candy thermometer, bring the mixture to 300 degrees. Place the saucepan in an ice bath and bring it down to 275 degrees. Using a fork, spin your cobweb design by drizzling the mixture over parchment in your desired shape.
“This elaborate drink comes courtesy of PATRÓN and Heidi Klum, who hosts an annual Halloween party in NYC. Where’s our invite?” – D.L.
Midnight Margarita (courtesy of Southbound Tequila)
Ingredients:
2 ounces butterfly pea flower water
1 1/2 ounce Southbound Tequila Blanco
1/4 ounce agave
1 ounce coconut water
1/2 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce Cointreau or elderflower
3 dashes of Fee Brothers Fee Foam
Butterfly pea flower water recipe:
Soft boil one cup of water. Remove from heat. Add in five butterfly pea flowers, and infuse for 5 to 10 minutes. Pour into a jar and add in a teaspoon of lemon juice.
Method:
Add together all ingredients in a shaker. Do a dry shake first, then add ice and shake. Top with a fake spider!
“Southside Tequila is a brand I’ll be trying out soon. This cocktail calls for Fee Brothers’ Fee Foam, an egg-free alternative for those who want to get that foamy texture in their cocktails.” – D.L.
Otońo (Created by Luis Lopez, Milagro Tequila West Coast Ambassador)
Ingredients:
1 ½ parts Milagro Reposado
1 part pumpkin syrup (Real syrup)
1 ½ parts spiced chai black tea
½ part Almond milk
Method: Build in a shaker, add ice and shake for 5 seconds. Then pour over ice in a rocks glass. Finally, garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
“I just crushed a bottle of Milagro Reposado a few weeks ago and now, I’m a little salty I won’t be able to whip this one up this weekend. Check out those ingredients!” – D.L.
Palominado
1.5 oz Smokehead Tequila Cask Terminado
1 oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1/2 oz Agave Syrup
Top with Grapefruit Soda
Crushed ice
Add Smokehead Terminado, fresh grapefruit and lime juice and agave syrup to the shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a Highball glass filled with ice. Top with grapefruit soda.
“Smokehead specializes in single malt Islay scotch whisky in a variety of unique finishes. The Tequila Cask Terminado truly has my interest. Can’t wait to try this one out.” – D.L.
Possession
Ingredients:
1/2oz Pomegranate Molasses
1/4oz Agave Nectar
3/4oz Lime Juice
Directions: Build liquids in glass. Top with Ginger Beer (Fever-Tree). Served on the rocks in High Ball glass. Garnish: Lime Wheel
“A mezcal brought to the world by Breaking Bad co-stars Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston, the two “hombres” have themselves a damn good product on shelves. This is another visual showstopper.” – D.L.
Talum Devil
1 oz Cenote Reposado
.5 oz creme de violette
.5 oz lime juice
2 oz ginger beer
Pour all ingredients into one glass and stir over ice, strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lime wedge or fresh blackberry.
“Cenote’s rested tequila is a fantastic sipper and this cocktail is a looker with the combo of creme de violette giving in the proper hue for the weekend festivities.” – D.L.
That Thing You Brew
Ingredients
1.5 oz Papa’s Pilar Sherry-Finished Rum
0.25 oz Amaro liqueur
1.5 oz Cold brew coffee
3 dashes Angostura bitters
3 dashes chocolate bitters
Directions: Combine ingredients in a cocktail glass & stir. Top with whipped cream and garnish with a smoked cinnamon stick.
“I haven’t had a lot of Papa’s Pilar but I love rums with unique finishes so I imagine this caffeine-boosted cocktail could be a hit.” – D.L.
The Black Friday
Ingredients:
2 parts Reyka Vodka
1 1/2 parts Lemon juice
1 part simple syrup
Top Soda Water
1 charcoal capsules/powder
Method: Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker except soda. Remove charcoal from the capsules. Shake, strain, garnish and serve in a Collins glass. Garnish with lemon wedge.
“Reyka is produced in Iceland and has won multiple awards for good reason. This cocktail looks like it’d be a fun one to make and serve given the rich color the charcoal provides.” – D.L.
The Smoked Old Fashioned
1.5 oz of Devil’s Gate bourbon
0.5 oz of Grand Marnier
3 dashes of aromatic bitters
Orange peel
Add ingredients to mixing glass and stir. Smoke it with a chimney and add orange peel.
“I haven’t tried out Devil’s Gate from Eight Settlers Distillery out of Utah but I’ve heard good things. I suggest finding you one of those fancy cocktail smokers out there. I use this one.” – D.L.
Vampire Margarita
1.5 oz Socorro Reposado Tequila
.75 oz lime juice
.75 oz simple syrup
Shake & pour
Top with .5 oz red wine w/ spoon so it stays on top (similar to making a New York Sour)
“Socorro, founded by Pablo Antinori and Josh Irving, is among the new players on the vast tequila block and their product has a bigger mission in mind. For every case of Socorro sold, the brand gives cases of water to organizations and families in need in Jalisco, Mexico among other philanthropic endeavors” – D.L.
Witches Brew
1.75 oz Clonakilty Port Cask Whiskey
.5 oz Orange Juice
Ginger Ale
1 slice of orange
Method:
Build whiskey and juice in a highball glass filled with ice. Top off with ginger ale. Garnish with orange slice.
“I need to sample this Clonakilty expression. I like what they’re doing here. And the name of this cocktail? Winner.” – D.L.
Winter’s Bane
Ingredients:
2 oz Plymouth Gin
.5 oz pH Ginger Syrup
.5 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
1 egg white
.25 oz fresh lemon juice
Splash of Lemon La Croix
1/2 capsule of activated charcoal
Dehydrated blood orange slice
Method:
Stir together gin, lemon, syrup, and empty the contents of a charcoal capsule. Strain onto fresh ice. Dry shake egg white and Curaçao – layer over the cocktail. Add a bit of Lemon La Croix Bubbles to raise the drink. Garnish with a dehydrated blood orange slice.
“Plymouth is a fantastic gin and I’m learning more about the varieties of curaçao out there. This drink is boosted with Pink House Alchemy’s ginger syrup, which I’d like to try very soon.” – D.L.
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Photo: Getty/Various
