Cocktails
Halloween Black Widow Brandy Alexander
A creamy brandy and dark crème de cacao Halloween cocktail finished with an easy chocolate-syrup spiderweb. Ready in about 10 minutes.
- 10 min
- ≈ 310 kcal
- ≈ 18.3% ABV
THE DRINKS NOTEBOOK
Halloween drinks: cocktails, mocktails and kids' treats
30 Halloween drinks we made and tasted this season: 18 cocktails and 12 alcohol-free drinks that kids can share. Each recipe gives exact measures and a garnish that does the spooky work without food coloring or dry ice.
Halloween cocktails
Cocktails
Halloween Green Fairy Absinthe Frappé
A pale, cloudy Halloween absinthe frappé with simple syrup, chilled water and crushed ice. Shaken and served in about 10 minutes.
- 10 min
- ≈ 169 kcal
- ≈ 16.5% ABV
Cocktails
Haunted Scotch Tea Highball for Halloween
A smoky Halloween Scotch highball with Lapsang Souchong tea, honey and club soda. Built over ice in about 35 minutes.
- 35 min
- ≈ 169 kcal
- ≈ 8.5% ABV
Cocktails
Halloween Black Velvet Stout and Sparkling Wine Cocktail
A dark Halloween Black Velvet cocktail made with equal parts dry stout and dry sparkling wine. Two ingredients, one glass and five minutes.
- 5 min
- ≈ 98 kcal
- ≈ 8.1% ABV
Cocktails
Halloween Blood Moon Rye Boulevardier
A bitter Halloween rye Boulevardier with Campari and sweet vermouth, stirred cold and served in a coupe with an orange-peel crescent.
- 8 min
- ≈ 201 kcal
- ≈ 24% ABV
Cocktails
Halloween Black Cat Amaretto Cold Brew Highball
A dark Halloween highball with amaretto, cold brew and soda water, finished with removable black-paper cat ears. One fizzy adult drink in 8 minutes.
- 8 min
- ≈ 126 kcal
- ≈ 5.2% ABV
Cocktails
Halloween Vampire Ruby Port and Tonic
A ruby-red Halloween port and tonic with a cocoa-sugar half rim. Build one fizzy adult cocktail in a wine glass in 8 minutes.
- 8 min
- ≈ 165 kcal
- ≈ 8.1% ABV
Cocktails
Halloween Headless Horseman Cognac Old Fashioned
A stirred Halloween cognac Old Fashioned with a little amaretto, aromatic bitters and an orange-peel pumpkin garnish. Makes one adult drink.
- 8 min
- ≈ 166 kcal
- ≈ 32.4% ABV
Cocktails
Halloween Graveyard Irish Cream Hot Chocolate
Make one Halloween Irish cream hot chocolate with cocoa, milk and a chocolate wafer tombstone. A warm adult drink ready in 10 minutes.
- 10 min
- ≈ 276 kcal
- ≈ 3.4% ABV
Cocktails
Halloween Smoky Mezcal Bloody Maria
A savory Halloween Bloody Maria with mezcal, tomato, lemon, horseradish and olive "eyes." Stir one smoky cocktail in 10 minutes.
- 10 min
- ≈ 162 kcal
- ≈ 8.2% ABV
Cocktails
Halloween Candy Corn Martini
Make a Candy Corn Martini with vanilla vodka, pineapple, orange, lemon and grenadine, finished with whipped cream and candy corn.
- 10 min
- ≈ 180 kcal
- ≈ 10.6% ABV
Cocktails
Halloween Lychee Eyeball Martini
Make a spooky lychee eyeball martini with vodka, canned lychee syrup, fresh lime and an edible lychee-blueberry garnish in 10 minutes.
- 10 min
- ≈ 219 kcal
- ≈ 17.1% ABV
Cocktails
Halloween Witch's Brew Melon Sour
A bright green Halloween cocktail with melon liqueur, vodka, fresh lime and soda water. Shake one Witch's Brew Melon Sour in five minutes.
- 5 min
- ≈ 198 kcal
- ≈ 14.6% ABV
Cocktails
Halloween Poison Apple Cider Mule
A Halloween apple cider mule with dark rum, lime and ginger beer. Build one crisp autumn cocktail in five minutes and garnish with red apple slices.
- 5 min
- ≈ 210 kcal
- ≈ 10.6% ABV
Cocktails
Halloween Vampire Bite Margarita
A Halloween margarita with a pomegranate “blood” shot guests add themselves. Measured tequila, lime and orange liqueur; one drink in 10 minutes.
- 10 min
- ≈ 213 kcal
- ≈ 17.4% ABV
Cocktails
Halloween Ghost White Russian
Make a Halloween White Russian with coffee liqueur, cream and an edible marshmallow ghost perched above the glass. One cocktail, ready in 10 minutes.
- 10 min
- ≈ 349 kcal
- ≈ 20.8% ABV
Cocktails
Halloween Black Cherry Bourbon Smash
A dark cherry bourbon cocktail with fresh lemon and a little maple syrup, served over ice for a Halloween gathering.
- 5 min
- ≈ 211 kcal
- ≈ 13.5% ABV
Cocktails
Halloween Blackberry Witch Fizz
A dark purple blackberry and gin cocktail with lemon, ginger beer and a rosemary garnish. Ready in 10 minutes for a Halloween party.
- 10 min
- ≈ 236 kcal
- ≈ 10.2% ABV
Alcohol-free and kid-friendly
Mocktails
Halloween Witch's Swamp Kiwi Chia Punch for Kids
A fizzy green Halloween punch for six children, blended with kiwi and cucumber and dotted with hydrated chia seeds. Completely alcohol-free.
- 40 min
- ≈ 73 kcal
- Non-alcoholic
Mocktails
Halloween Hibiscus Ice-Hand Punch for Kids
A sparkling alcohol-free Halloween punch for six children, with hibiscus tea, cranberry juice and a frozen-water hand centerpiece.
- Make ahead
- ≈ 53 kcal
- Non-alcoholic
Mocktails
Halloween Shrunken Apple Head Punch for Kids
A warm alcohol-free Halloween apple punch for four children, served with simple carved apple heads and no extracts or bitters.
- 30 min
- ≈ 111 kcal
- Non-alcoholic
Mocktails
Halloween Color-Changing Butterfly Pea Lemonade for Kids
An alcohol-free Halloween butterfly pea lemonade for kids that changes from blue to purple when poured. Makes two drinks with no extracts or bitters.
- 40 min
- ≈ 63 kcal
- Non-alcoholic
Mocktails
Halloween Mango Coconut Mummy Smoothie for Kids
A dairy-free, alcohol-free Halloween mango coconut smoothie for kids, served in cups wrapped like mummies. Makes two small drinks in 10 minutes.
- 10 min
- ≈ 95 kcal
- Non-alcoholic
Mocktails
Halloween Pumpkin Patch Steamer for Kids
A warm alcohol-free pumpkin milk drink for children with brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Makes two small mugs in 12 minutes.
- 12 min
- ≈ 193 kcal
- Non-alcoholic
Mocktails
Halloween Spiderweb Raspberry Yogurt Smoothie for Kids
Make two alcohol-free Halloween raspberry yogurt smoothies with edible white spiderwebs. Frozen berries keep the drink thick enough to decorate.
- 12 min
- ≈ 160 kcal
- Non-alcoholic
Mocktails
Halloween Bat-Wing Rooibos Tea for Kids
A caffeine-free Halloween drink for kids made with plain rooibos tea, cinnamon and a little sugar, served lukewarm in bat-decorated cups.
- 30 min
- ≈ 18 kcal
- Non-alcoholic
Mocktails
Halloween Green Monster Pear-Cucumber Cooler for Kids
Blend ripe pears and cucumber into two pale green Halloween coolers for kids. Serve over ice with cucumber ribbon “tentacles”; no alcohol or extracts.
- 10 min
- ≈ 79 kcal
- Non-alcoholic
Mocktails
Halloween Midnight Plum Grape Slush for Kids
Blend two small purple Halloween slush drinks for kids with ripe plums, 100% grape juice and ice. No alcohol, dairy or added syrup.
- 10 min
- ≈ 123 kcal
- Non-alcoholic
Mocktails
Halloween Jack-o'-Lantern Orange Fizz for Kids
Make two small jack-o'-lantern orange fizz drinks for kids with orange juice, pineapple juice and sparkling water. Decorate the outside of the cups.
- 10 min
- ≈ 56 kcal
- Non-alcoholic
Milkshakes & Creamy Drinks
Halloween Ghost Milkshake for Kids
Make two small banana vanilla ghost milkshakes for Halloween. A sweet, alcohol-free drink for kids with an optional whipped cream ghost decoration.
- 10 min
- ≈ 368 kcal
- Non-alcoholic
Halloween drinks at a glance
Per serving, as written in each recipe. Calories and alcohol are estimates; see how we estimate them.
Halloween drink questions
What Halloween drinks can kids have?
The Witch's Swamp Kiwi Chia Punch for Kids, the Hibiscus Ice-Hand Punch for Kids, the Shrunken Apple Head Punch for Kids, the Color-Changing Butterfly Pea Lemonade for Kids, the Mango Coconut Mummy Smoothie for Kids, the Pumpkin Patch Steamer for Kids, the Spiderweb Raspberry Yogurt Smoothie for Kids, the Bat-Wing Rooibos Tea for Kids, the Green Monster Pear-Cucumber Cooler for Kids, the Midnight Plum Grape Slush for Kids, the Jack-o'-Lantern Orange Fizz for Kids and the Ghost Milkshake for Kids contain no alcohol and are made to share with children. Several of the cocktails here also give an alcohol-free version in their Common questions section.
What is the quickest Halloween cocktail to make?
The Black Velvet Stout and Sparkling Wine Cocktail, the Witch's Brew Melon Sour, the Poison Apple Cider Mule and the Black Cherry Bourbon Smash take about 5 minutes each. The others take a little longer, mostly for the garnish.
Which Halloween cocktail is the strongest?
The Headless Horseman Cognac Old Fashioned is the strongest here at about 32.4% ABV; the Graveyard Irish Cream Hot Chocolate is the lightest at about 3.4% ABV. Both are estimates per serving from the measured ingredients.
How can I make Halloween cocktails ahead for a party?
Mix the still ingredients (spirits, juices and syrups) ahead and keep them in the fridge. Add ice, fizzy mixers such as ginger beer or sparkling water, and cream or whipped toppings only when serving, so the drinks stay bubbly and look fresh. Most garnishes can be made earlier in the day; cut apple is the exception because it browns.
How do you make a Halloween drink look spooky without special ingredients?
Let the garnish do the work: a marshmallow ghost with chocolate eyes, a red “blood” shot of pomegranate juice and grenadine, black paper jack-o'-lantern faces taped outside clear cups, the deep purple of muddled blackberries or a fan of red apple slices. None of these needs food coloring or dry ice.