No matter how old we are, when Halloween comes knocking, there’s no better time to shake things up with a few wickedly wonderful cocktails. Whether you’re conjuring spirits or just raising them, we’ve tried and tested our favourite spooky serves so you can wow your guests and keep the party brewing long into the night.
The Devil’s Share
For this devilishly delicious whisky-based option, we used a single malt from Cotswold Distillery
and some Glayva, a Scottish whisky-based liqueur with honey, almonds and tangerines. The dash of blood-red wine slowly seeps through the ice, like the devil’s own signature.
- 45ml Cotswold Distillery single malt whisky
- 25ml lemon juice
- 15ml Glayva
- 15ml honey syrup (50:50 mix of honey and hot water; mix until the honey has dissolved and then chill)
- 7.5ml red wine
Add the whisky, whisky liqueur, lemon juice, and honey syrup to a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice. Shake to mix well and strain over ice into a tumbler. Drizzle the red wine over the ice for a blood-dripping effect. Then enjoy — if you dare.
Beetlejuice
The tartness of the apple juice and the sweet spiciness of the rum make this a spellbinding long drink your guests will savour. We used Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum, but feel free to summon whatever rum lurks in your drinks cabinet.
- 25ml Captain Morgan’s spiced rum
- 25ml blue curacao
- 150ml cloudy apple juice
Add the spiced rum, blue curaçao, and cloudy apple juice to a cocktail shaker with some ice and shake to mix. Strain over ice into a tall glass and garnish with a slice of apple. Serve with a chilling grin.
Pumpkin Spiced Espresso Martini
Espresso Martini has become a firm cocktail favourite, and we think it should be spiced up for the season. We’ve taken the easy route, adding our homemade pumpkin spice to a premixed Espresso Martini from Café Solo. This potion is sure to keep your guests buzzing through the witching hour.
Pumpkin Spice Recipe
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
Mix all the spices well to ensure they are thoroughly combined, then sprinkle this magical mix onto the top of your chilled premixed Espresso Martini.
If you’d rather create your own brew, Café Solo’s cold brew coffee liqueur makes the perfect base.
Espresso Martini Recipe
- 40ml Cafe Solo Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
- 40ml espresso coffee
- 40ml vodka
Add the ingredients to an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake for at least 15 seconds. Strain into a Martini glass, garnish with your freshly mixed pumpkin spices and serve.
Many A Horror
We used Cotswolds dry gin, but any dry gin will hit the mark. This eerie elixir marries the tang of citrus with the botanical notes of the gin, giving a delightful hint of bitterness that will haunt your taste buds.
- 50ml Cotswolds dry gin
- 25ml triple sec
- 25ml vermouth
Pour the gin, triple sec, and vermouth into an ice-filled shaker and shake to blend. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or similar and garnish with a twist of orange peel.
Purple Rain
Conjure up some magic with the Purple Rain, a bewitching blend of spirits that’s as eerie as it is delicious. Its striking purple hue and blood-red drip of grenadine make it a frightfully fun centrepiece for your party.
- 1 shot Sobieski vodka
- 1 shot rum
- 1 shot blue curaçao
- Lemonade or Sprite, to top
- A splash of grenadine
Fill your glass with plenty of ice to keep things chill. Pour in the vodka, rum, and blue curaçao, and then top it off with lemonade or Sprite. To finish, gently drizzle grenadine over the top — it will slowly sink, creating a frightful dripping blood effect.
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