Halloween Cocktails

Who says Halloween is just for the kiddies? These spooky, boozy treats are perfect for an adult Halloween extravaganza. Instead of serving up the usual suspects at your last-of-October happy hour, get in the spirit of All Hallows' Eve with these 6 scary cocktails.

Sinister Cider Cocktail	Slime Rickey	Candy Corn Cocktail
The Zombie	Jade Cocktail	Eyeball Highball

San Francisco has seen some of its warmest days this year in the past week. And in what I'd like to call exceptional timing, a rather generous shipment of gelato arrived at my doorstep. It was as though some frozen dessert fairy godmother heeded my call for a bracing heat-quencher.

I could've simply dug in with a spoon, but my happy hour spirit got the best of me. I took Ciao Bella's advice and made a slushy margarita with the blood-red sorbet. It hit the Indian Summer spot this week, but I'll be serving it punch-bowl style for Halloween next week as well. For a fun twist on the classic margarita, read more.

The classic tiki drink dubbed "the zombie" wasn't named in honor of Halloween but because of its highly boozy effect. Combining light rum, dark rum, and high-proof rum, this is one dangerous but delicious drink. Given its horror movie connotations, it makes a perfect mixer for any Halloween party and especially a zombie Halloween party.

The recipe calls for blood orange juice, giving the drink a bloody hue, though I used a touch of blood orange Italian soda instead. The zombie goes down pretty easy but thankfully tastes strong enough to keep you in check. Celebrate Halloween early or toast to this freaky Friday and get the recipe now.

If you love spirited Halloween beverages but are looking for a libation that's not quite as interactive as a Slime Rickey or an Eyeball Highball, then try this Sinister Cider cocktail; it incorporates the dark hues of Halloween without losing an ounce of sophistication.

Black sanding sugar isn't the easiest item to find, but if you can track it down (I located some at a nearby Williams-Sonoma), it'll add a truly memorable touch. When the sugar melts, it turns a greenish hue for an even eerier effect! For the spooktacular recipe, keep reading.

All month I've been fixated on trying my hand at as many spirited Halloween cocktails as possible. And with only five more days until the scariest night of the year, I wanted to shake up something that was more frighteningly festive than anything else I've made.

I was going for something creepier than my slime rickey, but not as gross as the infamous brain hemorrhage. I found a happy medium in the eyeball highball, a riff on the classic martini that's bobbing with radish-and-olive eyeballs. Put a seasonal slant on America's most beloved cocktail when you read more.

At my vampire party, I'll be offering guests dressed like Buffy and the Cullens an assortment of vampire-themed drink options.

Red wine is a no brainer: it's the color of blood. To tint beer red, I'll use the same technique I employed on St. Patrick Day's only with red food coloring instead of green.

I'll also offer this dessert cocktail. It's a mixture of raspberry vodka, white chocolate liqueur, and half and half. The dripping blood rim is made from strawberry syrup and the ingenious garnish? Plastic fangs! To get the recipe keep reading.

Last week's candy corn cordial and slime rickey were such a playful way to get in the spirit of Halloween that I couldn't wait to continue on with the fun.

This drink's day-glo-green hue hints at just the right amount of macabre without being too kitschy. It's also a last relic of the now-defunct Jade Bar, formerly one of my favorite haunts in San Francisco.

With a punchy melon flavor that resembles a lime Skittle, it'd be a great adult substitute for trick or treating. Interested in this ghoulish gulp? Then keep reading for the recipe.

After tossing back a few of PartySugar's Candy Corn Cordials last weekend, I was ready to get into the spirit of the holiday with a chilling concoction of my own. A slime rickey isn't just a wordy play on the classic lime rickey of gin, lime juice, and club soda — it's also softened with the sweetness of simple syrup and eerily bobbing frozen grapes. The beverage is so easy to drink that the pitcher I made was gone in under an hour! Looking for a playful and festive Halloween refreshment? Then read more

Are you ready to get in the Halloween spirit? Then I have a spirit for you, candy corn-infused vodka! Don't be afraid, the candy corn slightly sweetens the vodka and gives it a vibrant orange color. Use the candy corn vodka to make a cocktail by combining with orange liquor, lemon juice, and an egg white. The egg white is necessary; it provides a rich frothiness to the drink. The candy corn cordial ends up tasting like a sophisticated orange soda. It's not cloying, but rather smooth, drinkable, and slightly potent. To get the recipe for this festive cocktail, read more