Halloween cocktails don’t have to be orange, black, Frankenstein green or dripping with fake blood; they just have to be delicious. A fun name, unique glassware and festive garnishes do add to the fun, though.

There are a number of natural ways to create bright orange cocktails, including using mango or carrot juice. For black libations, add a bit of activated charcoal. And to create fake blood to use as a float or garnish, you can experiment with bright red produce such as berries and beets, or just go with grenadine. There are a few Halloween cocktail suggestions.

Witch’s Potion

Honey (for preparing the glass)

Chia seeds (for preparing the glass)

Generous pinch of blue spirulina

Barspoon hot water

Handful of raspberries

2 oz. Koloa Kauai gold rum

1 oz. Fresh-squeezed lime juice

½ oz. Simple syrup

Using kitchen brush, paint one side of a small, vintage glass with honey then dip into chia seeds. Place the glass in the freezer to chill to let honey set. In a cocktail shaker, dissolve the blue spirulina in a dash of hot water and stir well, then add raspberries and muddle thoroughly. Add rum, lime juice and simple syrup then shake well with ice. Strain cocktail into the chilled serving glass through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the raspberry seeds and pulp.

The mixologists at Koloa created this recipe.

Blood Moon

1 ½ oz. The Sexton Irish whiskey
1 oz. Fresh beet juice
¾ oz. Fresh lemon juice
2 Dashes orange bitters

Combine ingredients and stir vigorously with ice. Strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with a blood orange peel.

The mixologists at The Sexton created this recipe.

Vampire Hex   

2½ oz. Powderhorn rye vodka  

½ oz. Dry Dolin vermouth  

¾ oz. Olive brine  

Dash of Addition garlic cocktail spice  

Combine ingredients and stir with ice. Strain into chilled coupe glass. Garnish with stuffed olive “eyeballs.”  

Lee Noble, mixologist at Art in the Age, created this recipe.  

Skeleton Key

1 ¼ oz. Catoctin Creek Roundstone rye whisky

¾ oz. Maraschino juice

½ oz. Fresh lemon juice

Topped with ginger beer and aromatic bitters

Cherry, for garnish

Combine ingredients and top with ginger beer and bitters and a cherry.

Denise Petty, tasting room manager at Catoctin Creek Distilling Co. in Purcellville, VA, created this recipe.

Raven!

1 ½ oz. Wild Turkey 101 Rye

½ oz. Clear Creek 8 year apple brandy

½ oz. Chai tea-infused Carpano Antica

½ oz. Dupont Pommeau du Normande

1 tsp. Ristretto

1 dash Mole bitters

½ dash Cardamom bitters

Combine ingredients and stir until chilled. Pour into Nick & Nora glass and garnish with an orange twist

Mixologist Alex Jump of Death & Co. Denver created this recipe

The Goblin

1 ½ oz. Bacardí Superior rum

1 oz. Lime juice

½ oz. Midori melon liqueur

½ oz. Reàl-Coco

½ oz. Pineapple juice

Pineapple wedge as garnish

Shake all ingredients together with ice. Strain into chilled coupe or Martini glass.  Garnish with a fresh pineapple wedge.

The mixologists at Bacardí created this recipe.

Nightmare on South Beach

2 parts Monkey Shoulder Scotch

1 part Cream of coconut 

2 parts Coconut water

½ cup Chopped pineapple 

½ part Lime juice 

12 ml. “Blood”*

1 cup ice 

Blend all ingredients until smooth in a blender. Pour into glass. Swirl a little “blood” on top. Fill 10-ml. syringe with “blood,” insert into drink and empty syringe when ready to drink. Garnish with murder weapon and fear.

For “Blood”:

4 cups Frozen cranberries

1 cup Fresh strawberries (sliced)

2 cups Sugar

1 cup Water

Pinch of Salt

Squeeze of Fresh lemon

In a large saucepan, combine the cranberries, strawberries, sugar, water and salt and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is deep red, 10-15 minutes. Strain the syrup through a fine sieve set over a heatproof bowl, without pressing. Stir in the lemon juice. Let the syrup cool completely, refrigerate until chilled. Shake before serving.

Monkey Shoulder brand ambassador Anna Mains created this recipe

Los Muertos

2 oz. Serrano-infused reposado tequila

1 oz. Fresh lime juice

¾ oz. Agave

2 Pinches of powdered activated charcoal

Black lava salt (for rim of glass)

Add all ingredients into a mixing tin, shake vigorously and pour into a black lava salt rimmed glass.

For Serrano-infused tequila

Cut two serrano peppers into halves, place into a sealable food safe container, making sure to include seeds. Pour a 750-ml. bottle of reposado tequila into container with the peppers and let sit overnight. 

The mixologists at Renata’s Hearth at the Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, created this recipe.