Spooky season started at precisely 12:01 am on October 1, which means it’s time to fully immerse yourself in the witchiest time of year. Pumpkins, caramel apples and a whole lot of candy are crucial, and don’t forget to whip up a fittingly festive cocktail to really embrace that Halloween spirit.
Whether you’re hosting an eerie October 31 soirée, want to get into the trick-or-treat mood with a few pals or just feel like sipping on a devilishly delightful boozy beverage at home, a grown-up ghoulish Halloween drink is the perfect way to complete your spooky spread.
There are elaborate smoking beverages and drinks with intricate designs, but you don’t have to be an expert mixologist to whip up a quality Halloween concoction—anything can be a Witches Brew at a good Halloween party! You can go all-in on the campy atmosphere with a bright orange, pumpkin-oriented cocktail, or opt for a more subtly spooky aperitif. For those that want to put in minimal effort, just pour your go-to cocktail into an appropriately frightening glass, perhaps in the shape of a ghost or skull, though you could always keep it classic with a pumpkin-shaped vessel.
Below, see the scary and sweet Halloween cocktail recipes for the ultimate grown-up trick-or-treat.
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Eye of the Spider
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Cutwater Spirits vodka
1 oz Nola coffee liqueur
.5 oz creme de cacao
Whipped topping (4 oz whipped cream, 1 oz cinnamon syrup)
Directions:
Combine ingredients in a cocktail stirring glass. Add ice and stir until ice begins to melt and cocktail is diluted. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Add heavy cream and cinnamon syrup to cocktail shaker. Shake (without ice) until cream turns light and airy. Float whipped cream on top of cocktail. Optional: garnish with a hand-drawn spider web and sugar eyeball for a spooky Halloween cocktail.
The Sexton Blood Moon
Ingredients:
1.5 oz The Sexton Whiskey
1 oz fresh beet juice
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
2 dashes orange bitters
Blood orange peel, for garnish
Directions:
Add ingredients to a cocktail shake with ice; stir vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass; garnish with blood orange peel.
Spiked Pumpkin Spiced Latte
Ingredients:
2 oz Casa Del Sol Reposado or Blanco
1 oz premium espresso
.75 oz pumpkin spice syrup
.5 oz coconut milk or oat milk
Cinnamon, for garnish
Directions:
Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice; shake well for 10 seconds. Strain into a martini or coupe glass. Garnish a sprinkle of grated cinnamon or cinnamon stick.
Tanteo Morgue-rita
Ingredients:
2 oz Tanteo Jalapeño Tequila
3/4 oz agave nectar
1 oz fresh lime juice
1 tbsp activated charcoal powder
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker. Shake well; pour into a salt-rimmed, ice-filled coupe glass.
Screaming Banshee
Created by Black Lagoon co-founders Erin Hayes and Kelsey Ramage
1.5 oz Botanist Gin
.5 oz Giffard L’Abricot
1 oz pineapple syrup
.33 oz greek yogurt
.75 oz lime juice
2 dashes Angostura
2 oz seltzer
Mint for garnish
Directions:
Add all ingredients, except for garnish, to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously; strain into a clear glass (a skull glass is perfect for a spooky cocktail) and top with crushed ice and mint.
Whisky Mac-Beth
Ingredients:
2 oz Royal Brackla
1 oz oloroso
.25 oz simple syrup
3 dashes aromatic bitters
Maraschino cherry for garnish
Directions:
Add all ingredients to cocktail shaker; add ice and shake vigorously for 20 to 30 seconds. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with the maraschino cherry.
Witching Hour
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Cutwater Barrel Rested Gin
.5 oz Amaro Nonino
1 oz valerian root tea
.75 oz falernum
.75 oz lemon
1 dash absinthe
Directions:
Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice; shake. Pour over a glitter ice sphere in a rocks glass; garnish with flamed rosemary and cinnamon wrapped in twine.
Poison Apple Daiquiri
Ingredients:
1.5 oz SelvaRey White Rum
1 oz apple cider
.75 honey syrup (to make, use 3:1 water to honey ratio)
.5 oz fresh lime juice
Apple slice, for garnish
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until chilled; strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with apple slice.
Backwards Ghost For Hire
Created by The Resident Mixologist
Ingredients:
.5 oz bourbon
.5 oz scotch infused with butterfly pea flower
.5 oz Campari
.5 oz rosemary simple syrup
3 oz Babe Red with Bubbles
Directions:
Add all ingredients except for the sparkling red wine into a shaker with ice; shake briefly and strain into a champagne flute. Top with the sparkling red wine; garnish with rosemary.
Pumpkin Spice Lebowski
Ingredients:
2 parts Reyka Vodka
1 part coffee liqueur
1 part heavy cream
.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Directions:
Combine heavy cream and pumpkin pie spice into a cocktail shaker. Shake; add vodka and coffee liqueur and shake wit ice. Serve on the rocks.
Diplomático Mantuano Devilish Don
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Diplomático Mantuano
1.5 oz fresh blood orange juice
.5 oz fresh lime juice
.5 oz simple syrup
Roasted marshmallow
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker. Shake and strain over crushed ice. Serve in a coupe glass with a heavy stem, garnish with toasted marshmallow on a skewer.
Blood Moon
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Bacardi Superior
.5 oz Monin Blood Orange Syrup
.5 oz lime juice
2 oz ginger beer
Blood orange slice
Amarena cherry
Directions:
Combine rum, blood orange syrup and lime juice in a shaker with ice; shake vigorously. Strain into a highball glass and top with ginger beer. Garnish with a blood orange slice and cherry.
Hexes for your Exes
Created by Erin Hayes and Kelsey Ramage
Ingredients:
1 oz Lot 40
.5 oz Cocchi
.5 oz Chareau or honeydew cordial
.75 oz pineapple syrup
.25 oz citric acid
1 bar spoon 10 percent saline
4 drops green food coloring
1 lemon
Directions:
Add ingredients into a cocktail glass. Top with soda; mix with a bar spoon. Add cubed ice, garnish with lemon twist.
Necromancer
Created by Javelle Taft, head bartender at Death & Co. New York
Ingredients:
1 oz Del Amigo Mezcal
.25 oz Del Maguey Chichicapa
.25 oz Cyril Zangs Apple Eau de Vie
.75 oz Cardamaro
.5 oz Zucca Rabarbaro Amaro
Directions:
Add all ingredients into a cocktail mixer with ice; stir. Strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube and garnish with an apple slice.
Black Blood Sour
1.25 oz Filmland Spirits’ Moonlight Mayhem! Bourbon
1 oz amaretto
.5 oz lemon juice
.25 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
1/8 tsp activated charcoal (or squid ink)
Directions:
Combine all ingredients into a tin with ice and shake. Double strain and then serve in a double walled martini or coupe glass. Place a small cube of dry ice in the cocktail.
Blood and Sand
Ingredients:
1 oz Old Parr Aged 12 Years
.75 oz fresh blood orange juice
.75 oz Cherry Heering (or premium cherry liqueur)
.75 oz sweet vermouth
Cherry, for garnish
Directions:
Combine scotch, blood orange juice, cherry liqueur and sweet vermouth. Shake with ice; strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a brandied cherry.
Mystic Moon
Ingredients:
1 oz Whiskeysmith Chocolate
1 oz Old Elk Straight Wheat Whiskey
1 oz cold brew
.5 oz brown sugar simple syrup (DIY with 1:1 water to brown sugar ratio)
2 dashes angostura bitters
Directions:
Add all ingredients into a mixing glass and stir for 20 seconds. Double strain into a chilled coupe with an ice ball. Garnish with orange oil.
Devil’s Margarita
Ingredients:
1.5 ounces Volcán Tequila Blanco
1 oz fresh lime juice
2/3 oz simple syrup
2/3 oz fruity red wine
Directions:
Pour tequila, lime juice and simple syrup into a cocktail shaker filled with ice; shake vigorously. Strain into a glass
Witches Brew
Ingredients:
8 oz St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur
8 oz Grey Goose La Poire
6 oz cucumber-mint juice
2 oz fresh lemon juice
1 oz absinthe
16 oz Prosecco or other sparkling wine
Dehydrated pear, mint crown, borage and grated nutmeg, for garnish
Directions:
Add all ingredients into a large mixing vessel or punch bowl and stir. Add ice and garnish. Makes eight servings.
Watermelon Jack-O-Lantern
Ingredients:
2 parts Kraken Gold Spiced Rum
6 parts fresh watermelon juice
1 part lime juice
1 part orange liqueur
Lime, for garnish
Directions:
Combine all ingredients inside a scooped-out watermelon. Add ice, stir and then pour into glass.
