Whip up one or two of these ghoulish Halloween cocktails this October. We've rounded up the best Halloween cocktails and drinks to try, including our popular Vampire's blood pomegranate punch.
If you're throwing a Halloween party this year and looking for something other than Halloween food ideas, how about trying one of these spooktacular cocktails? From boozy ghostly Halloween gin to witches brew punch made with apple juice and ginger ale, we've got something for all.
Most of these Halloween cocktails are easy to recreate at home using hardly any ingredients or specialist equipment either. It would however be handy to have a cocktail shaker so you can achieve a professional finish on each cocktail. All of these cocktail recipes include suggestions on how to serve the drink, in a glass tumbler or Martini glass for example.
"Halloween is very possibly the most fun time of year for a party – I'm going to stick my neck out and say it's actually more fun than Christmas because you can be rather more bonkers with the food and drink you serve," says Food writer, Lara Kilner. "It's a chance to bring out your inner child – and not the time to attempt to be sophisticated, that's for sure. Of course, any decent party needs a fine selection of cocktails to be served, which is another way you can experiment wildly – go bright green, go orange, go bloody, and most of all have fun!"
Best Halloween cocktails
1. Blood-curdling Halloween Martini
Serves: 1| Skill level: Med | Total time: 20 mins
The perfect drink to bring to the dinner table at Halloween. This blood-curdling Halloween Martini is made with Hernö Old Tom Gin and homemade ginger syrup for a sticky sweet taste. The blood-red colour of this cocktail is made using a natural food colouring - beetroot. A warming Halloween cocktail.
Get the recipe: Blood-curdling Halloween Martini
2. Pumpkin spiced Espresso Martini
Serves: 1 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 5 mins
Leftover pumpkin can be put to good use in this autumnal recipe as it uses pumpkin puree to create not just the orange colour, but the delicious sweet, earthy taste too. This cocktail uses a particular coffee liqueur, Conker Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur, however other coffee liqueurs should work also. The pumpkin spice makes this cocktail even more inviting.
Get the recipe: Pumpkin spiced Espresso Martini
3. Blood bath cocktail
Serves: 1 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 5 mins
A fruity vodka-based cocktail that gets its gruesome blood-red colour from the pomegranate juice and raspberry syrup. It takes just four ingredients to make this impressive drink.
"This is about as guilt-free as you can get for a cocktail – the vodka is mixed with pomegranate juice, which is basically a super food, as well as lemon juice and raspberry syrup, to make it look delightfully like blood. Channel your inner vampire, while also avoiding (hopefully) a fuzzy head the next morning," says Lara.
Get the recipe: Blood bath cocktail
4. Vampire's blood pomegranate punch
Serves: 4 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 5 mins
It takes four ingredients to make this Halloween mocktail; pomegranate juice, grape juice, ginger ale, and fresh blueberries. It's a great non-alcoholic option, suitable for children too. We've added whole blueberries to the top of the drinks to look like floating eyeballs.
Food writer Lara says; "This is a very lively one on the taste buds and means you won't feel like you're missing out if you're designated driver or just prefer not to booze. It's absolutely rammed with superfoods – grape juice and pomegranate juice are stacked with vitamins and antioxidants, as are the fresh blueberries. Helping counteract the damage from all those other Halloween treats, you'll get to feel very smug in the morning – vampires never get hangovers, after all."
Get the recipe: Vampire's blood pomegranate punch
5. Dark 'n' spooky Halloween rum
Serves: 1 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 5 mins
For grown-ups we give you the dark 'n' spooky Halloween rum - the perfect warming tipple to enjoy on a cold October evening. This flavoursome cocktail is made with rum, a chilli, and ginger syrup as well as lime juice and soda. Serve in a single rock glass with a wheel of lime and a slice of ginger. Halloween perfection.
Get the recipe: Dark 'n' spooky Halloween rum
6. Ghostly Halloween gin
Serves: 1| Skill level: Easy | Total time: 5 mins
It really doesn't take long to make this refreshing ghostly Halloween gin made in just four simple steps. The powerful punch of the ginger, fresh mint, and sticky sweet elderflower liqueur work wonders together, not to mention the Conker Dorset Gin used. Don't forget the ghost-themed straws to serve for an even spookier twist.
Get the recipe: Ghostly Halloween gin
7. Witches' brew punch
Serves: 6 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 15 mins
When it comes to making this sticky sweet brew, there's a bit more prep work. This delicious Halloween mocktail is served warm meaning a minimal amount of cooking and warming juices on the hob are required. Made with fresh apples, apple juice, cinnamon, lemon, and ginger ale.
"A proper winter warmer, this one, that would be perfect for any party over the Autumnal season, not just Halloween - it would be perfect to serve for a Bonfire Night party, too. It's an apple-based mocktail, containing both apple juice (freshly squeezed, not from concentrate, ideally) and fresh apples mixed with ginger ale, there's extra zing from the cinnamon stick, which acts as a sort of stirrer. Delightful," adds Lara.
Get the recipe: Witches' brew punch
8. Midnight Mezcal hot chocolate
Serves: 1 | Skill level: Med | Total time: 20 mins
Hot chocolate isn't just for children you know. This warming rich chocolate drink is the perfect Halloween cocktail to end the celebrations or to enjoy in the cold whilst watching the Bonfire Night fireworks. Learn how to make toasted marshmallow syrup in just three easy steps. The chilli flakes and ground cinnamon give this hot chocolate a hint of spice and the Zignum Anejo Mezcal makes it extra warming.
Get the recipe: Midnight Mezcal hot chocolate
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