So, there’s 2 ways to do Halloween.
One of them is to eat sweets, dress up like a Witch and go all out for the tacky side. This is a valid choice, especially if you’re having a big party or going out on the town.
A quiet night in, however, might need a different approach. Halloween CAN be an excuse for a romantic and intimate evening with your loved one, and intimate evenings need sophisticated grown up cocktails. As does pretty much any night in if I have anything to do with it.
So I’ve been hunting down some tasty Halloween cocktails.
LONG HOT NIGHT
Good name, right?
This appears to come out a great orange colour, perfect for Halloween, though I haven’t had chance to try it myself yet.
Let me know if it’s nice!
Ingredients
2 shots bourbon
3 shots pineapple juice
3 shots cranberry juice
Directions
Place 4 or 5 ice cubes in a highball glass.
Pour in bourbon.
stir
Add pineapple juice and cranberry juice.
stir again
(Image and recipe courtesy of Food2)
SPICED CIDER
This I do drink quite a bit in Autumn.
The recipe is pretty variable and I’ve been known to make it just by heating up cider with one of those mulled wine spice sachets and a bit of sugar.
This is a slightly more sophisticated recipe
Ingredients
1.5 litres cider
1 orange, zest pared into strips
4 small cinnamon sticks, halved
4 cloves
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 tbsp brown sugar
50ml rum
Directions
Pour the cider into a large pan and add the other ingredients, except the rum. Heat gently on a low heat for 20 minutes; do not allow the mixture to boil as this will burn off the alcohol.
Strain the warm cider into glasses and add the rum, if using. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and a strip of orange zest from the pan.
(recipe courtesy of Waitrose)
BLACK MARTINI
A Martini can’t help but be a bit sexy, right?
Halloween it up by mixing it with a black liqueur for a bit of colour.
If you drink vodka martinis you can also use Blavod vodka for an extra dark drink (Just a side note, Blavod will turn your lips black if you, say, for instance, nick your housemates bottle while you’re at university and then pretend you didn’t. Not that you’d do that though….)
Ingredients
3 shots gin or vodka
1/2 shot blackberry brandy or black raspberry liqueur (Try Chambord if you got one of the free bottles at Fashion Week. I didn’t. Boo)
lemon twist for garnish
Direction
Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.
Shake well.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or serve on the rocks in an old-fashioned glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist.
(Recipe courtesy of About)
BLACK SHADOW
If you’re looking for glamour then you can’t go wrong with any cocktail that includes Champagne.
Of course, I’m pretty sure that this would work just as well with Cava or Prosecco if your budget (like mine!) isn’t quite up to Champagne.
Ingredients
1 shot Blue Curacao
1/2 shot Creme de Cassis
Champagne to Top Up
Direction
Shake together Blue Curaçao and Crème De Cassis in a cocktail shaker with ice.
Pour into flute glass and top up with chilled Champagne.
(Recipe courtesy of In the Spirit)
DEATH IN THE AFTERNOON
Ernest Hemingway is credited with the invention of this cocktail, and, like the Black Shadow it involves Champagne or other fizzy wine.)
The extra ingredient in this cocktail though, is Absinthe. A drink associated with madness and a certain kind of crazy, creative, debauched lifestyle just has to be part of any Halloween drinks cabinet.
I’ve been buying Sebor Absinthe online since the late 90s and I’ve never found another brand that I like as much.
Ingredients
1 shot Absinthe
Champagne to Top Up
Direction
Pour one shot of Absinthe into a Champagne flute.
Top up with chilled Champagne.
The drink should turn a milky, opalescent colour that is called the “louche”
(Recipe courtesy of In the Spirit)
