It's Halloween time again and while once we prepared to go out and trick or treat collecting candy and other treats ... as well as inflicting treats on those who dared to hand out carrots and apple slices, today we're adults. That means it's time to take our treats to the next level and enjoy some spooky Halloween cocktails. Here's our roundup of some of our favorite cocktails for your Halloween party this year!
Whether made from whiskey, vodka, tequila, or even beer cocktails - fall is a great time to enjoy a drink. So, grab your shaker and glass, let's get ready to whip up some spooky Halloween cocktails!
Whiskey Halloween Cocktails:
Traverse city apple sour:
In a mixing tin add:
1 egg white
¾ oz. Fresh lemon juice
¾ oz. Simple syrup
2 oz. Traverse city michigan apple
Dry shake to incorporate the egg white, approximately 10 seconds.
Add ice to tin and shake vigorously until fully chilled and diluted. Approximately 15 seconds.
Using a hawthorne and a fine mesh strainer, double strain the cocktail into a coupe glass.
Garnish with 3 apple slices on a skewer.
Pro tip: keep your apple slices from getting brown by storing them in a little bit of simple syrup and lemon juice. Use a mandolin for slicing, to get even pieces every time.
Bewitched, by Katelyn Munn (The Ainsworth, NYC)
Ingredients:
2 oz Slow & Low
1/8 oz Pumpkin infused Syrup*
½ oz Guinness infused Simple Syrup*
½ oz egg whites
¾ oz Lemon Juice
3 dashes Angostura Bitters
Cinnamon Shavings, garnish
Orange & White Micro Orchids, garnish
Directions
*Pumpkin-Infused Syrup
In a stockpot, add ½ can of pureed pumpkin with 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar. Heat to a low boil, stirring to dissolve. Reduce liquid by half. Fine-strain the full batch using a linen cloth or layered cheesecloth. Let cool.
*Guinness-Infused Simple Syrup
¾ cup Sugar
1 cup Guinness or Dry Stout Beer
Combine both in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Let cool.
For the at home bartender, I would recommend keeping it simple by using just simple syrup and maybe .5 of a dry stout.
Add all ingredients in a shaker without ice. Dry shake then add ice and shake again. Strain into a coupe and garnish with cinnamon shavings and orange/white micro orchids or a seasonal mini flower.
A PROPER COFFEE
Created by Sonny Verdini, Bar Manager, TRADE (Boston, MA)
Ingredients:
2 oz Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey
1.5oz Boston Harbor Coffee Liqueur
1oz Mandarine Napoleon
.5oz Benedictine
Instructions:
Shake/Strain into a Nick and Nora glass. Garnish with hand-whipped cream and coffee beans.
WOODFORD RESERVE APPLE CIDER
- 4 ounces hot fresh apple cider
- 2 ounces Woodford Reserve
- 1 ounce brown sugar syrup
For the syrup:
Combine equal parts water and brown sugar. Bring to a boil until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.
Rum Halloween Cocktails:
Vodka Halloween Cocktails:
Bittersweet Endings
Ingredients:
2 oz. Crystal Head Vodka
1 oz. Benedictine
Garnish: Lemon twist
Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice and stir gently.
Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
Beer Cocktails For Halloween:
Violet Chachki
Courtesy of Billy Killin, Bar Manager @ Viaggio Restaurant
Ingredients:
1 oz. Crystal Head Vodka
1 oz. Dry Vermouth
½ oz. Lemon
½ oz. Simple Syrup
Method:
Infuse the first three ingredients with a bag of butterfly pea flower tea (turns the drink bright purple and adds tea flavor). Shake and pour on the rocks. Garnish with rainbow candy.
Smoke, Mirrors and Colors
Courtesy of Beautiful Booze
Ingredients:
1.5 ounces of Crystal Head Aurora
1 ounce of dry vermouth
½ ounce of mezcal
Method:
Add all ingredients to mixing glass; stir
Strain into a coupe glass
*This cocktail has dry ice: use with caution and do not ingest
Ofrenda Jalisco
Recipe:
- One (1) Can of Estrella Jalisco
- Splash of Mezcal
- Two (2) Orange Wedges (one for juice, one for garnish)
- Smoked Salt
- Mexican Hot Sauce from Jalisco (i.e. Tapitio)
Instructions:
Dip can in hot sauce and sprinkle smoked salt along rim. Open can, float Mezcal and squeeze in orange juice. Garnish with an orange wedge with a dab of hot sauce and smoked salt.
Blood Orange
Recipe:
- 1 oz Concentrated Blood Orange Juice
- ½ oz Lime
- ¼ tsp Coriander
- ¼ tsp Guajillo Chili
- ¼ tsp Salt
- Top with Estrella Jalisco
Instructions:
Salt the rim of the glass with coriander and salt. Combine ingredients. Serve over ice and garnish with dried blood orange.
Guava Michelada
Recipe:
- 1 oz Guava Puree (Sweetened)
- ½ oz Lime
- ½ tsp Chile Pasilla (Negro)
- ⅛ tsp (pinch) Allspice
- Top with Estrella Jalisco
Instructions:
Rim glass with chile salt, mix ingredients in a glass and garnish with lime wedge.
Mole Michelada
Recipe:
- ¼ oz Lemon Juice
- 1 Tsp Cocoa Powder
- ½ tsp Sugar
- ¼ tsp Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Chili de Arbol
- ¼ tsp Salt
- Top with Estrella Jalisco
Instructions:
Mix ingredients together and serve in skull mug with burning lime shell (1/2 lime shell, sugar cube, over-proofed rum – light on fire). Dash flame with cinnamon for sparks!
Pumpkin Spice Michelada
Recipe:
- ¾ oz Pumpkin Puree (Sweetened)
- ½ oz Lemon
- ¼ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp Chili de Arbol
- ¼ tsp salt
- Top with Estrella Jalisco
Instructions:
Mix ingredients together and serve in a tall glass. Garnish with marigold.
Tequila Halloween Cocktails:
Panadero Margarita
Ingredients:
2 oz Tanteo Chipotle Tequila
1 oz Fresh lemon juice
¾ oz Light agave Nectar
1 oz Pumpkin Puree
Directions:
Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a hollowed mini-pumpkin. Garnish with freshly ground nutmeg and cinnamon.
Black Cauldron
- 1 ½ parts Hornitos® Black Barrel® Tequila
- ¾ part fresh lemon juice
- ¼ part sage simple syrup
- 2 dashes Angostura® bitters
- 1 capsule activated charcoal*
- Lemon wedge
Preparation: Combine equal parts sugar and water with 3-5 sage sprigs and bring to a boil to create sage simple syrup. Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge.
Apple Barrel
- 2 parts Hornitos® Black Barrel® Tequila
- 1 part apple cider
- ¾ part fresh lime juice
- ½ part maple syrup
- 3 dashes Angostura® bitters
- Apple slice
Preparation: Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with an apple slice.
Bloody Hell Recipe:
2 oz. Tanteo Habanero Tequila
3 oz. Bloody Mary Mix
Hot Blooded Margarita Recipe:
2 oz. Tanteo Habanero Tequila
2 oz. Fresh Blood Orange Juice
1 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
¾ oz. Agave Nectar
Figgin Fire Margarita Recipe:
2 oz. Tanteo Chipotle Tequila
1 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
½ oz. Agave Nectar
1 Bar Spoon of Fig Preserve
Rim with Tanteo Jalapeño Salt
Tanteo Morgue-Rita Recipe:
2 oz. Tanteo Jalapeño Tequila
1 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
¾ oz. Agave Nectar
1 Tsp. Activated Charcoal Powder
Rim with Tanteo Jalapeño Salt
Peppered Pear Recipe:
1 ½ oz. Tanteo Jalapeño Tequila
2 ½ oz. Pear Purée
½ oz. Agave Nectar
½ oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Fresh Rosemary Stem For Garnish
Chipotle Apple Cider Margarita
Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Tanteo® Chipotle Tequila
4 oz. Hot Apple Cider
1 oz. Fresh Orange Juice
0.5 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
0.75 oz. Light Agave Nectar
Directions: Combine ingredients in a warmed Toddy Glass Stir to mix flavors. Top with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Blood Orange Margarita
2 oz. Corralejo Reposado Tequila
3 oz. Fresh Blood Orange Juice
¾ fresh Lime Juice
1 oz. Simple syrup
Method: Rub the rim of an old fashioned glass (or whatever similar vessel you prefer to drink out of) with an edge of a blood orange slice. Swirl the rim through a small pile of Koher or Sea Salt to the Rim. Combine a few cubes of ice into a salted glass. Strain the cocktail into the glass and enjoy.
NOTE: 1 basic simple syrup is a 1:1 ratio of sugar dissolved in water. Example—one cup of sugar dissolved into one cup water
