Halloween is one of our favorite holidays. That’s because, since we’re just big kids at heart, we love any day where we can dress up in costumes and eat handfuls of candy. But the most important piece of the Halloween puzzle is the booze. Obviously, you can stock up on White Claw and craft beer, but no Halloween party is complete without the right cocktail. That’s why we asked some of our favorite bartenders to tell us their go-to Halloween drinks to please every boy and ghoul.
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Bartender Approved: Halloween Cocktails
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Don the Beachcomber's Classic Zombie
“For me, the best Halloween cocktail will always be Don Beachcomber’s classic zombie. Besides having the perfect name for a night of thrills and chills, this drink is Tiki royalty, with its mysterious blend of potent rums, exotic syrups, citrus juices and spices. When done right, it is the perfect drink to get you feeling spooked, as well as bolstered by the knowledge that you just endured a punch from the undead. The zombie is also an ideal canvas for elaborate and festive garnishes: skull skewers, biohazard flags, candy brains -- the grave’s the limit.” – Mark Tubridy, mixologist at 21 Club in New York City
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Whiskey Punch
“For me, Halloween is all about whiskey punch. I'm always with friends during Halloween so I want something easy and delicious that keeps me enjoying time with good people, rather than slinging drinks. My preferred recipe is this: 1 750-milliliter bottle of Old Forester bourbon, 12 ounces lemon juice, 4 ounces amaro nonino, 4 ounces Lo-Fi sweet vermouth, 2 ounces demerara syrup, and 16 ounces cold chai tea. Add all ingredients to a large bowl. Stir to combine. Add ice, and garnish with lemon wheels and nutmeg.” – Gary Wallach, director of food and beverage, Arlo SoHo in New York City
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Rum Punch
“Halloween parties are supposed to be fun, not formal, so I say throw a bunch of rum and fresh juice into a bowl and make a punch! Maybe have some cold beer and everyone is happy. Probably best not to overthink it.” – Zachary Pease, bartender at My Friend Duke in New York City
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Charcaol and Dry Ice
“My favorite go-to Halloween party cocktail would be something I create. I like to mix in a teaspoon of activated charcoal into my tincture of choice to give the drink a deep black color. If that isn’t spooky enough, drop in a cube of dry ice!” – Justin Campbell, beverage director for The h.wood Group in Los Angeles
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Witches Brew Martini
“Our current favorite is our witches brew martini. We love this cocktail so much that we are telling all of our friends and clients about it! It’s new, it’s fresh, and delicious! It’s your basic spiked punch – in yellow! It’s made with vodka, DeKuyper melon schnapps, club soda, orange juice, and a bit of fresh squeezed lime juice. Super easy and quick. Just add ice in a shaker, add all ingredients, shake and serve. For the garnish, you can use some black sanding sugar to rim the glass. It’s the best Halloween treat for adults and a massive party pleaser.” – Andrea Correale, founder and president of Elegant Affairs in New York City
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La Pulperia Poison
“Our Halloween favorite is la pulperia poison. It’s Cenote Silver tequila, caramelized roasted pumpkin, almond syrup, and cinnamon sparkles. We top it with dry ice to have a cool, smoking effect.” – Roman Cervantes, bartender at La Pulperia in New York City
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Mexican Hot Chocolate
“If you were coming to my Halloween party, I would serve boozy, spicy, Mexican hot chocolate with candy skull marshmallows as a garnish. The best part is that there are so many ways to make this drink. Start with your hot chocolate, add a little nutmeg, cinnamon, cayenne, and chipotle powder. Finish it off with Kahlua, rum, or even Mezcal if you're feeling adventurous. Then pop that candy skull on top and let it melt, baby.” – Trevor Alderson, bartender at Blue Smoke in New York City
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Zombie Punch
“For a Halloween party, you can't go wrong with a classic zombie punch in large format. That is an easy serve-yourself option that is delicious, potent and on theme. For a non-classic I'd personally make my guests one of our Halloween-themed drinks from The Shanty, either the black magic (Perry's Tot Navy Strength Gin, Carpano Antica, and Strega) which is a boozy and spirit-forward nod to the Sazerac or the ex-hex (Grand Marnier, lemon, Strega, and prosecco), a witchy French 75 of sorts. Both cocktails use one of my favorite ingredients to work with this time of year: Strega.” – Marissa Mazzotta, bar eirector at The Shanty (bar attached to New York Distilling Company)
