Halloween Cocktail Tricks & Treats You Should Know
By Laura Fagan Originally published September 2020, Updated October 2022
The scariest part of Halloween isn't the black cats, bats and boos. It's uninspired cocktails!
Whether you're throwing an epic Halloween bash this year or celebrating with just a few frightened friends, there's no better way to get into the spooky spirit than with some creepy cocktails.
This All Hallows’ Eve, cast a spell over your cauldron and brew up some devilishly delicious drinks for all your thirsty ghost, ghoul and goblin friends! We've got you covered with gruesome garnishes, and sinister serving tips. Treat yourself and your boo crew to some spooky good drinks this Halloween with our wicked tricks and themed treats:
Terrifying Trimmings
Trick: Garnish your favorite cocktail with some super easy-to-make lychee “eyeballs.” Add a blueberry to the center of a lychee to create a spooky iris. Duplicate this and run a toothpick through both for a set. Pour grenadine over the top of them to create an even creepier effect.
Treat: An affordable and delicious fruit, these lychee eyeballs are perfect to plop into your libations. They are sure to freak out your guests when found swimming in a martini glass or impaled on a toothpick.
Jack O’Punch Bowl
Trick: Save one of your pumpkin patch pickups for a do-it-yourself punch bowl. Hollow out a pumpkin for a natural, autumn-themed punch bowl that’s perfect for those pumpkin margaritas or other batch cocktails.
Treat: Not only does a carved-out pumpkin add a fun twist to your regular punch bowl, but it makes clean-up a breeze—no need to do the dishes for this biodegradable bowl. Best of all, the scooped out filling can be used to make a ton of tasty fall treats, such as RumChata pumpkin pie and spiked pumpkin bread pudding.
Brewed with Brains
Trick: Use Irish cream liqueur to craft a cocktail that will have your guests enjoying brains along with their brew. Simply layer the chilled liqueur on top of an ounce of schnapps to create a sinister and brainy shooter.
Treat: All your guests will be gathering around to try this ghoulish delight.
Glowing Gin & Tonic
Trick: Use a blacklight to create a glowing effect with tonic water. Under an ultraviolet “blacklight,” the quinine in tonic water turns the liquid a bright and brilliant blue. Simply position the blacklight to shine upon your mixing station to create an eerie illumination.
Treat: Who doesn’t love a classic G&T? Make this easy, crowd favorite instantly spooky with this simple fluorescent trick!
The Hand of Fate
Trick: Add do-it-yourself frozen hands to your punch bowl for an icy effect like no other. Fill clear gloves with water and freeze overnight or until solid. Remove the plastic glove from the ice and you have a haunting frozen hand to float in your punch.
Treat: Why settle for regular ice when you can keep your punch cool with the hands of the undead? No need to ask a palm reader to confirm - maintaining a brew’s optimum temperature has never looked so ghastly.
Check out some of our favorite batch cocktails to fill your punch bowls here or try floating a freaky, frozen hand in our frightfully fun Red-Rum Punch:
What You’ll Need:
-
9 ounces Palms Strawberry Rum
-
3 limes, freshly juiced
-
3 ounces simple syrup
-
4 cups ginger ale
-
8 strawberries, sliced
How To Brew:
Combine rum, lime juice, simple syrup, ginger ale and strawberry slices in a punch bowl and stir gently. Serve in glasses over fresh ice.
Macabre Medicine
Trick: Put a bloody-looking spin on a classic cocktail by adding grenadine syrup to a syringe for a spine-chilling dirty Shirley temple.
Treat: Taking your medicine has never been this fun - or delicious! These cocktails are just what the witch doctor ordered.
Enchanted Elixirs
Trick: For a simple, yet instantly effective party trick, switch out the regular ice in your cocktails for dry ice to create sinister, smoldering cocktails.
Treat: This easy and completely safe trick turns any cocktail into a magical brew that’s sure to put a spell on your guests.
Shop all your Halloween cocktail needs at abcfws.com.