25 Halloween Cocktail Recipes & Ideas

By Food & Wine
October 23, 2019
Tricks and treats aside, a delicious signature cocktail is an absolute must for any spook-tacular Halloween event. Even a bare-bones (get it?) celebration needs a special refreshment to get the party started. We mean it—every great party serves an incredible drink (or two). But there’s no need to worry. Just for you, we’ve gathered a complete list of the darkest and scariest Halloween mixed drink recipes to mix for your next Halloween party. From scary-good sangria to oozy, boozy punches, these Halloween-inspired cocktails will delight your costume-clad party guests and keep the party flowing all night long. We promise the witches, ghosts and ghouls will not able to stay away. There’s even a drink called In Cold Blood—and there’s nothing more frightening than that. Whether you need a bewitching brew for a crowd or spooky cocktails for two, these easy mixed drink recipes are perfect for a spectacular Halloween fête.
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1 of 24

Dark and Stormy Death Punch

This is a Halloween take on the Dark and Stormy, a classic rum and ginger beer drink. Floating in the punch bowl are round ice cubes made with lychee syrup and lychees stuffed with brandied cherries, which have an uncanny resemblance to eyeballs. There is nothing quite like drinking a cocktail with eyeballs.

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2 of 24

Barm Brack

This creamy, spiced drink honors an Irish Halloween bread called barm brack, which is filled with currants and raisins. Traditionally, various objects—a coin, a ring, a pea—were baked inside the loaf as a kind of fortune-telling game. We love the nutmeg notes for fall and we think you will, too.

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3 of 24

Pomegranate-and-Tequila Cocktail

This festive variation of a margarita is made with pomegranate syrup, silver tequila and fresh lime juice. Its blood-like hue makes it the absolute perfect choice for a gruesome, ghoulish Halloween party. You can pass out single servings or make a big batch in a punch bowl—there’s nothing more Halloween than a big bowl of blood.

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4 of 24

Mother's Ruin Punch

Classicist bartenders have resurrected the centuries-old ritual of the formal punch service, which is something you can totally employ at your own Halloween party. Here, Philip Ward of New York's Death & Co. makes a potent concoction filled with vermouth, Champagne and citrus that's named after the old British slang for gin.

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5 of 24

Dark ’n Stormy

According to a Gosling's Rum tale, this drink was invented more than 100 years ago when members of Bermuda's Royal Naval Officer's Club added a splash of the local rum to their spicy homemade ginger beer. They described its ominous hue as "the color of a cloud only a fool or dead man would sail under.”

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6 of 24

Blood & Sand

This classic cocktail is perfectly fruity and only faintly smoky—an approachable drink for people who aren't sure they like Scotch and with a name like Blood & Sand, it’s perfectly suited for Halloween. Not to mention it has only six ingredients, so it’s a super easy mixed drink to concoct.

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7 of 24

Kill Devil Punch

At Death & Co, one of the first places in the country to offer old-fashioned punch-bowl service, Phil Ward cools his Kill Devil Punch with a block of raspberry ice that releases berries into the bowl as it melts. This is a great entertaining trick to use at your Halloween party.

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8 of 24

Blood Peach Bellini

The Blood Peach Bellini was originally made using super-seasonal summer blood peaches. This variation, which we think is just as good, combines Campari, grenadine and white peach puree to approximate the rare fruit’s flavor and color, which is bright blood red and ideal for Halloween. We’re really into drinking blood, okay?

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9 of 24

Philadelphia Fish House Punch

Cocktail historians Paul Harrington and Laura Moorhead trace this brilliant orange cocktail back to 1732, when Philadelphia's Schuylkill Fishing Club began every meeting with a bowl of this potent punch. This boozy cocktail is super-easy to make in a big batch and in advance for an epic Halloween party.

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10 of 24

Wonderlust

"I have an affinity for the past," says Jonny Raglin. Wonderlust is his tribute to cocktail ingredients that were ubiquitous a century back but rare five years ago. The midnight blue color of the cocktail screams Halloween drink to us. We guarantee your guests will love this stormy looking drink.

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11 of 24

The Hirshfield

This bar and bowling alley partners serious, classically prepared cocktails with fun, light-hearted drinks like this homage to Leo Hirshfield, creator of the Tootsie Roll, one of America's first penny candies. And you must not forget the importance of Tootsie Rolls on Halloween. They’re pretty much the ultimate trick-or-treat candy giveaway.

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12 of 24

Rocking Orange

This festive, tart mocktail combines multiple forms of incredible citrus fruit: orange, lemon and mandarin orange juices, plus orange syrup and orange peel. Your non-drinking party guests will seriously appreciate the delicious, alcohol-free option and the bright orange color is ideal for optimal Halloween festivity. We’re all about the colors.

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13 of 24

Trailer Park Smash

© Lucas Allen

Bartender Gui Jaroschy sweetens this rye and beer punch with an easy caraway syrup. For a cheeky garnish, he places two bottles of Miller High Life in the punch bowl for the stragglers who arrive at the end of the night. Your Halloween party guests will be coming back for seconds, we pretty much guarantee it.

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14 of 24

Cranberry-Spice Cocktail

The numerous cranberries in this delicious concoction perfectly complement the hard cider and the Aperol. And did we mention the color? Here we are back to the delicious drinks that resemble blood. Because it is Halloween and blood is scary and there is really nothing more frightening than drinking blood. 

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15 of 24

Indian Summer Cup

Master bartender Wayne Collins prefers using premium, naturally sweetened tonic water (sometimes called Indian tonic water) in this punch. Q Tonic, made with agave nectar, and Fever-Tree, sweetened with cane sugar, are both excellent brands. For Halloween, this is a great large batch to make ahead that your guests can enjoy all evening long.

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16 of 24

Kimchi Bloody Mary

This clever bloody Mary variation gets its heat and flavor from pureed kimchi, along with a dash of Sriracha chile sauce. Enjoy this refreshment Halloween morning because it’s never too early to get the party started. Or you could surprise your guests with their favorite brunch drink in the evening.

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17 of 24

In Cold Blood

David Malosh

The name in and of itself qualifies this as a Halloween mixed drink. Andrew Volk says this is currently the most popular order at Portland Hunt & Alpine Club in Maine. The drink, according to Volk, is "approachable but geeky with the salt”—which he adds to balance the bitterness of the artichoke-flavored aperitif Cynar.

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18 of 24

Pirate Mary

Eric Medsker

Pirate may be one of the most popular and best Halloween costumes of all time. This year, you can serve party guests this vibrant cocktail that’s made up on coconut water, fresh pineapple juice, yellow tomatoes and, you guessed it, great rum. Arrrrr! A pirate’s life (and cocktails) for me!

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19 of 24

Riesling Sangria with Lychees

“Our consulting beverage director, Peter Vestinos, makes fun of my drinks because they’re always a little sweeter than he likes,” says chef Bill Kim. Kim’s fruit-filled sangria is a bit sweet, yes, but it’s also refreshing, thanks to the lemon juice.

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20 of 24

Pomme Pomme Squad

David Malosh

Now for a seasonal drink because fall offers some of the most incredible ingredients. "Calvados is having its moment in cocktails, and thank goodness it is!" says Jessica Sanders about the rich apple brandy. The co-owner of Drink.Well and Backbeat in Austin modeled this Sazerac variation on her favorite apple pie recipe.

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21 of 24

Shark Eye

© David Malosh

Bourbon and rye give a potent kick to this playful Halloween cocktail. At Mother of Pearl in New York City, Jane Danger serves the drink in a shark mug garnished with two thin pineapple fronds arranged to look like a fish getting brutally eaten by its prey. How about that?

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22 of 24

Spiced Pumpkin Lassi

Marcus Nilsson

Pumpkin is quintessential Halloween. For this thick and creamy pumpkin lassi from chef Rupam Bhagat of Dum in San Francisco, be sure to use a nice, healthy squash for a smooth texture and rich flavor. If you want a thinner consistency, add water gradually 1/4 cup at a time.

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23 of 24

Matcha Highball

© Lucas Allen

This cocktail is green as a ghoul. A trip to Japan inspired Denver bartender Jason Patz to combine matcha (a vivid green-tea powder) with Japanese whisky. Matcha tends to clump when mixed with liquid; to loosen any that’s stuck to the side of the shaker, swirl the club soda in the shaker before pouring it into the glass.

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24 of 24

Mulled Red Wine with Muscovado Sugar

Mulled wine is a seasonal hit that should be served the moment it becomes sweater weather. Thus, Halloween totally qualifies. Faced with two half-empty bottles of Zinfandel, we came up with this warm mulled wine, spiced with fennel seeds and cinnamon. Throw this in a thermos and bring it with you trick-or-treating. You’re welcome.

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