6 Boo-zy Drinks for Spooky Season

Is anyone else mad that SnapChat co-opted the ghost emoji? Ok, just me I guess. Anyways, the best part of Halloween is the costume parties, and nothing beats a fancy cocktail that matches your gruesome garb! I’ve got your back with six spine-chilling recipes to celebrate responsibly with this Halloween!

1. Witch’s Brew

Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble! Grab your cauldron and your broomstick because things are about to get a little crazy. Grab some Skin of Newt and a handful of Unicorn Hair, combine with the ingredients below, and you’ll be brewing up a magical evening!

To make Witch’s Brew, combine: 

2 1/2 oz Midori melon liqueur

2 1/2 oz lemon lime soda

2 1/2 oz orange juice

Add ice to a cocktail shaker and pour ingredients in. Cover and shake, then pour into martini glasses and serve.

For presentation points, add black sanding sugar to a plate, and light corn syrup to another plate. Before pouring the mixed drink, dip the rims of the martini glasses in corn syrup and then into sanding sugar. The rim of your glass will be as black as the night and twice as scary!

1. J-E-L-L-Glow Shots

Nothing says fun like a Jello shot! The scary part here is ingesting something that glows under a black light… but we make sacrifices for the things we love, and we love Halloween! To make this sharp shooter, you’ll need: 

2 c. tonic water, divided

2 packages Jell-O (two flavors; ex. pineapple and orange)

1 c. water

1 c. vodka

1. First, make the first layer: Pour one cup tonic water into a pot over high heat. Once it comes to a boil, add the pineapple Jell-o mix. Whisk until the mix has dissolved, then pour in half a cup of water and half a cup of vodka. Stir to combine.

2. Pour the Jell-o into shot glasses, filling them about two-thirds of the way up. Place in the refrigerator to chill, 30 to 35 minutes.

3. Make the second layer: As they set, start making the orange Jell-o, following the same process used for the pineapple Jell-o.

4. Top each of the pineapple Jell-o shot glasses with the orange Jell-o mixture. Return the shots to the fridge to set, 2 to 3 hours.

5. Enjoy!

3. Bloody Mary Syringes

I  vant to snack on blood! Channel your inner bloodthirsty vampire with this take on the Bloody Mary… not that she isn’t already scary enough… If you’d like to make these, grab the food safe syringes on Amazon. No mirror or creepy chant required. The ingredients are: 

2 c. tomato juice

8 oz. vodka 

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp. horseradish

2 tsp. hot sauce (such as Tabasco)

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large bowl, combine tomato juice, vodka, Worcestershire, horseradish, hot sauce, lemon juice, and pepper. Whisk to combine.

2. Fill syringes with mixture and chill. Serve cold.

4.The Glowing Dead, Glow-in-the-Dark Brains Cocktail

For all the zombie fans, this one’s for you. Thanks to the tonic water, it glows under a black light! If you’re like me, you take yours with extra brains. You’ll need:

Gummy Brains

24 ounces Mountain Dew , chilled

8 ounces Midori (or 6 ounces Lemon Vodka)

To make this drink, pour 6 ounces of Mountain Dew and 2 ounces of Midori (or 1 ½ ounces Lemon Vodka) into 4 Old Fashioned glasses and place a brain cube in the top of each.

5. Butterbeer

100 points to Gryffindor! Butterbeer is always something I wanted to try growing up, and now is my chance! If you haven’t dressed up as a Harry Potter character before, this year is your year. 

1 ounce vanilla vodka

1 ounce butterscotch schnapps

1/2 ounce dark beer (ex. Guinness – 1/2 to 1 ounce)

10 ounces Jones cream soda

whipped cream

Pour vodka, schnapps, and beer into a glass mug.

Slowly pour in the cream soda. Allow bubbles to dissipate.

Top with whipped cream, and pour a bit more cream soda over the whipped cream until glass is full

6. Black Cat Cranberry Concoction

According to superstition, a black cat is a bad omen, which makes a drink in it’s honor perfect for the ghastliest night of the year. There are two ways to get your drink to look really black. First, use black vodka– Blavod is recommended. Or use black food coloring, which is more cost effective if you already have vodka, and more college-student friendly.

vodka or black vodka

  black food coloring

  creme de cassis

sparkling cranberry juice

  ice

1. Fill a glass 2/3 full with ice.

2. Add one large measure of vodka to the glass. If using clear vodka, add one drop black food coloring.

3. Add one small measure creme de cassis, which is a black currant liqueur.

4. Top with sparkling cranberry juice, and stir. (If you don’t have sparkling cranberry juice, you can use a mix of plain cranberry juice and seltzer.)

Be safe, smart, and socially distanced this Halloween!