Halloween might technically be for the kids, but let’s be honest—it’s also prime time for the grown-ups to stir up something a little spirited. While the little monsters are out collecting candy, imagine the adults doing their own trick-or-treating… from porch to porch… cocktail in hand. Maybe you are known for an annual Halloween bash where you unveil your latest spooky drink creation. Or maybe you’re just hanging out with a few friends waiting for the doorbell to ring. Either way, we’ve brewed up a lineup of cocktails that are frighteningly good. Cheers to boos and booze!
Crown Royal Chocolate Vampire’s Delight
Ingredients
1.5 oz Crown Chocolate Flavored Whisky
1.5 oz Tart Cherry Juice
0.5 oz Lemon Juice
0.25 oz Simple Syrup
Optional: 2 dashes cocktail foamer
Glassware: Coupe
Directions: Add all ingredients to an ice-filled shaker. Shake until chilled. Strain into coupe glass. Garnish with espresso beans and shaved chocolate.
Buchanan’s Berry Bewitched
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Buchanan’s Deluxe
4-5 Blackberries, muddled
.75 Honey Syrup (2 parts honey, 1 part water)
.5 oz Chambord
.75 oz Lemon Juice
Glassware: Rocks Glass
Garnish: Minto Bouquet + Lemon
Directions: Lightly muddle 4-5 blackberries in a cocktail shaker. Add remaining ingredients and shake over ice. Double strain so seeds of the blackberries don’t leak through. Pour over crushed ice in a rocks glass. Garnish cocktail with mint bouquet and lemon zest.
Hennessy Sunset Punch (serves 8)
11 oz Hennessy Very Special
17 oz Of Water
5 oz Gin
2 oz Of Grand Marnier™
2 cups Of simple syrup or 3 cups of sugar
9 oz Of lemon juice
4 oz Of Hibiscus Grenadine
1 Grapefruit cut into ½ wheels
1 Oranges sliced into wheels
2 Lemons Cut into Wheels
2 Limes Cut into Wheels
20 Dashes Orange bitters or other citrus bitters
Method: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Stir to dissolve sugar as much as possible. Add a large block of ice to chill punch before serving.
Solsticio
INGREDIENTS:
1 oz Mezcal Unión Uno
1 oz Feijoa Extract
0.25 oz Lime Juice
0.5 oz Simple Syrup
2 oz Butterfly Pea Tea
2 dashes Orange Bitters
GARNISH:
Orange wedge
GLASSWARE:
Rocks Glass
DIRECTIONS: Mix ingredients together and pour over ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with an orange wedge.
Ghost Roast
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Bib & Tucker Gold Roast Bourbon
0.5 shot Espresso or Cold Brew
0.25 oz Simple Syrup
0.75 oz Madeira Wine
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Garnish: Lemon peel
Instructions:
Add all ingredients into a shaker tin half full of ice. Shake well and strain into glass. Garnish with lemon peel.
Midnight Martini
Ingredients
2 oz Baileys Chocolate Liqueur
1 oz Ketel One Vodka
0.5 oz Simple Syrup
⅛ tsp Activated Charcoal Powder
1 Melted Marshmallow
Method
In a cocktail shaker, shake Baileys Chocolate Liqueur, vodka, simple syrup and activated charcoal powder with ice.
Fine strain into a martini glass.
Garnish with melted marshmallow.
Hellish Spirit
Ingredients
2 oz Maestro Dobel Diamante
.75 oz Lemon Juice
.5 oz Simple Syrup
.25 oz Grenadine Syrup
Method
Fill a double old-fashioned glass with ice and pour drink over it
Top cocktail off with soda water and garnish with two chili peppers
Bloody Black Bush
Ingredients
50ml Bushmills Black Bush
50ml orange juice
50ml red vermouth
35ml berry syrup
1 handful of blackberries
1 orange wedge
Method
Pour all ingredients into an iced rocks glass and stir
Garnish with an orange wedge and berries
Spellbound Smash
INGREDIENTS
2 parts Basil Hayden® Bourbon
¾ part Demerara Syrup*
2 dashes Angostura® Bitters
2 dashes Orange Bitters
Half of a Lemon
5 Fresh Blackberries
3 Sage Leaves (2 for garnish)
1 sprig of Thyme (for garnish)
METHOD
1. Place half of a lemon and the blackberries into a cocktail shaker and lightly press with the back of a bar spoon
2. Add remaining ingredients, including one sage leaf, to cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously.
3. Strain into a rocks glass over ice.
4. Garnish with remaining two sage leaves and a sprig of thyme.
*Demerara Syrup can be purchased, or homemade by combining a 1:1 ratio of Demerara sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
