Halloween is hands down my least favorite holiday. I know, I said it. Some people absolutely love it and enjoy the whole getting dressed up and kitschy decorations. But for me, not so much.
I will say, some of these Halloween cocktail ideas may change things for me. I don’t mind the idea of a Halloween cocktail one bit. And if you’re inviting me to a sophisticated Halloween party, I could get into this holiday real quick.
So if you’re hosting this year, or heading to a party (don’t forget a Halloween approved hostess gift), here are some delicious, and spooky, Halloween cocktail ideas to try!
11 Halloween Cocktail Ideas
Spooky Lemon Refresher
This only looks scary, but really it’s very simple! Just a spiked lemonade basically. And to make it black, add activated charcoal.
While you don’t need to do dry ice for this cocktail, it really adds an element of spook! This is a great Halloween cocktail for a punch bowl to serve a crowd.
Ingredients
- Your Favorite Store-bought Lemonade
- Activated Charcoal Pill – I used these, not all charcoal pills have loose powder on the inside but these do!
- Vodka or Tequila
- Dry Ice – Purchase at your local grocery store where they sell ice usually!
Method
- Add lemonade and liquor to a pitcher.
- Break 1 activated charcoal capsule and add it to the mix
- Stir to combine
- Gently drop in a small chunk of dry ice
Spiked Pumpkin Spice Lattes
If you’re hosting a Halloween brunch, give these spiked pumpkin spiced lattes a try. They’re decadent, and you can top them with whipped cream and caramel for a seriously indulgent brunch cocktail. Just add bourbon or whiskey to them and maybe even a splash of apple brandy to make them spiked.
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree – not the pumpkin pie filling, just straight 100% pumpkin
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar – you can use white sugar if you like, but the brown adds more depth of flavor with the molasses. Light or dark works!
- 1/2 tbps of cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp clove
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1 cup of water
Witches Brew Cocktail
I am such a fan of cocktails with pomegranate juice in them. It’s tart but a touch sweet, I simply love it. This is a really simple cocktail with tequila, pomegranate juice and just a few dashes of bitters. The dry ice is what really makes it super fun and festive! If the pomegranate juice is too tart for you in this cocktail, you can add a little simple syrup to the ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
- 1.5 oz of tequila
- 2 oz of pomegranate juice
- dash of bitters
- dry ice
DIRECTIONS
- Add tequila, juice and bitters to a cocktail shaker with ice
- Shake vigorously
- Pour into your serving glass
- Add a small piece of dry ice
TIP: Be careful using dry ice! Use gloves or tongs to add the ice to your drink.
Maple Bourbon Apple Cider Cocktail
Since Halloween is in the middle of the fall season, I always think a classic fall cocktail is a good choice. Try this maple bourbon apple cider cocktail. It’s got all the warm spices of apple cider, with a little sweetness from the maple syrup.
This classic cocktail is also great to make in batches. You can even make just the apple cider in a big punch bowl, and keep the bourbon on the side so guests can choose to spike their cider or not.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup apple cider
- 1 tsp real maple syrup
- 1 1/2 oz of bourbon (I used Cooper Craft)
- Squeeze of lemon (optional)
Pomegranate Moscow Mule
A pomegranate Moscow Mule is one of my favorite cocktails. They are perfect for Halloween since you can make a nice batch of them, or leave the ingredients out (which are only a few!) to allow guests to make their own just how they like it.
To make these feel a bit spookier, garnish with something Halloween-inspired like these bone drink stirrers!
Ingredients
- 1.5 ounces of your favorite vodka or tequila
- 2 ounces of pomegranate juice
- 4 ounces of ginger beer
- Squeeze of lime or lemon juice
- Lime wedge for garnish
Candy Corn Shots
Make these super cute candy corn inspired shots for your guests. These are fun to offer as guests arrive to get them in the mood for a Halloween party. Make a whole tray of them. They’re simple to make with just three ingredients like orange liquor, Galliano L’Autenico (a bright yellow herbal liquor) and cream. Recipe via The Spruce Eats.
Halloween Punch
The swirl shimmery look of this Halloween punch will be a show stopper at your next party. And we love a good make ahead drink that serves a crowd. It just makes hosting easier! This cocktail uses edible glitter to get the super cool shimmer effect. Get the recipe over at Homemade Hooplah.
Matcha Halloween Punch
You can’t have a Halloween drink list of ideas without at least one that’s green in color right? Using matcha powder, this cocktail gets transformed with just a few simple ingredients. The green color is so fun and would make for a great punch bowl cocktail too so you’re not dealing with a cocktail shaker all night. Add dry ice for the ultimate Halloween spooky touch.
Bloody Mary or Bloody Marias
The best drink to serve for a Halloween brunch are Bloody Marys or my personal favorite, a Bloody Maria. They’re made with tequila instead of vodka and I’m just convinced it tastes way better. These are a must have for Halloween since it’s all in the name. Rim your glass with black volcanic salt to make it feel more Halloween ready.
Elderflower Eyeball Fizz
The garnish is really the star of the show here with the lychees stuffed with a bourbon cherry. They are spooky and fun! Get this recipe from Celebrations at Home blog here.
Roasted Beet Cocktail
Beets are the perfect ingredient to make a spooky blood inspired cocktail for your guests. Try this ginger and honey roasted beet cocktail. Add a little skull or spider to garnish to make it feel a bit more spooky!
