Are you hosting a Halloween party or fancy a fun night with housemates? Try out my concoctions for a spooky twist on some cocktail classics. Whether you like sugary, sweet or zesty cocktails, whip up one of these delicious drinks to add a signature twist to your October parties. No virgin sacrifices here! You can omit the alcohol from any recipe or try my suggested swaps to make a mocktail version.
Witches’ Brew Fruity Punch
What could be more appropriate for the spooky season than a witches’ brew? There is no need to slave over your cauldron; save that for your love potions. This one is a simple recipe to whip up, that tastes spicy and warming. You can make an entire punch bowl of this as a crowd-pleaser.
- 2 cups bourbon or whiskey
- 3 cups cranberry juice or cranberry pomegranate juice
- 3 cups grapefruit juice
- One bottle of sparkling wine (chilled) or you could use an alcohol-free brand if you are skipping the booze.
Optional: Find some fresh or frozen cranberries to garnish.
Fill the bottom of a punch bowl with crushed ice, add all the ingredients together and stir. Then add your cranberries (if using).
Are you not drinking? Omit or sub out the bourbon for some ginger ale and the wine can be swapped for lemonade or an alcohol-free brand.
Candy-Corn Vodka
Calling this a cocktail may be a stretch, but this is a fun concoction inspired by skittle vodka. This glowing orange mix is a fun way to add a seasonal twist and make the vodka go down easier.
- 1/2 cup candy corn
- 1.5 cups vodka.
This one needs some advanced prep. A couple of days before your party, grab a mason jar. Fill with ½ cup of candy corn (or any other Halloween candy), then add the 1.5 cups of vodka. Seal well and leave in a cool, dark place to infuse for 48 hours. Serve in a shot glass, or add to your mixer of choice.
Virgin version? Just eat the candy instead!
Dark-Soul Smash
Thanks to the berries, this cocktail is a deliciously dark colour; think like a gin bramble with a deep purple hue, perfect for channelling your inner vamp.
- Frozen blackberries or dark fruit mix
- Half a lemon squeezed
- 1-2 tbsp syrup/honey
- 1 cup cranberry juice
- 1- 1.5 shot gin.
Add the frozen fruit to a glass, add lemon juice and crush. In a separate container, combine gin and cranberry juice, cover and shake well. Next add the honey to the cranberry/gin and shake well once more. Pour the gin/cranberry/honey over the smashed fruit.
For a mocktail, omit the gin and add some sparkling lemonade for a yummy zingy drink.
Halloween Shirley Tremble
This is my take on the classic mocktail. Made with the same ingredients but adding some white lychees for squidgy “eyeballs,” the grenadine gives this drink an alarming red hue. You could even serve in a syringe for an extra spooky twist.
- Grenadine 1/4 cup
- Crushed ice 1/4 cup
- 1-1.5 cups 7-up/sprite/any lemon-lime soda
- 2-3 lychees (peeled)
- Plastic syringes.
Add grenadine, pour in soda and stir/mix to taste. Pour over crushed ice to serve. Peel the lychees and drop in your floating “eyeballs.”
Or: Add the ice/soda to a glass, put the grenadine in a syringe and let your guests squirt out for a creepy effect.
Green Martian
This one has a remarkable glow, but it’s just a twist on a martini made with melon liqueur and a dash of lime for the gruesome hue!
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 1/4 cup melon liqueur
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 1 cup lemon-lime soda
Mix all the ingredients, and stir. Add ice if desired, and garnish with a twist of lime.
Sub out the melon liqueur for some lime cordial and omit the vodka for a mocktail.
Have fun trying out one of these recipes, or test yourself to come up with a spooky twist on a cocktail classic! Always remember to consume responsibly.