When the end of October nears, boys and ghouls across the land transform into witches, Harley Quinns, Harry Potters, and (this year) waffle-loving Elevens. But, if you’re all dressed up in this year’s most popular costume, you’d better not just be sitting around your apartment watching the second season of Stranger Things all night. Find a party, or better yet, throw a party to celebrate this spooky, zombie-filled, chocolate and peanut butter-drenched holiday.
If you’re hosting, you can go the easy route and put out a cooler of light beer and wine chillers. Or, you can be the king of Halloween by making one of these delicious, creepy cocktails created by some of the best bartenders in America.
It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
From Quarter + Glory in Washington, DC
Ingredients:
- 1.5 Old Overholt Rye Whiskey
- .5 Allspice
- .5 Demerara syrup
- .5 Lairds Bonded Apple Brandy
- .5 Fresh Lemon Juice
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients into a mixing tin.
- Add ice.
- Shake vigorously and double strain into a chilled ice full pint glass.
- Top off with Schlafly pumpkin ale and grated nutmeg.
Michael’s Here…Somewhere
From Lead Bartender Sarah Mengoni at Double Take in LA
Ingredients:
- 1.25 oz beefeater gin
- .25 oz Yellow Chartreuse
- 1 oz apple lavender syrup
- .75 lime juice
Directions:
- Shake & strain ingredients into chilled coupe.
- Garnish with a carved apple face (using pits to look like eyes).
Candy Corn Martini
From the Parlour Bar in Las Vegas
Ingredients:
- Candy Corn Vodka –
- 1 bottle of vodka
- 1 cup candy corn
- Cocktail –
- 4 oz. infused vodka
- 1.5 oz. orange liqueur
- 1⁄2 freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions:
- Put the vodka in an airtight container or bottle and add candy corn.
- Let this sit to infuse for 2-3 hours.
- In a cocktail shaker fill with ice and combine with infused vodka, orange liqueur and lemon juice.
- Shake and strain into a martini glass.
- Garnish with candy corn piece.
Smoky Ghost Margarita
From RJ Mexican Cuisine in Dallas
Ingredients:
- 1 oz. top shelf tequila
- 1 oz. blood orange
- 3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar
- 1/4 oz. cherry juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt and chili powder to rim glass
- 1 lime wedge
- Few cubes of dry ice
Directions:
- Use fresh lime slice to wet the margarita glass.
- Dip the rim into the salt and chili mix to get a nice coating.
- Fill a shaker with ice, add tequila, blood orange, lime juice, agave nectar and cherry juice, shake until well mixed and chilled. Add dry ice to margarita glass.
- Fill the glass with ice and now pour your mix all the way to the top of the margarita glass rim.
24 Carat Magic
From bar director Caitlyn Jackson at Geraldine’s in Austin
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Tito’s vodka1 oz Fresh carrot juice
- .5 oz Tamarind syrup
- .25 oz Canton Ginger liqueur
- .25 oz lemon juice
Directions:
- Shake all ingredients and pour into rocks glass.
- Garnish with house pickled assorted baby carrots & pickled pearl onion.
Pumpkin Gin Sour
From Trey Azar, Seersucker Gin founder and master distiller
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Seersucker Southern Style Gin
- 0.75 oz. lemon juice
- 0.5 oz. pumpkin butter
- 1 egg white
- Dash of cinnamon
- Fresh thyme, to garnish
Directions:
- Combine Seersucker Southern Style Gin, lemon juice, pumpkin butter and egg white in shaker.
- Shake, add ice and shake once more.
- Strain into a coupe glass.
- Add a dash of cinnamon and sprig of thyme to garnish.
Skullywag
From bartender Jess Keene at Sable Kitchen & Bar in Chicago
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon
- 1 oz Rhum Clement Blue
- 0.25 oz Tempus Fugit Crème de Cacao
- 0.25 oz cinnamon syrup
- 0.75 oz fresh lime juice
- 3 dashes Fee Brothers Old Fashioned bitters
Directions:
- Shake all ingredients.
- Serve in a skull glass over crushed ice.
Tales from the Thai-Light Zone
From bartender Benjamin Harris at Pennyroyal in Seattle
Ingredients:
- 0.2 oz Belvedere
- 3 oz Thai Tea, chilled
- 0.75 oz spiced vanilla syrup
- 1.5 oz Half and Half
For Thai tea:
- Steep three bags whole leaf Thai tea in 8 oz. hot water for 15 min. Chill.
Directions:
- Build in Collins glass, garnish with flamed star anise.
Georgie
From bartender John Walter at Outlier in Seattle
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Pineapple Rum
- 1 oz orange juice
- 1 oz pineapple juice
- 0.5 oz Blackstrap Rum, float
Directions:
- Combine ingredients and pour over crushed ice.
- Add Blackstrap Rum float and garnish with shaved nutmeg.
Green Goblin
From food and beverage director Tim Rivers at The SIX15 Room in Minneapolis
Ingredients:
- 1.5oz Plymouth Gin
- 1 oz Green Chartreuse
- 0.5 oz fresh lime juice
Directions:
- Top with house-made cucumber-limeade syrup.
- Combine ingredients in a rocks glass over ice.
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice
From bartender Bryan Gall at Bacchus Bar in Portland
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Calvados Apple Brandy
- 1 oz apple cider
- 0.5 oz rosemary simple syrup
- 0.5 lemon juice
- 5-7 basil leaves
Directions:
- Combine first five ingredients and shake with ice.
- Strain into martini glass and garnish with fresh basil.