The Lad recently built a bar in our basement, something we’ve been planning for our entire marriage. I bleed blue and gold, so it’s Notre Dame themed, but I’ve also been embracing the spooky theme as I serve cocktails to family and friends this fall (see photos below).
If you’re ready to serve your own dark and dreary brews, here are a few of the best ones we’ve discovered this season. Check out these spooky cocktails for Halloween.
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Unusual Flavor Combinations
Some of these aren’t for everyone, but we’ve certainly enjoyed them in our basement bar. Here are some interesting cocktails to try at home and give your guests a surprise, and hopefully a pleasant one:
Spicy Blackberry Margarita Sour from Half Baked Harvest: Adding a little chile to a sweet drink gives your throat a little punch, but the sour balances it out. Give this lovely combo a try.
Hot Butterbeer Bombs from the Cooking and Craft Chick aren’t a weird combo, but they aren’t on your normal cocktail list either. To make these more adult, just add butterscotch schnapps at the end.
Try a Smoked Old Fashioned. This perfect fall twist on a traditional cocktail takes a bit to make, but it’s a fun presentation and it gives it a different flavor. I like how Johnny Drinks talks about smoking a glass, but Amazon has some really easy devices that aren’t nearly as complicated as his tools for getting the job done. I’d recommend something simple for your home bar. A large round ice cube is also easy to make, and relatively inexpensive.
Jello Shots
This deserves a section of its own. From candy corn layers to pudding at its finest, jello shots are a great addition to any fall party. Serve some of these at your table this autumn:
Food Network Candy Corn Layer Jell-o Shots: We love the different colors here, although that makes it a little more complicated. Totally worth it!
Michelle over at Crafty Morning has a whole bunch of pudding shot recipes. I’ve personally had the Birthday Cake and the Cheesecake flavors, and can vouch that they are amazing.
Rummy Bear shots are a favorite of ours, especially while watching football. Basically, you soak gummy bears in rum for a while. Here are the complete instructions.
Fruity and Sweet Spooky Cocktails for Halloween
Cocktails by Cody put together a few Disney-inspired drinks we definitely want to try. How about a Bone Daddy from Nightmare Before Christmas with apple pucker and Hennessy? Or try a Bad Juju from Princess and the Frog with dark rum, passion fruit, and pineapple? Check them all out and choose a few to try tonight!
Pumpkin Spice White Russians will satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth. The Blond Cook has a great recipe that’s not too hard. This is best served after dinner for a dessert cocktail, with some dark chocolate or espresso cake.
Tieghan from Half Baked Harvest created The Grave Digger, a perfect fruity, fizzy, smoky combo for Halloween night.
Virgin Drinks
Let’s face it, when you’re raising a family you can’t always have alcohol. Whether you’re pregnant, serving kiddos, or hanging with friends who don’t drink, these are a few of our favorite non-alcoholic drinks to serve around Halloween:
Food Network Frankenshakes make ice cream a little more festive. Although they’re cold, they’re sure to make your taste buds happy.
If you make someone a Copycat Starbucks Pink Drink in your home bar, they’ll be thrilled. Serve with a fancy straw and a cake pop or similar treat, and they may not want the real thing ever again.
Cherry Limeades are a favorite in our house for cocktail hour. If dinner is taking too long, our kids know they can come downstairs for a cherry limeade and a snack or an appetizer to tide them over.
Cheers to Fall!
No matter which spooky cocktails for Halloween you choose to try this week, we hope you raise a glass together with the people you love. The best part of hunkering down as the weather gets colder is cozying up with those closest to you.
Let us know how your mixology experiments go: post a comment below or on our socials.
Read more about Halloween on our blog!
*Disclaimer: Some of the links you see may be affiliate links. All that means is if you click through and end up making a purchase, I’ll earn a commission.