5 Horrifically Tasty Halloween Drinks

Isn’t it awesome that Halloween is on a Friday this year? Much easier for scary soirées. But while you want your Halloween party to be spooky and eerie, it certainly isn’t going to be a memorable affair if your drinks are scary because of their bone-curdling taste. Go for one of the below (the first four are from my book Good Spirits), which have the requisite ominous names, but still taste like a treat.

1. Captain’s Blood
Argh, shiver me timbers, it’s a yo-ho-ho Halloween. If your costume involves eye-patches, peg-legs, cutlasses and black hats (or any sort-of blood), the Captain’s Blood should be flowing across the ominous party mizzenmast.

Ice cubes

2-1/2 ounces dark rum

1/2 ounce fresh lime juice

2 dashes orange bitters

Lime slice, for garnish 

1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the rum, lime juice, and bitters. Shake it up.

2. Strain the blood into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime slice.

2. Obituary Cocktail
This deadly delicious mix was created at the beginning of the twentieth century at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop in New Orleans, whose aged bricks and Cyprus beams have stood since 1772, and where a saloon has stood since the early 1800s.

Cracked ice

2 ounces gin (Voyager is nice here)

1/2 ounce dry vermouth

1/2 ounce absinthe (Pacifique keeps it in the family)

1. Fill a cocktail shaker or mixing glass halfway full with cracked ice. Add all of the ingredients. Stir until you see the ghost of Jean Lafitte (or until the drink is well-chilled).

2. Strain into a large cocktail glass.

A Quote: “L’amore fa passare ill tempo; ill tempo fa passare l’amore (Love makes time fly; time makes love fly)”–Inscription scrawled on the wall by Portuguese sailors at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop.

3. Sleepy Hollow
One of my all-time favorite Halloween drinks, this is a delicious mixture or citrus and herbs and gin and a hint of sweetness. It’s so good, you may just lose your head over it.

Ice cubes

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 ounce Simple Syrup

2-1/2 ounces gin (Bluewater’s gin will help keep you awake)

1/2 ounce apricot liqueur

1. Add the mint, lemon juice, and simple syrup the syrup to a mixing glass or cocktail shaker. Using a muddler or hefty wooden spoon, muddle well.

2. Fill the cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the gin and apricot liqueur. Shake as if you heard the horseman’s hoofbeats coming.

3. Strain into a large cocktail glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint and a swizzle stick topped with a plastic head.

4. Serpent’s Tooth
Ssssss. You don’t have to dress in a big snake costume (or as one giant fang – okay, that would be really cool) to serve this. You will, however, need to use kümmel, a caraway and other spices liqueur that’s darn tasty.

Cracked ice

1-1/2 ounces Irish whiskey

1 ounce sweet vermouth

1/2 ounce kümmel

1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice

Angostura bitters

1. Fill a mixing glass or cocktail shaker half way with cracked ice. Add the whiskey, vermouth, Kummel, juice, and three dashes bitters. Stir well.

2. Strain into a large jewel encrusted cocktail glass. Garnish with a fang, or nothing at all.

5. Witch of Aeyn
If you cackle when serving this, it is completely understandable. Putting cursing on people who don’t like your costume is not.

Ice cubes

1 ounce gin (Big Gin will put a spell on guests)

1/2 ounce Punt e’ Mes Sweet vermouth

1/4 ounce maraschino liqueur

1/2 ounce grenadine

4 ounces chilled sparkling wine

Orange slice, for garnish

1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino, and grenadine. Shake well.

2. Strain into a flute. Top with the sparkling wine. Carefully stir. Garnish with the orange slice.