Cocktails
Halloween Black Cat Amaretto Cold Brew Highball
This Black Cat Amaretto Cold Brew Highball is a dark, fizzy Halloween cocktail with almond-sweet amaretto, unsweetened coffee and soda water. Removable paper ears turn a straight-sided glass into a black-cat silhouette without putting craft materials in the drink. It is built over ice—no shaker, citrus or vodka.
Recipe reviewed 10 Oct 2026. How we test recipes.
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WHAT YOU NEED
Ingredients
METHOD
How to make it
- Before mixing the drink, cut two small triangular cat ears from food-safe black card or clean black paper. Fold a narrow tab at the bottom of each ear. Keep the paper decorations outside the glass and away from the drinking rim.
- Fill one 10 to 12 oz highball glass per serving about two-thirds full with ice.
- Measure the amaretto using the ingredient list above and pour it over the ice.
- Measure the chilled unsweetened cold brew and slowly pour it into the glass. Stir with a long spoon for about 10 seconds to chill and combine.
- Measure the chilled soda water and pour it slowly down the inside of the glass so it keeps its bubbles.
- Give the drink one gentle lift with the spoon from bottom to top; do not shake or stir vigorously.
- Use a small piece of tape on the outside of the glass to attach one paper ear on each side, below the rim. Make sure no tape or paper touches the drink.
- Serve immediately while fizzy. Remove the paper ears before washing or reusing the glass.
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Balance the coffee and almond flavor
Use cold brew that is ready to drink. If your bottle is labeled concentrate, dilute it according to its directions before measuring the 3 oz in this recipe. Strong undiluted concentrate can make the drink harsh and changes its caffeine content.
The listed equal-ish balance keeps the amaretto noticeable without making the highball syrupy. For a drier next glass, reduce the amaretto to 1 oz and add another 1/2 oz soda. For a stronger coffee note, use a darker cold brew rather than adding more concentrate. Either adjustment changes the estimates.
For a group, cut the ears before guests arrive and attach them only to dry glasses. Scale the liquids with the serving selector, but build each drink separately so the soda stays lively. Keep the adult glasses on a different tray from the children's drinks.
Pair it with the children's Pumpkin Patch Steamer. For another coffee cocktail, compare the Ghost White Russian, or browse the Halloween drinks collection.
Use unsweetened cold brew concentrate diluted to drinking strength, not undiluted concentrate. Estimated calories count all drink ingredients; the paper ears are not edible and add no calories. Estimated ABV uses amaretto at 28% and the site's standard 10% built-over-ice dilution. Bottle strength and melting ice change the result.
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