4 Halloween cocktail recipes perfect for serving this fall
Celebrate spooky season with these deliciously blood-curdling Halloween cocktails, whether you're hosting a party or just curling up on the couch with your favourite horror movie.
Long ago, Halloween was an adrenaline-fuelled scramble to gather all the candy from the best houses. Then, it became an excuse to party with friends in either the silliest or skimpiest costumes we could find. Now, Halloween is all about leaning into our inner witch and basking in all things spooky. Halloween cocktails are made for sipping and savouring, while clever costumes are intended to delight our friends (and social media followers).
We've grown up, and so has our Halloween itinerary. Some of the best bars in the city are hosting special pop-ups or serving spooky Halloween cocktails. But if you'd rather enjoy something in the comfort of your own home while you binge watch Wednesday, these Halloween cocktail recipes will do just the trick — or treat (sorry, not sorry).
Pair these Halloween cocktails with any of your favourite fall plans, whether it's visiting one of the many new Toronto restaurants that just opened, watching the Jays or hosting your own Halloween party.
Black Lagoon's Creature's Curse
From the Black Lagoon Halloween pop-up taking over The Walrus until the end of October, this Halloween cocktail is rice-washed to smooth out the booze-forward flavours.
Makes 1
Preparation time 5 minutes
Ingredients
1 ½ oz Lot 40 Rye, rice washed
½ oz Kraken Gold, rice washed
¼ oz Lustau Amontillado Sherry
¼ oz roasted sweet potato or pumpkin syrup
1 sash Bitter Queens Figgy Bitters
3 dashes saline
Orange twist or coin, to garnish
Method
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass, add ice and stir until well chilled.
Strain into glass over fresh ice or one large cube.
Corpse Reviver #2
This classic cocktail is perfect for Halloween — especially when it's made with ingredients from local favourite, Dillon's Small Batch Distillers.
Preparation time 5 minutes
Ingredients
Dillon’s Absinthe, for glass rinse
¾ oz Dillon’s Dry Gin 7
¾ oz Lillet Blanc
¾ oz Dillon’s Orange Liqueur
¾ oz fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp cherry concentrate or pomegranate syrup, for glass garnish
1 tsp coconut fat, for glass garnish
Method
Combine cherry concentrate and coconut fat to make the blood glass garnish. Brush onto your coupe glass and place in freezer to chill.
Rinse the inside of your chilled coupe glass with absinthe, discarding the excess.
In a cocktail shaker, add the gin, Lillet blanc, orange liqueur and fresh lemon juice. Add ice and shake for 10–15 seconds.
Strain into your prepared glass, adding a large cube (optional).
Drunken Pumpkin Espresso Martini
This Halloween cocktail offers a fall twist on the iconic drink with pumpkin syrup and pumpkin spice.
Makes 1
Preparation time 5 minutes
Ingredients
1 ¼ oz Skrewball
¾ oz coffee liqueur
½ oz pumpkin syrup
2 oz espresso
Dash of pumpkin spice
Chocolate drizzle, for garnish
Method
Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into coupe glass.
Sprinkle with pumpkin spice and drizzle with chocolate.
Black Lagoon's Midnight Forever
This midnight-black, Halloween cocktail uses sesame-infused vodka and a house-made miso falernum — but if that's too complicated, try it at the Black Lagoon pop-up taking over The Walrus this year.
Makes 1
Preparation time 5 minutes
Ingredients
1 ½ oz black sesame vodka
½ oz Lustau Fino Sherry
¾ oz miso falernum
¾ oz lemon juice
1 dash black glitter
1 drop black food dye
Method
Measure all ingredients into a cocktail tin, add ice and shake vigorously.
