Autumn is my favorite time of year. The leaves make everything colorfully festive and the air is cool and crisp. As I walk through my neighborhood, each porch and lawn is adorned with carved pumpkins and Halloween décor. It's the best time of year to throw a themed Halloween party, and you'll need some Halloween drinks to go along with all your great party food. Instead of making classic cocktails, check out some of these the "potions" and brews to amp up your Halloween bash. Here are 15 spooky Halloween cocktail recipes you can serve up at your own affair, or sip as the kiddos come to your door to trick or treat.
1. Bloody Vampire Slayer
The Bloody Mary is a classic brunch cocktail and a perfect transition into Halloween cocktails. This recipe with ginger vodka, sherry, and tomato juice (along with a handful of other ingredients) will have you chanting "I vant to suck your blood" in your best Dracula voice.
This makes a great big batch recipe. If you want to make the Instagram and Pinterest worthy black vodka, take one bottle of vodka and add 10 drops of blue food coloring, 10 drops of red food coloring, and 8 drops of green food coloring.
2. Glow in the Dark Infected Brain Cocktail
Were there ever better party ideas than a glow in the dark drinks? This science experiment meets Halloween treat is a perfect themed cocktail. Get ready to eat some brains with this recipe of tonic water, Mountain Dew, and lemon vodka (topped with brain ice cubes, of course).
Add a splash of fresh lime juice for a tart taste, and get ready to see the look on your Halloween guests' faces when you serve them these spooky cocktails.
3. The Blackbeard
There's one sure way to freak out your guests, serve them a drink as dark as night! This recipe for a fully spiced dark rum cocktail is died black with squid ink and combines spiced rum with Fernet Branca, creme de cacao, and chocolate stout for a drink as deep and dark as it looks.
If you don't have squid ink (who does?), you can use the same combination of food coloring as stated above, making this one of those fun DIY projects with an even better outcome.
4. Floating Eyeball Jell-O Shots
Remember freaking out as a kid when you put your hand into a bowl of peeled grapes and thought they were eyeballs? Well, this recipe takes that kind of Halloween trick to the next level!
Combine ginger ale, grape juice, gelatin, and a glug of your favorite alcohol with gummy eyeballs and get ready to hear some screams! You can even swap in ginger beer instead of ginger ale for a boozier twist, or apple cider for a foggy view of the eyeballs inside.
5. Creepy Eyeball Martini
While we're on eyeballs and how creepy they can be, check out this recipe for the creepiest martini I've ever seen. I can't wait to serve my guest these martinis with vodka, lychee syrup, and blood orange liqueur (not to mention those killer lychee and blueberry eyeballs to top it off).
6. Gremlin Drops
Any drink served in a beaker (or a test tube) is sure to set the mood. Your guests won't know what to expect when you hand them this drink (although the recipe is as simple as combining blue vodka with lemonade).
7. Corpse Reviver No. 2
This recipe actually is a classic, going back to pre-Prohibition days. Combine a splash of absinthe with gin, Lillet Blanc, and Cointreau. It not only sounds Halloween-esque, but it looks the part, too!
8. El Diablo
Real Simple
The most devilish part of this recipe is how easy it goes down! Combine tequila with creme de casis, lime juice, and ginger beer, and you'll have margarita-drinkers lining up for another one.
9. The Witch's Heart
The Huntsman may have sought after the witch's heart, but we wonder if he would have stopped short when he saw how beautiful it was!
This stunning cocktail recipe features homemade shimmering liqueur, grenadine, and apple brandy (finished with powdered dry ice for effect).
10. Embalming Fluid
No, not real embalming fluid of course! This recipe uses green food coloring to make it look like the real stuff, but it's really just a tasty combination of mandarin vodka, sour apple mix, lime juice, and ginger ale.
11. Purple People Eater
It was a one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people eater... or it was a tasty cocktail! This recipe for a creepy Halloween cocktail gets is color from blue curaçao, grenadine, and cranberry juice (with a splash of vodka to make it extra boozy).
12. Skeleton Key
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This cocktail looks bloody but tastes delicious. A float of Angostura bitters on top of bourbon, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, and ginger beer gives this recipe its cool look.
13. Beetlejuice Cocktail
We all know what happens if you say his name three times... so try not to say Beetlejuice too many times when you're serving up this boozy treat!
This recipe features vodka, melon and raspberry liqueurs, and blue curaçao to make a frightfully fruity treat!
14. Witches Brew
This alcohol-free cocktail is perfect for kids and adults alike. The recipe uses lime sherbet, limeade, and Sprite to make a freaky, frothy treat that looks like the brew in a witches cauldron.
15. Hocus Pocus Halloween Cocktail
A black sugar rim goes a long way in showcasing Halloween's favored orange and black colors. The recipe is made with Paradise Blend juice, coconut rum, and club soda, so it tastes as delicious as it looks!
I can't decide which one is my favorite, so I might just have to throw a couple of parties and make them all! What's your favorite creepy Halloween cocktail?
