Halloween-Inspired Cocktails

More often than not, when you think about Halloween and celebrating Halloween, most people’s minds go directly to children, trick-or-treating and making sure the kids don’t eat all of the candy they scored during the night as soon as they get home, but Halloween doesn’t have to be extremely kid-friendly. I know some of the parents out there are going to get a little jarred when I let this news slip, but here it goes–Holiday celebrations can pack a little punch for the adults, too!

Really!? Oh yes, and this Halloween, I think you deserve a cocktail.

Whether you’re laying low this Halloween, throwing a fabulous party, or plan on watching classic scary movies after the kids are in bed, these Halloween-inspired cocktails are sure to be a hit!

Bloody Mary

(You knew it was going to be the first one on the list!)

• 2 highball glasses
• 2 1/2 ounces (1 3/4 jigger) vodka
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons Tabasco (optional)
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• Juice 1/2 lemon
• 8 ounces (1 cup) tomato juice
• Hard ice cubes
• Garnish: celery sticks and cherry tomatoes.

Fill each glass with ice, then add the rest of the ingredients, stirring all the time. Garnish with a celery stick and a couple of cherry tomatoes.

Pumpkin Cocktail

• 1 1/2 ounces pumpkin liqueur
• 1 ounce orange vodka
• 1/2 ounce half & half
• Splash of vanilla syrup
• Gooseberry (for garnish)

Rim Ingredients:

• 4 bar spoons super fine sugar
• 1/4 bar spoon ground cinnamon
• Lime wedge

To Rim the Glass:
Measure sugar and cinnamon onto a small plate. Rim outside top of glass with lime wedge. Roll the outside rim of glass in sugar mixture. Set aside.

Add pumpkin liqueur, orange vodka, half and half, and vanilla syrup to mixing glass. Add ice to tin. Shake well. Strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with a gooseberry. Peel back the outer leaves of the berry. Slit the bottom of the berry. Rest on the rim of the glass.

The Apple Cocktail

• 1 whole apple (select one with a flatter bottom)
• Juice of 1 lemon wedge
• 1 apple wedge (cut in half)
• 1 ounce unsweetened apple juice
• 1 ounce limoncello
• 1/2 ounce vanilla vodka
• Splash cranberry juice
• 1 cinnamon stick (for garnish)

Core the apple to about the halfway point. Be certain not to cut through the bottom. Use the lemon wedge to squeeze a small amount of lemon juice on inside of cored apple. Set aside. In mixing glass, muddle apple wedge and unsweetened apple juice. Add limoncello, vanilla vodka, and cranberry juice. Shake well. Strain into cored apple and serve with a small straw. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Black Star Liner Martini

• 2 martini glasses, preferably frozen
• 1 1/2 ounces (1 jigger) Mozart chocolate liqueur
• 1 1/2 ounces (1 jigger) freshly made espresso
• 1 1/2 ounces (1 jigger) Patrón XO Café
• 2 teaspoons sugar syrup
• Hard ice cubes
• Garnish: espresso beans and chocolate shavings

Shake all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and then strain into the glasses. Add a few whole espresso beans and float chocolate shavings on the top.

Zombie

• 1 1/4 ounce lemon juice
• 3 dashes grenadine
• 3/4 ounces blood orange juice
• 3/4 ounces cherry brandy
• 3/4 ounces light rum
• 2 ounces dark rum
• 1/2 ounce high-proof dark rum

Combine all ingredients well over ice cubes in a shaker, and strain into a large, frosted highball glass over crushed ice. The drink can be garnished with a stick of pineapple, a cherry, or a sprig of fresh mint dipped in powdered sugar.

Demon Martini

• 1 2/3 ounces gin
• 1/2 ounce white Kina Lillet
• Quarter fresh pomegranate
• 2 thin slices of sweet chili
• Garnish: Thin slice of chili

Crust half of the rim of a chilled cocktail glass with sugar. Muddle the pomegranate in the bottom of a shaker. Add ice and remaining ingredients. Shake. Strain into the glass. Add the garnish on the rim.

Voodoo Breeze

• 1 2/3 ounces gold tequila
• 2/3 ounces melon liqueur
• 3 ounces fresh apple juice
• 1/3 ounces fresh lime juice
• 1 fresh kiwi
• Garnish: thin slice of kiwi

Scoop out the pulp of a ripe kiwi. Muddle in the bottom of a shaker. Add ice and remaining ingredients. Shake. Strain over crushed ice into a highball. Add the garnish.