Mixology

39 Ghoulishly Delightful Halloween Cocktails for 2024

Published on Oct 2nd 2024
Halloween Cocktails

Themed Halloween cocktails are all the rage for your annual spooky day (or evening) party! If you want to know how to make drinks smoke for Halloween, start by putting a little dry ice in the bottom of the glass, for a fun start! What drinks are good for a Halloween party? All sorts of sodas, punches and ciders are expected, as well as some signature cocktails — or mocktails.

According to a marketing research study published in White Rose Research Online about No and Low Alcoholic drinks, people who enjoy mocktails and “NoLos” don't tend to drink them like soda, but use them “as a substitute for alcohol or regard them as a tool to support a flexible or ‘hybrid’ model of moderate drinking.” So there are some fun non-alcoholic drink options included in this list for your friends who want to join the party but need to have a “dry” night.

Don't forget that you can meld these best cocktails with your Halloween decoration ideas, including Halloween snacks so your guests don't over-imbibe!

Jump to Section

Easy Halloween Drinks for Adults

If you're wondering what some of the terminology means in these recipes, a great way to kick off your cocktail mixing journey is with mixology classes! Check out virtual mixology classes like online mixology classes or classes near you such as mixology classes in Chicago or mixology classes in Las Vegas. Improve your shaking and stirring skills and learn about the history of your favorite mixed drinks in these fabulous and immersive courses.

1. Fall Flavored White Russian

White Russian
White Russian (via Canva)

Add some flavored creamer to this delightful vodka-based classic. Whether you prefer maple syrup, pumpkin spice or apple cider, you can't go wrong with this Halloween cocktail recipe. Add a graham cracker rim for a cozy and crunchy detail. Start by dipping the glass in the rim items (don't forget something sticky like maple syrup or water to keep the cracker crumbles in place), then pour in about two ounces of vodka, one ounce of Kahlua, one and a half ounces of your chosen flavored creamer and a cinnamon stick garnish! Go to your Halloween party dressed as The Dude from The Big Lebowski to finish your look. 

2. Color-Changing Mystical Margaritas

Make your usual margaritas with a fun additional detail! You can add red cabbage to give your Halloween cocktails a fascinating florescent and purple look.

3. Trigger Finger

Trigger Finger
Trigger Finger (via Canva)

This one also makes for a good addition to your list of Halloween craft ideas. Create your Bloody Mary to taste, or any red cocktail really, but then take a bunch of small syringes and fill them with the Bloody Mary for the effect of a bowl full of blood-filled syringes to give your party a morbidly enticing aesthetic.

4. Cider Spritz

Cider Spritz
Cider Spritz (via Canva)

Discover your favorite and simple new Halloween cocktails when you mix up some Aperol Spritz with apple cider. You could even replace the traditional alcohol with hard apple cider for an added twist.

5. Harvest Haul

Form a classic punch using apple cider and ginger beer, garnished with fresh fruit and cinnamon. This makes for a fantastic bowl of bubble-filled punch and certainly fits the Autumn-celebratory criteria.

6. The Big Apple

The Big Apple
The Big Apple (via Canva)

Build on the classic Manhattan in this simple and sweet elegant cocktail recipe by adding apple brandy. Halloween cocktails are at their finest — and least complicated — when you're adding on to your traditional favorites, since you already know how to make them!

7. Death in the Afternoon

Death in the Afternoon
Death in the Afternoon (via Canva)

These Halloween cocktails have a special story behind them. Legend has it that the notorious author, Ernest Hemingway, created them. It's not too much of a stretch as his favorite drinks were daiquiris, so it comes as no surprise that he would create such a delicious drink, named after one of his novels. Start by pouring about a quarter to a half of an ounce of absinthe into a Champagne flute or daiquiri class and then add about four ounces of Champagne or similar sparkling wine for a light and bubbly effect with powerful pizzazz. The name alone just screams Halloween cocktails. 

Halloween Cocktails With Vodka

Vodka is often kept chilled and can therefore be a little more difficult to work with — but sometimes makes the most creative Halloween cocktails! Work on your mixology skills when you take local classes through mixology classes in Los Angeles or mixology classes in Miami. You might even go back for more to master your techniques!

8. Boo-zy Shakes

Boo-zy Shakes
Boo-zy Shakes (via Canva)

Simple, yet effective, just add a little vodka to your ice cream frappe. You'll have a tasty treat and a little buzz to go with it.

9. Jiggly Brains

When you're working on your Halloween cocktails, you'll probably be thinking of all the scary undead creatures like vampires, ghosts and zombies. Turn your guests into the boozy undead by creating brains out of Jell-O and infusing it with vodka. All you need is two cups of water, three quarters of an ounce of vodka, six cups of your favorite flavor of Jell-O mix and a frozen whipped topping of your choice. Carve up the brain after everyone has had a chance to enjoy the view. Place the brain in a bust with a sawed-off head for added drama.

10. Deadly Daiquiris

Garnish your daiquiri with some fun candy in childlike spirit of the festival. You can even add some different simple syrups or liqueurs that taste like various candy to give an added sweet taste or sour tang to your drink.

11. Bats and Cats and Spiders, oh my!

Black vodka
Black vodka with pomegranate (via Canva)

All the lovely black creatures of the night are represented in this eerie black vodka and pomegranate potion. Kick off your Halloween cocktails menu with this fabulously dark drink. Some brands actually make black vodka, but you could also achieve a similar effect with dark food coloring dye.

12. Caramel Brunch

Brunch is one of America's favorite meals — including the drinks that go with it. Mimosas area simple to make classic drink — and this one can even be paired with some pastries or Halloween cookies! Flavor your mimosa with a delectable caramel addition for one of the sweetest Autumn flavors next to the pumpkin spice craze.

13. Jolly Roger

Jolly Roger
Jolly Roger (via Canva)

These Har-Har-hearty Halloween cocktails taste just like Jolly Rancher candies! Unleash your inner pirate by adding one ounce of vodka, one ounce of Midori (or another melon liqueur), one ounce of citrus-flavored liqueur (like Triple Sec), one ounce of apple-flavored liqueur, pineapple juice, a light soda like Sierra Mist or Sprite, a handful of ice and a garnish (like lemon slice). Combine and shake the alcoholic ingredients together before pouring the concoction over ice. Top with a pirate's flag to maintain the aesthetic.

Halloween Cocktails With Rum

14. The Sweet and the Dead

The Sweet and the Dead
The Sweet and the Dead (via Canva)

Rum and frozen strawberries create one of the most powerfully sweet Halloween cocktails. Blend rum, frozen strawberries, fresh lime and simple syrup to blend this slushy cocktail. Sweet, but seemingly filled with deadly poison, you can create your own fun name for this red-colored concoction.

15. Condy Corn Colada

Right at the top of any list that includes rum cocktails is the blended and delightful Pina Coladas! With a Halloween twist, make your cocktail look like the ubiquitous candy corn. To achieve this multi-colored effect, you'll need to create three separate layers. Take your usual pina colada recipe but use pineapple for one layer, mango for another and banana for the top. Serve with a candy corn on top! 

16. Classic Undead

This zombie-like cocktail is an all-time favorite for many party-goers and bar patrons. It also has the perfect name for your list of Halloween cocktails. Include about 30 ml of one type of rum and 20 ml of a second kind of rum (such as white and black spiced rum), or you could use about 50 ml of one singular type of rum if spiced rum doesn't agree with your stomach. Include about 15 ml of citrus liqueur, 30 ml of orange juice, 15 ml of lime juice, 15 ml of simple syrup and 5 ml of grenadine. Shake, strain and stir these all together with a spoon, then garnish with a cherry and a slice of citrus fruit, such as an orange, for a fun finish.

17. Vampire's Feast

Vampire's Feast
Vampire's Feast (via Canva)

A punch that mimics blood is a fantastic concept to add to your list of Halloween party ideas and Halloween cocktails. Cranberry and dark rum are the flavor profiles for this one, though you could try an alternative with grapes and edible red gel. Blend agave, pomegranate juice and grated beets and bring it to a boil in a saucepan. Strain and return the mixture to the pan to boil it again over medium heat until you have about three quarters of a cup.  Let it cool for five minutes. When it's time to drink, pour vodka, rumfresh grapefruit juice and lime juice to taste. Garnish with creepy creatures that look like they're crawling in the bloody lake.

18. Coffee Storm

If you like coffee, you're in for a treat! Include a bit of espresso in a traditional Dark 'N' Stormy that's full of rum and ginger beer. For a more Hellish variation, try adding maraschino cherry juice and two maraschino cherries to the traditional Dark and Stormy — it gives the drink a sweet twist to the dark concoction. 

19. I'm Melting!

This green liquid mixture is perfect for your list of Halloween cocktails. The ingredients include three ounces of lemon-flavored gelatin, three ounces of cherry-flavored gelatin, eight ounces of rum and eight ounces of lime juice. Begin by combining the lemon gelatin with one cup of boiling water and the eight ounces of rum. Pour this mixture into shot glasses only part-way, then top off with a mixture of the cherry gelatin, eight ounces of lime juice and one cup of boiling water. Chill the shots for a few hours before serving for a chilled Jell-O shot effect.

Halloween Cocktails With Gin

20. Glowing Gin Daisy

Glowing Gin Daisy
Glowing Gin Daisy (via Canva)

Glowing drinks are a fun way to start the party when you're working with Halloween cocktails. These are gin cocktails but based on Margaritas, known as a Gin Daisy, it has a pinkish look in normal light, but glows bluish-white under a blacklight! Sip slowly, though, this one is pretty intense.

21. Cauldron Effects

Play with layers in this gin drink that also looks like it is glowing. Sparkling lemonade pairs well with blue-colored liqueur and purple gin for a bubbling potion coming from a cauldron. You could even purchase small black cauldrons to serve this in – or one big one and make it a punch bowl!

22. A New Witch Brew

A New Witch Brew
A New Witch Brew (via Canva)

A true classic, the Gin and Tonic, should always be on your set of Halloween cocktails. This one looks like something created by a witch mixing a potion as it involves adding a flower to your gin drink! The Butterfly Pea Flower can turn your spirits blue and purple for a mystical and spooky effect.

23. Autumn Leaves

This orange-colored beverage is a delightful choice for your Halloween cocktails. The ingredients list is pretty simple, including 30 ml of gin, 15 ml of orange liqueur, 15 ml of sweet vermouth and the same amount of dry vermouth, as well as 15 ml of blood orange juice. Garnish with orange bitters to taste and you'll have the best Autumn cocktail that represents the changing season. 

24. Wolf's Allure

Get ready to howl! When you're finished, this eerie drink should look like a full moon floating through the sky. First, find a small round bowl or ball-shaped ice mold and fill it with water, then freeze. Stir together a half teaspoon of charcoal powder in 100 ml of pineapple juice until the powder has dissolved. Shake up ice with 50 ml of gin and 25 ml of lime juice, as well as your pineapple and charcoal juice combination. Strain this liquid into a chilled glass and top up with about 25 ml of soda water (or to taste). Finish the effect by putting your fully round or semi-circular ice cube on top of your black-colored beverage. Halloween cocktails have never been so thrilling.

25. Poisoned Cherry

Poisoned Cherry
Poisoned Cherry (via Canva)

With a bit of a literary twist and a strong buzz, you'll love this form of drinkable poison. Blend 20 ml of gin, 20 ml of lime juice, 30 ml of cherry-flavored liqueur and another 30 ml of green liqueur. Shake these together with ice, thoroughly, and strain into a chilled glass. You could even add a bit of dry ice to the bottom of your glass first for a smoke effect.

Halloween Cocktails With Whiskey & Bourbon

26. Pumpkin Toddy

Pumpkin Toddy
Pumpkin Toddy (via Canva)

Design a warm and pumpkin-flavored drink to heat your insides. While this beverage is best served hot, you can also serve it cold. Blend two ounces of bourbon, 15 ounces of pumpkin puree, two tablespoons of honey, a tablespoon of lemon juice. One mixed, heat it up in a saucepan over medium heat with 80 ml of water until the concoction is simmering. Garnish with citrus slices and cinnamon sticks, just like a new kind of hot toddy!

27. The Last Campfire

This is a type of Moscow Mule, but instead of vodka, you'll come out with whiskey cocktails or bourbon cocktails. Then, mix in some maple syrup for an Autumn flavor, as well as the traditional ginger beer and lemon juice. You can even add a roasted marshmallow as a garnish — and try that graham cracker rim again.

28. Sour Candy

In place of a Whiskey Sour, create something akin to a candy corn flavored drink. Include two ounces of peanut butter flavored whiskey (Skrewball does this well), an ounce of lemon juice, three quarters of an ounce of simple syrup, egg whites from a single large egg and a half ounce of liqueur. Mix the whiskey, lemon juice, syrup and egg white in a cocktail shaker and go to town until the combination is foaming. Then add ice and keep shaking until the mixture is chilled and strain into a glass and top it all off with the liqueur. A superb variation on the sour that tastes a bit sweet — which is perfect for your spooky Halloween cocktails list!

29. Spike Favorite

Spike Favorite
Spike Favorite (via Canva)

Simple and classic but supremely satisfying, whip up a batch of hot chocolate and spike it with whiskey.

30. Whiskey Washington

If you're looking for Halloween gifts, try some Canadian-style apple schnapps. This makes a stunning addition to this mini version of the Washington Apple Cocktail made with whiskey. Use apple schnapps, whiskey, cranberry juice and pomegranate for a refreshing beverage that you can pour into small glasses for shots.

31. Zest and Zing

Zest and Zing cocktail
Zest and Zing cocktail (via Canva)

Combine four tablespoons of bourbon, four tablespoons of crème de cacao, four tablespoons of lemon juice, two dashes of grenadine and four teaspoons of sugar and you'll get an unexpected mix of flavor! Shake these ingredients together and pour them into your Martini glass with a slice of zest from citrus like lemon or orange.

32. Autumn Fashioned

Whiskey lovers can embellish in an Old Fashioned with an Autumnal twist by adding a smoked whiskey or scotch with maple syrup to make a Smoked Maple Old Fashioned.

Great Halloween Mocktails

33. Morning Mocktini

Morning Mocktini
Morning Mocktini (via Canva)

Just as you can add alcohol to morning beverages, you can add espresso to an evening beverage! Pour in a shot of espresso, then add heavy whipping cream, simple syrup, vanilla extract and salt to draw out the flavors. This creates a tasteful non-alcoholic drink for your Halloween cocktails event.

34. Ethereal Portal

You can still have all the fun of Halloween cocktails with zero alcohol involved! Try adding a heavy edible glitter to simple apple cider or sparkling cider. Take out your blender or cocktail mixer to shake up the glitter enough to create the desired swirling sparkles effect.

35. Green With Eyes

Children enjoy this simple and spooky sweet treat! It involves green gelatin in a glass with candy eyeballs on top or mixed inside the Jell-O in the glass. Jiggly and morbid are both aesthetics that tend to thrill young people and it fits perfectly with your Halloween cocktails theme.

36. Blended Monster

Blended Monster
Blended Monster (via Canva)

A palate cleanser and a punch rolled into one, this might be the favorite drink at your event. Add green food coloring to your punch with lime sorbet layered on top with a garnish of lemon slices for a sweet beverage that will give your guests a sugar rush to rival any buzz they could get from alcohol.

37. PP&G

Simple and sweet is on the menu with this pear, pumpkin and ginger mocktail. Celebrate Autumn appropriately with this superb mix of flavors. You can also pair this with a plate full of sliced pears for some Halloween food ideas!

38. Floaties

Include apple cider and grenadine in a glass and add a few grapes to bob around for a strange-looking and alcohol-free mocktail. Your guests will be reminded of old-fashioned traditions like bobbing for apples and be immediately transported to their youth with this delectable option.

39. Blood to Suck

Blood To Suck
Blood To Suck (via Canva)

Another red drink that has ties with Dracula — but this one has no alcohol and is garnished with fake plastic vampire fangs for a playful aesthetic. This spicy punch involves cherry juice, chili, cinnamon and ginger. Your guests will love the attention to detail, as well as the taste!

There are so many options out there for spooky Halloween cocktails! What do you call Halloween drinks? That really is something to be left up to your own creativity (though you can steal these titles, if that helps). For instance, what's in a Drunk Witch? The answer is a simple vodka, grenadine, and Blue Curacao blend. But it's all in the name! So have placards out in front of your drinks to make sure everybody knows the names. Taking mixology classes or creating a whole round of fun Halloween cocktails can make for enticing Halloween date ideas.

For even more fun Halloween party ideas, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!