Break out the spirits. Get ready to scare up big crowds. With these 18 Halloween cocktails, you’ll be the most talked-about local haunt. Prep your drink menu now so you can carve out some of the $9.1 billion that Americans are predicted to spend on Halloween this year.
Pick Your Poison: The 18 Halloween Cocktails
Have fun, get creative, and involve your bartending staff in creating their own Halloween cocktails. Even cleverly morbid monikers can turn classic fall drinks into frighteningly popular Halloween-themed drinks: Think “Dawn of the Dead Tequila Sunrise” or “Spiked Spider Cider” (hand out a kitschy throwback spider ring with every order). Here are 18 twisted yet delicious Halloween cocktails to get you inspired…
- The Grave Digger: Whiskey mixed with the crisp bite of apple and ginger just screams autumn. So, whether your patrons are spending Halloween chilling in an orchard or haunting the local graveyard, you’ll have refreshing Halloween cocktails to offer at the end of their day.
- Sweet Poison Cocktail: Some Halloween cocktails look more like glowing potions than fruity beverages. Put patrons under your spell with this sweet poison. Blue Curacao layered with chilled pineapple juice lends intoxicating colors to these Halloween cocktails.
- Dark and Stormy: This classic mixed drink is one of the most popular Halloween cocktails because of its perfect name. Just combine ginger beer with Gosling’s Black Seal rum and lime juice for a crowd-pleasing drink…ideal for those dark and stormy autumn nights.
- The Blackbeard: Yo ho ho and a glass of spiced rum! As one of the sweeter Halloween cocktails, this libation sets the perfect morbid tone with a color as dark as its namesake’s beard. The chocolate stout gives the cocktail a frothiness that rivals the sea and a touch of squid ink adds black magic (literally). Pour into a martini glass, and you have a beer cocktail that would make Blackbeard proud.
BONUS TRICK: Beer cocktails are a fresh way to tap into the craft brew trend – try one of these 17 recipes. - Black Licorice Delight: While the Pernod and blackcurrant cordial blend to create that classic black licorice flavor, it’s really the black ice cubes and sugar that give this drink its spooky edge. Just a couple drops of food coloring in the garnish turns this delicious cocktail into one of your most haunting Halloween cocktails.
- The Poisoned Apple: Featuring a combination of tequila, apples, and pomegranate, this fairytale-inspired concoction will have guests seeing red – and ordering extra rounds – all evening.
BONUS TRICK: To add a spooky ambience to match your Halloween cocktails, purchase dry ice and set it out behind the bar where guests aren’t tempted to touch it. Throughout the night, the creepy mist will rise. (We don’t recommend using dry ice in your drinks, you could give guests frostbite.) - Zombie Cocktail: If you need Halloween cocktails strong enough to wake the dead, the Bacardi 151 rum floater in this fruity beverage will do the trick. With a mix of rum, apricot liqueur, and orange juice, this juicy beverage makes zombie living oh-so-good.
- Butterbeer: Alohomora! We unlocked the elusive recipe for butterbeer. Muggles can now quench their thirst with this Hogsmeade favorite. A mix of ginger beer, cream soda, and butterscotch ice cream, this is one of the best Halloween cocktails that doubles as a dessert drink – perfect for Harry Potter fans. You don’t need a Hogwarts letter to enjoy this delicious wizard’s brew.
- Black Sangria: For a spooky take on this wine lover’s favorite, use dark fruits and wine to create a devilish sangria. Soak blackberries, plums, and grapes in a dark red wine and brandy mixture for several hours to craft easy Halloween cocktails that you can serve by the pitcher. Ghosts and goblins will gather round for this fruity sangria treat.
- The Raven: Get creative with your Halloween cocktails and give patrons a taste of spooky literature. The classic mojito gets a dark twist inspired by Poe, a wordsmith known for haunting tales. Blackberries and cranberry juice bring fall flavors to the traditionally summery mojito. With a crisp cocktail this refreshing, guests will be thirsty nevermore.
- The Witch’s Heart: For spellbinding Halloween cocktails, look no further than this potion-inspired drink. Equal parts delicious and mesmerizing, the trick to this treat is glittering vodka that you can either purchase or make in-house.
- Beetlejuice: Head to the Netherworld with fruity Halloween cocktails. Colorful ingredients like Midori, Blue Curacao and cranberry juice mixed with vodka give this delicious drink an eerie green color, while Chambord and sour mix sweeten it up. Add a black and white striped straw for the full Sandworm effect – just don’t say the name three times!
- Black Magic Jello Shots: You don’t need to be a witch doctor to whip up Halloween cocktails and these fun jello shots. Made by layering blueberry and grape jello, then topping with black sugar, this spooky shot will get everyone in a ghoulish mood.
- The Devil’s Margarita: To get guests inspired to dance like the devil, mix up a big batch of this devilish margarita. Equal parts sweet and tart, tequila and red wine layer together for a truly tempting margarita.
BONUS TRICK: Having Halloween cocktails prepared in large quantities will help your bartenders keep their cool – and serve thirsty patrons faster – on those busy Halloween nights. - Smoking Blackberry Sage Margarita: For high-end Halloween cocktails with fresh ingredients, this unique margarita is just what you need. Blackberries and sage elevate, err, levitate the basic margarita. You can add a burning dried sage leaf to really set the night on fire. It puts a new spin on the idea of getting lit on Halloween.
- Barm Brack: This creamy drink is a twist on a traditional Irish Halloween bread by the same name. Objects like a coin, ring or pea were baked into the sweet loaf, as a prediction for your future if you were lucky enough to find something in your slice. (Please don’t put those items in these drinks as they are choking hazards.) This fortune-telling bread drink is sweet and strange, making it one of the more bewitching Halloween cocktails on our list.
- Blood Peach Bellini: Even vampires will brave the sunlight for creative Halloween cocktails like this. Although blood peaches are a summer fruit, this fall drink combines white peach puree, grenadine, and Campari for a similar flavor. Perfect for a spooky brunch, you can help your guests get into the Halloween spirit well before nightfall.
- Candy Corn Cocktail: No list of Halloween cocktails would be complete without a candy corn cocktail. This one is super simple to make using 3 ingredients (candy corns, vodka, and pineapple juice). The secret? DIY candy corn infused vodka.
Halloween is the perfect time to get theatrical. The devil is in the details as you prepare these Halloween cocktails, so focus on color, texture, and ghoulish garnishes. We hope your Halloween cocktails will have patrons howling at the moon and asking your bartenders for another round. Now, pick your poison – prepare those Halloween cocktails – and prepare for scary good sales!
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