Ghoulish garnishes at the ready – these are the best drinks to mix up on October 31.
Spooky szn is upon us. Whether you’re hosting an all-out Halloween party on October 31 or planning to spend the night on the couch – perhaps with a horror movie marathon for the occasion – we think an on-theme cocktail is an excellent idea.
Regardless of how you’re spending the scariest night of the year, consider playing bartender with one of these themed cocktails. It might be their colour or name that fits, or they might be prime contenders for scary garnishes. Whatever the case, these Halloween cocktails are all downright delicious.
1. Diablo Rojo
Made for Halloween, the Diablo Rojo, or Red Devil, is a tasty riff on the Bloody Mary, but with a few tweaks. For starters, instead of tomato juice, it uses bullhorn pepper puree (but this is super easy to make, and you can sub in red capsicum if you can’t find the right peppers). Also made with mezcal, agave syrup, lemon juice, Tabasco, smoked paprika and coriander, this is a scarily good balance of smoky, spicy and sweet. You can choose to leave out the coriander and spice for a ‘treat’ rather than a ‘trick’, perhaps, but either way, it’s absolutely bang-on for your Halloween party.
2. Devil’s Horn
The secret to this devilish cocktail is a quality spiced rum with flavours of vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. If rum isn’t your jam, you can always replace it with gin or tequila, which will take it into Lucifer’s Margarita territory. We love swapping out muddled chilli for Tabasco, given most people have a bottle on the go, but it’s also easier to control the spice levels this way. Fresh lime juice, cranberry juice, sweet honey syrup and fresh raspberries all balance nicely with the rum and spice. Top it off with chilli devil horns as garnish and you’ve got one hell of a Halloween-ready beverage.
3. Negroni Sour
It’s true that the classic Negroni makes an excellent Halloween cocktail, with its deep red hue and bittersweet flavours. But we’re going for its perkier sibling, the Negroni Sour, which is frothy and a vibrant red. This cocktail takes the best bits of a Negroni – gin, sweet vermouth and Campari – and turns it into a Sour by adding fresh orange juice, which brings the sweetness, and egg white for that creamy texture. It’s an excellent choice for anyone still on the fence about bitter cocktails, and you can dress it up on October 31 with a dash or two of bitters on top for dramatic effect.
4. Bloody Mary
By far one of the best-known cocktails, and especially popular at brunches the world over, the Bloody Mary is a crowd favourite. The simple combo of tomato juice, Worcestershire Sauce, Tabasco Sauce and vodka just works – it’s balanced, it’s moreish and, in our opinion, it’s so much more than a drink to be enjoyed with a big, late breakfast. Consider serving Bloody Marys at your Halloween party and get creative with the garnishes. Pick up mini mozzarella balls and pitted black olives at your local deli, cut a hole in each ball, add a slice of olive, and you’ve got a spooky garnish that doubles as a snack.
5. Side Eye
Ever get the feeling someone is watching you? Us too, especially when this cocktail is on the menu. Named for its googly lychee eyes, the Side Eye is a fun mix of pineapple juice, passionfruit, vodka and orange curacao with a port float that gives the drink an enchanting marble effect. This cocktail is as delicious as it is spooky: we’re talking tropical, fruity and surprisingly refreshing. And in terms of fun garnishes, it doesn’t get much spookier than grabbing a couple of lychees stuffed with blackberries (or blueberries) and some mint sprigs to give this cocktail a ghoulish touch. Boo!
6. Lao Gan Martini
We always knew chilli oil was a versatile condiment, but in a cocktail? That’s hot. Introducing the Lao Gan Martini: a bold twist on the Classic Martini, infused with the spicy and umami-rich Lao Gan Ma chilli oil. This unexpected ingredient adds depth and complexity, and is balanced here with zesty yuzu liqueur, vodka and honey to smooth out any sharp edges. Perfect for adventurous drinkers and chilli lovers alike, we’ve replaced the traditional soft-serve with a zingy lemon sorbet. Top it with blobs of blood-red Lao Gan Ma, and you’ve got a bloody frightfully good cocktail to serve at your Halloween party.
7. Zombie
Why not get a little tropical at your Halloween house party? This OG tiki cocktail features a combo of light and dark rums mixed with lime juice, passionfruit syrup, falernum and bitters. It’s pretty punchy flavour-wise, so don’t be afraid to go full Frankenstein and experiment with your ratios until the taste is just right. The only thing more frightening than the name of this cocktail is the sheer amount of garnishes it can handle – you can top it with mint, pineapple, cherries, limes, a pineapple leaf and a cocktail umbrella. Or throw in whatever else you have on hand and see just how OTT you can go.
8. Death Flip
It might have a scary name, but it gets even more hair-raising when you read the ingredients, including Chartreuse, Jägermeister and egg. Sure, it’s not for the faint-hearted, but live large and prepare to blow the minds (and tastebuds) of your guests. Each ingredient brings its own magic: the Jägermeister adds an aniseed punch, while yellow Chartreuse infuses a herbal depth, and tequila brings its signature peppery notes. Then the vanilla-infused sugar syrup and grated nutmeg enhance the drink with sweetness and spice. That grated nutmeg doesn’t look very spooky (it’s giving Eggnog rather than a frightening Halloween concoction) so you might like to use a pumpkin-shaped stencil or add a few drops of red food dye for extra shock value.
9. Who Shot Tom Collins
Take a classic Tom Collins, add a dash of ‘blood’ and you’ve got a very on-theme cocktail. It could even be the drink of choice for your next murder mystery night. We can’t take credit for this modern interpretation of the original Tom Collins – it was actually the clever cookies at Aussie distillery Four Pillars Gin. The purple, blood-like colour that floats on top is their much-loved Bloody Shiraz Gin, which looks the part and also brings peppery spice, raspberry and a sweetness to the drink. The trick to nailing the float is slowly pouring it over the back of a teaspoon as the final touch before serving. We don’t know who shot Tom Collins, but we do know this drink is easy to make and chillingly delicious.
10. Corpse Reviver No.2
Ready to raise the dead? Here’s the cocktail to help you do it. The Corpse Reviver No.2 is a tasty sipper that’s balanced and refreshing. Made with London dry gin, white vermouth, triple sec and absinthe, it can be adjusted in multiple ways depending on what your tastebuds are craving. You can swap out the gin for vodka, try a hit of lime juice instead of lemon, or use different liqueurs like the Italian Cocchi Americano in place of triple sec. The name is spooky, sure, but if you want a cocktail that’s going to fit in among the spider webs hanging over the light shades and plastic skeleton in your front yard, we suggest dropping a fake plastic spider into your coupe glass.
11. Red Hook
The Red Hook may be a cross between the Manhattan and Brooklyn cocktails, and named after the Red Hook area of NYC, but we think it also makes a pretty scarily named choice for Halloween. Rye whiskey gives this cocktail a touch of spice, which is mellowed out by sweet vermouth and cherry liqueur. It’s a classic late-night pick, perhaps best enjoyed sipped in front of a scary movie at home with friends.
12. Rusty Nail
Rusty nails can be pretty scary – tetanus shots and all. But here, we have a much more enjoyable Rusty Nail, especially if you’re a fan of whisky and whisky liqueurs. In this simple two-ingredient cocktail, all you need to do is combine 45mL of Scotch with 15mL of whisky liqueur (we love Drambuie) in a tumbler with ice, and give it a good stir to combine and chill down. This cocktail delivers all the best notes from the Scotch whisky, with a hint of sweetness from the liqueur. This is a perfect cocktail for sipping and savouring, best enjoyed while watching the processions of trick-or-treaters pass by.