By Lee Bowden

Welcome thirsty witches and parched werewolves! It’s finally time to get into the Halloween spirit, and what better way to do that than with some boo-ze! This fall, we’re getting absolutely sheet-faced, which means spooky cocktails, terrifying garnishes and frighteningly delicious flavors are about to haunt your home bar! 

Disclaimer: I’ve been told I make some killer cocktails, so consume at your own risk!

First up, The Zombie:

This classic rum cocktail is known for its high ABV and its blend of juices and tiki flavors, but I like to spice things up, so I added a few of my favorite fall spices! 

Shake:

• 2 ½ oz. High-proof rum
• ½ oz. Allspice liqueur
• 1 oz. Each of cranberry juice, lime juice and pineapple juice
• ¾ oz. Passionfruit syrup
• 2 Big dashes of Angostura bitters (for an intense red color and cinnamon bite)

Garnish with your favorite spooky topping and a sprig of mint!

Grim & Tonic: 

This riff on a classic Gin & Tonic is herbal, refreshing and it’s the color of ectoplasm!

Build in glass:

• 2 oz. Basil-infused gin (My favorite is Tulsi Gin by Murrel’s Row!)
• ½ oz. Tonic syrup 
• ¾ oz. Fresh basil syrup (I like to blanch my basil first, so that it keeps its bright green color. Then I blend it with a 2:1 simple syrup and strain out the leafy bits with a cheese cloth) 
• 3 oz. Sparkling water, top with lots of ice

Doctor Frankensour:

Channeling the insanity of Dr. Victor Frankenstein and the innate genius of a 19th-century bartender whose name is lost to time, I created something. This cocktail is a play on the classic New York Sour, but it’s also an agave-inspired abomination of deliciously tart proportions.

Shake: 

• 1 ½ oz. Mezcal 
• ¾ oz. Boomsma Claerkampster Cloosterbitter—hilarious name, I know, but it’s delicious and bright green to boot! (Think Green Chartreuse but it’s not $90/bottle.)
• ¾ oz. Fresh lime juice
• ½ oz. 2:1 Simple syrup
• 2 Dashes cherry bitters

Dump into your glass, leaving a little room at the top to float 1 ½ oz. of dry red wine. (This creates a nice bloody effect!) 

Get Freaky: If you really want to pull out all the scary stops, dry shake an egg white in this bad boy to produce some spooky layers!