It’s Halloween this weekend (31 October), and if you’re planning a party for the occasion, it simply wouldn’t be complete without some themed cocktails! We’ve pulled together a small selection from UK gin brands to bring some extra ghoulish charm to your celebrations.
If you’re celebrating Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) on 2 November and fancy “cheating on gin”, you can switch up some of these cocktails with Tequila or mezcal.
G’Vine – Hocus Pocus
Ingredients
- 1 slice fresh watermelon
- 50ml Nouaison Gin
- 20ml fresh ruby grapefruit juice
- 1 tsp lime jam/marmalade
- 10ml Aperol
Method
In a shaker pulp the slice of fresh watermelon, then add Nouaison Gin, fresh grapefruit juice, lime jam and Aperol. Shake and double strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a slice of watermelon.
Rock Rose – Corpse Reviver
Ingredients
Fo the cocktail:
- 25ml Rock Rose Gin Autumn Edition
- 25ml Triple Sec (or another orange liqueur)
- 25ml Lillet Blanc (or white vermouth)
- 25ml lemon juice
- 1 tsp sugar syrup
- A dash of absinthe
For the ‘ghoulish garnish’:
- Grenadine
- Tinned lychees or fresh lychees, stone removed
- Strawberry or raspberry jam
- Blueberries
- Red food colouring
Method
Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and fine strain into a chilled Martini glass.
To make the ‘ghoulish garnish’, use a small spoon or a piping bag to put a little jam into the cavity of the lychee, then squeeze in a blueberry. Use a toothpick to add some red food colouring around the white part and a few drops of Grenadine. Slide onto a cocktail stick and place across the glass.
Beefeater – Dracula Spritz
Ingredients
- 35ml Beefeater Blood Orange
- 50ml sparkling wine
- 50ml ginger ale
Method
Build the cocktail in a large wine glass or gin balloon glass with ice. Garnish with an orange slice and gummy-sweet teeth or fangs, for an extra Halloween flourish.
Brockmans – Drop Dead Fred
Ingredients
- 60ml Brockmans Gin
- 30ml homemade hibiscus syrup
- 15ml fresh squeeze lemon juice
- 15ml grapefruit juice
- 5 fresh blackberries
- Additional blackberry and mint leaf skewered on a cocktail stick, to garnish
Method
To make the hibiscus syrup, steep hibiscus tea in heated sugar water (ratio 1:1) for 20 to 30 minutes, then remove the tea bags and allow to cool.
To build the cocktail, muddle five blackberries in a shaker with Brockmans Gin. Add ice and other ingredients and shake vigorously. Double strain into a coupe glass and garnish with the blackberry and mint cocktail stick.
Opihr – Black (Lemon) Widow
Ingredients
- 35ml Opihr Black Lemon Gin
- 30ml Dubonnet (a sweet fortified wine)
- 15ml pomegranate syrup or Grenadine
- 2 blackberries
- Ginger Beer
Method
Muddle the blackberries, then fine strain into a mixing glass. Add Opihr Black Lemon, Dubonnet and pomegranate syrup and stir over ice. Fine strain into a Rocks or Collins glass, over ice, and top up with ginger beer. Garnish with a blackberry on a stick.
Caorunn – Pumpkin Spiced Spritz
Ingredients
For the cocktail:
- 35ml Caorunn Gin
- 40ml spiced pumpkin shrub
- 50ml soda water
- 5 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
For the spiced pumpkin shrub:
- 500g caster sugar
- 500g pumpkin
- 500ml apple cider vinegar
- Ground cinnamon, ground ginger, cloves and vanilla, to taste
Method
To make the shrub, mix the caster sugar, spices and pumpkin and leave it to rest in the fridge for 48 hours. Add the vinegar and blend the ingredients. Fine strain bottle it and refrigerate.
To create the cocktail, add the ingredients to a tall glass filled with ice. Garnish with discarded pumpkin ash, if desired.
These look fantastic!