Sip On Some Halloween Spirit With These 21 Cocktails

Photo Courtesy of The Nightjar

We've been putting together a Halloween-inspired cocktail roundup for years now, but the previous features may as well cease to exist, because this one is where it's at. We've collected recipes from some of the world's best bars, mixologists, and spirit brands to give you some amazingly spooky options. Make sure not to skimp on the barware though, because trust us, dressing one of these up in the right glass is sometimes all you need to set the right mood. With some great for the night of and others perfect for the morning after (i.e. hangover), we have so many chocies that you may just have to throw more than one party. 

Alchemist's Brew

This one is from The Nightjar in London, an establishment that continually ranks as one of the best bars in the world, including being ranked third in this year's World's 50 Best Bars put on by Drinks International.

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• Monkey Shoulder Whisky
• Kraken Dark rum
• Gold rum
• Celyon Arrack
• Fresh Lemon Juice
• Pineapple Juice
• Milk Oolong and Sencha Tea
• Spice mix of coriander seeds, cloves, and cinnamon

Method:

Serve in a copper pot steaming with dry ice.

Photo Courtesy of The Nightjar

Photo Credit: Jenny Lederer

Smoke Stack

Created by Josh Mazza of The Gilroy, NYC

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces Black Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky
• 1/2 ounce Black Walnut Syrup
• 2 dashes Apple Bitters

Black Walnut Syrup:

• 1/2  ounce Black Walnut Leaves
• 1/2 ounce Kola Nut
• 1/2 ounce Star Anise

Combine ingredients in a dry pan and toast over low heat. Add to 32 ounces of cold water and bring slowly to a boil. Add 32 ounces of granulated sugar and stir until clear. Cool rapidly then fortify with two ounces of grain alcohol. Strain.

Method:

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir until well chilled. Pour over fresh ice into large Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with a smoking Cassia Bark stick.

Photo Credit: Jenny Lederer

Photo Courtesy of Laphroaig Scotch

Laphroaig Trick or Treat

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 parts Laphroaig 10-year-old single malt Scotch whisky
• 3 parts apple cider
• 1 part fresh lemon sour

Method:

Build over ice in order. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

Photo Courtesy of Laphroaig Scotch

Pumpkin Old-Fashioned

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces Bacardi 8 (infused with pumpkin—see below)
• .25 ounce maple syrup
• 2 dashes of Angostura  bitters

For Pumpkin-Infused Bacardi 8:

Roast four 4" x 4" pieces of pumpkin at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Allow to cool. Place in a large container with a lid and add one liter of Bacardi 8. Cover and let sit for two days, then strain through a fine mesh colander.

Method:

Stir all ingredients with plenty of ice, strain into a rocks glass with a big cube and garnish with crushed pumpkin seeds.

Photo Credit: Bartosz Urbaniak/Shutterstock

Photo Courtesy of VOGA Italia Wine

Orange Spiced Pumpkin Martini

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces VOGA Prosecco
• 2 ounces Pumpkin flavored vodka
• 1/2 ounce triple sec
• 1 dash orange zest
• 1 dash of cinnamon

Method:

Pour vodka, triple sec, and orange zest into a cocktail shaker half-filled with cracked ice. Shake well, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist, a dash of cinnamon, and serve.

Photo Courtesy of VOGA Italia Wine

Photo Courtesy of The Nightjar

Barrel-Aged Zombie

Ingredients:

• Santa Teresa Claro rum
• Bacardi 8 Year
• Kraken Spiced rum
• Wray & Nephew rum
• Merlet Apricot Brandy
• Maraschino liqueur
• Absinthe
• Mama Juana cordial
• Fresh lime juice

Method:

Serve in a Tiki cup with a slice of rum-soaked cake.

Photo Courtesy of The Nightjar

Photo Courtesy of Basil Hayden

Basil Hayden's Spiced Apple Brew

Created by Thomas Waugh (New York, NY)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 parts Basil Hayden's Bourbon
• 1 1/2 parts cool Lapsang Souchong black tea
• 1 part apple juice
• 1/2 part lemon juice
• 1/2 part simple syrup
• 1 dash angostura bitters
• 1 slice of ginger
• 1 apple
• 2-3 sprigs of mint

Method:

Muddle small slice of fresh ginger in a cocktail shaker. Add Basil Hayden's Bourbon, black tea, apple juice, lemon juice, simple syrup, and bitters over ice and shake. Strain into a tall highball glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a fan of apple slices and mint sprigs.

Photo Courtesy of Basil Hayden

Photo Courtesy of STILLHOUSE Moonshine Whiskey

Stillhouse Bloodbath

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces tomato juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon Juice
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 3 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 drops Tabasco

Method:

Build over ice and garnish with a celery stalk.

Photo Courtesy of STILLHOUSE Moonshine Whiskey

Photo Credit: Jenny Lederer

Sleepy Hollow

Created by Josh Mazza of The Gilroy, NYC

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 ounces Black Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky
• 3/4 ounce Bittermans Coffee Liqueur
• 1/2 ounce Ancho Reyes Chili Liqueur
• 2 1/2 ounces almond milk

Method:

Build into a Tiki mug. Add one pellet dry ice. Garnish with grated chocolate.

Photo Credit: Jenny Lederer

Photo Courtesy of W Hotel

Smashing Pumpkin

Courtesy of W Hotel Lead Mixologist, Erik Tennyson, and Chef Jason Rea

How did Tennyson and Rea pull this one off? They roasted a pumpkin and then cryovaced it with brown sugar syrup. After they let it sit for a few days (so you'll need to really prepare for this cocktail), Tennyson blended the pumpkin meat with some Ron Zacapa 23-year-old rum, lime juice, apple juice, and fall spices (like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and star anise). Since the W Hotel didn't give the exact measurements, you'll just have to play around with this one to get it to your liking, which is most of the fun anyway. 

Photo Courtesy of W Hotel

Photo Courtesy of Canon

Skull & Blackberries

This cool recipe, which takes a little finesse, was sent over from Canon Whiskey and Bitters Emporium in Seattle. You may recognize the name from the World's 50 Best Bars put on by Drinks International, in which they won sixth place and were given the Nikka Highest New Entry award.

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce 1776 rye
• 1 ounce Plantation dark rum
• 1/2 ounce rossbacher
• 1/4 ounce crème de mure
• 3 dashes angostura bitters

Method:

Stir with ice and strain into a tiny carafe. When at the table, pour into glass skull filled with blueberry smoke. Swirl three times and pour into a chilled cocktail glass, straight up. Garnish with a cherry. 

Photo Courtesy of Canon

Photo Courtesy of Solare Ristorante

Scoundrel's Scream

Ingredients:

• 1 whole egg
• 1 ounce Late Bottle Vintage LBV Port (Tommy Smerik of Solare Ristorante recommends Taylor Fladgate)
• 1/2 ounce Sweet Vermouth (preferably Punt e Mes)
• 1 1/4 ounces Fortaleza Reposado Tequila
• 1 ounce cinnamon syrup (directions below)

Cinnamon Syrup:

Combine brown sugar and filtered water. Stir  together on medium to low heat. Add crumbled cinnamon sticks and after 10-15 minutes, chill, strain, and use.

Method:

Crack the whole egg into a glass/small cocktail shaker. Add the port, vermouth, tequila, and cinnamon syrup. Shake hard without any ice in the tin for 4-5 seconds. Shake hard with ice for another 4-5 seconds. Pour into a high ball glass that is half full of ice, and garnish with a cinnamon stick and chocolate powder.

Photo Courtesy of Solare Ristorante

Photo Courtesy of Knob Creek

Knob Creek Bourbon Street Nightmare

Ingredients:

• 3 parts Knob Creek bourbon
• 3 parts orange juice
• 1/2 part blood orange syrup

Method:
Place all ingredients in a Hurricane glass over ice and mix well. Drizzle blood orange syrup over top and garnish with a black licorice wheel.

Photo Courtesy of Knob Creek

Hallows' Eve

This fun cocktail was created by Baron Tequila's expert mixologist Brian Van Flandern, and with all that fresh apple cider, we can't wait to try it!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 ounces Baron Tequila
• 1 1/2 ounces fresh apple cider
• 1/2 ounce agave nectar
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon powder

Method:

Place all ingredients into a cocktail tin, add ice, shake vigorously and taste for balance. Double strain over fresh ice, garnish, and then serve. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Photo Credit: svry/Shutterstock

Photo Courtesy of STILLHOUSE Moonshine Whiskey

Monster Mash

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces Stillhouse Original
• 2 ounces fresh juiced squash
• 3/4 ounce browned butter beer
• 3/4 ounce sage simple syrup

Method:

Shake and fine strain. Serve down. Garnish with a whole cinnamon stick.

Photo Courtesy of STILLHOUSE Moonshine Whiskey

Photo Courtesy of Patrón

Pumpkin Patch Elixir

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 ounces Patrón Reposado
• 1 ounce sherry
• 3/4 ounce homemade pumpkin ale syrup
• 1 dash of orange bitters
• 1 dash of aromatic bitters
• Honey spiced apple balls for garnish

For Homemade Pumpkin Ale Syrup:

Open four bottles of Pumpkin Ale and allow to sit overnight. Measure out the beer and pour into saucepan. For every two cups of Pumpkin Ale, add 1/2 cup of sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once the mixture begins to boil, lower it to a gentle boil. Remove from heat and allow syrup to cool before using. Keep refrigerated.

For Honey Spiced Apple Balls:

Peel four apples and ball out approximately five per apple. Discard remaining apple bits. Combine 1/2 cup of sherry and one cup of spiced honey syrup in a mixing bowl. Add the apple balls to the syrup mixture, covering all of them. Equally separate the apple pieces into four plastic bags. Remove all air, seal and place in freezer. Keep frozen overnight before use.

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice and shake with vigor. Strain into champagne couple. Garnish with skewered honey spiced apple balls. 

Photo Courtesy of Patrón

Photo Courtesy of VOGA Italia Wine

VOGA Italia's Spiced Sangria

Yields: Around 15 servings

Ingredients:

• 3-4 fresh figs, sliced (or 1 cup dried figs)
• 1-2 fresh gala apples, sliced
• 1 cup of cherries
• 2-3 oranges, sliced (not peeled)
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 2 bottles VOGA Red Fusion
• 3 cups sparkling apple cider
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 1/2 cup dark spiced rum
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 5 whole cloves

Method:

Slice apples and insert whole cloves directly into the fruit. Combine all fruit slices in a glass pitcher and slowly pour in brandy and wine. Cover and chill from 2-24 hours (the longer, the better!). Before serving, add sparkling cider and orange juice. Stir gently and serve over ice. 

Photo Courtesy of VOGA Italia Wine

Photo Courtesy of Facundo Eximo

Sun Rising

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces Facundo Eximo
• .25 ounce Amontillado sherry 
• .25 ounce Oloroso sherry
• .25 ounce PX Sherry
• 1 dash orange bitters

Method:

Stir all ingredients with plenty ice until very cold, serve into a coupe glass. No garnish. 

Photo Courtesy of Facundo Eximo

Photo Courtesy of Incendio

Fire & Spice

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce Patrón XO Cafe Incendio
• 1 ounce Pyrat Rum
• 1 1/2 ounces fresh chilled espresso
• 1/2 ounce maple syrup
• 1 dash chocolate bitters

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Add ice and shake. Strain through a fine strainer into a chilled rocks glass (served without ice). Garnish with coffee beans.

Photo Courtesy of Incendio

Photo Courtesy of Bar & Books

Sinner's Hot Toddy

Created by Mixologist Eladio Huitzil from Bar & Books in Hudson, NYC.

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces Caliche Rum
• 3/4 ounce lemon juice
• 3/4 ounce apple juice
• 1/2 ounce honey syrup
• 1/2 ounce Cointreau
• 1/4 ounce orange juice

Method:

Shake all the ingredients and strain into a toddy glass and add hot water garnished with a cinnamon stick and a slice of orange with 3 cloves.

Photo Courtesy of Bar & Books

Photo Courtesy of The Skylark

Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater

Courtesy of The Skylark, NYC

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
• 1 ounce Tawny Port
• 2 spoons pumpkin butter
• 2 dashes orange bitters

Method:

Shake with ice and strain into a snifter with cubed ice. Garnish with a sunken orange twist on the side. 

Photo Courtesy of The Skylark