Halloween is nearly upon us. On this night when the veils between the worlds of the living and the dead grow thin, many people don costumes. Traditionally, these costumes were crafted to ward off evil spirits and to confuse the dead. Nowadays, they’ve become much less serious, and much more fun. Halloween parties nowadays are a thing to behold; you’ve got people decked out in fantastically ridiculous costumes listening to wonderfully absurd songs like ‘The Monster Mash’. But no Halloween party is complete without themed cocktails!
There’s no lack of ideas for themed Halloween cocktails; so we put together a list of our 5 favorites. These take the cake both for taste and for cleverness:
The Witch’s Heart
One of the most classic Halloween costumes is a broom-riding, long black-haired witch with a pointy hat. The lore around witches usually involves a cauldron and mysterious bubbling brew, and this recipe helps to bring that to life.
To make this, you’ll need:
- Apple brandy (1 or 1.5 oz)
- Grenadine (1 teaspoon)
- Shimmery Liqueur (you can learn to make it here) (1 or 1.5 oz)
- Some powered dry ice (optional, but preferred for those extra effects)
- Some witch-cackling skills (mandatory, of course)
For each glass, take one shot of the brandy and the shimmery liqueur and shake them up together. Pour these over the dry ice in a martini glass, and then pour about 1 teaspoon of the grenadine into the drink. If you do this right – and really harness the inner witch – it should create an eery effect. (via The Flavor Bender)
Candy Corn Jello Shots
Modernize the classic candy corn Halloween treat with these jello shots.
To make this, you’ll need:
- Orange-flavored Jello (1 box of mix)
- Unflavored gelatin (3 packets)
- Sweetened condensed milk (14 oz can)
- Vanilla vodka (1 cup)
- Yellow food coloring
This isn’t a simple ‘mix it all together and go’ sort of recipe. It requires you to carefully construct the layers, allow them to become firm, and then rejoin them back together. You can find the full instructions here. (Via A Beautiful Mess)
Vampire Kiss Cocktail
All you Edward Cullen lovers, this one’s for you.
To make this, you’ll need:
- Mango vodka (1.5 oz)
- Coconut rum (1.5 oz)
- Sweet and sour mix (0.75 oz, or about half a shot)
- A sprinkling of grenadine
Mix all the ingredients together, and serve over ice. It’s that easy! (Via DIY network)
Haunted Graveyard
As if graveyards weren’t creepy enough, let’s go one step further and make sure this one is a haunted one.
To make this, you’ll need:
- Bourbon (1.5 oz)
- Maple syrup (1 oz)
- An orange
- Bitters (1-2 dashes)
- Rosemary for garnishing (leaves and stems)
Peel the orange. For each cocktail, you’ll need just one slice. Separate the rosemary leaves from the stems. Shake everything, except for the rosemary stems, together with ice, and then strain into a glass. Garnish it with the rosemary stem to give it a more eerie, ‘haunted’ look. (Via Sprinkle and Sprouts)
Bloody Mummy
The bloody mary has enough folklore behind it already (have you ever felt comfortable looking into a mirror and saying ‘bloody mary’ three times??). But, we wanted to put yet another spin on it. This involves adding some string cheese to line the glass, giving it a ‘mummy’ appearance.
To make this, you’ll need mostly classic bloody mary ingredients:
- Vodka (5 oz.)
- Celery stalks
- Carrot sticks
- Tomato juice (2 cups)
- Wasabi paste for the brave (1 teaspoon)
- Soy sauce (2 teaspoons)
- Fresh lemon juice (3 tablespoons)
- String cheese
Combine all the liquids and stir them together. Make sure they’re properly mixed. Tear the string cheese into thin pieces, and then line the glass with them to make it look like the glass has a mummy wrapping. Don’t worry about making it too perfect; some are bound to fall off. Add the mixture slowly, and voila. (Via Set the Table)
