By Aaron Wilkinson, Third Year History
Halloween is one of the great student nights out of the year. Dressing up and having a laugh with mates, what better way to spice up your night than with some themed drinks?
It’s October and that means things are going to get pretty spooky round Bristol. If you’re planning on holding a Halloween party or just want to impress your friends, family, and/or flatmates, then why not try these Halloween themed cocktails?
There’s a nice variety here to help cater to all drinkers. Four cocktails, two shooters and a party punch, so get carving your pumpkins and dig out the skeletons.
Some of the original ingredients for these drinks might seem a bit expensive, intimidating, or just unnecessary, especially on a student budget. See at the end of the recipes for some alternatives, advice, and tips on getting the most from your student drinks cabinet.
The Grave Digger
This whisk(e)y cocktail is a perfect fit for the season and Bristol, not only does it have a thematically relevant name but it contains scrumpy too. The beauty of this cocktail is that it’s really easy to put together and can be easily adjusted for how hard its alcohol content can be.
Simply take a tall highball glass (or plastic cups if you want to save on the washing up) and drop a shot of whisky of your choice as well as two shots of hard cider. Add a few cubes of ice and top up with ginger ale to taste. If you’re feeling really fancy, you can use crushed ice and add a slice or two of orange to garnish.
Ingredients:
1 shot of Whisk(e)y - I used Jura Superstition for it’s cinnamon and smoky flavour but standard bourbon or blended will work just as well.
2 shots of Hard Cider-I used Cornish rattler but if you want a harder drink, any good scrumpy will do. If you want it lighter then any standard cider will work fine.
Ginger Ale -To top up.
Ice - A few cubes, crushed or otherwise
Havana Zombie
This rum cocktail can be a bit of a pain in terms of ingredients and not all student households will keep such a well stocked bar, but it’s worth the effort for a zesty drink. There are a few alternative changes to it’s main recipe that i’ve listed in the ingredients.
Start by taking a mixing glass, something like a pint glass will suffice. Pour in the fruit juices, the sugar syrup and all three of the rums over the ice cubes and stir vigorously. Feel free to taste and adjust the lime and sugar to your liking. After around 15-20 seconds of mixing, pour into a tall glass.
Ingredients:
1 shot of White Rum - I used Bacardi but any supermarket own brand white rum will do. It is important to make sure you include the white rum however.
1 shot of Golden Rum - I used Mount Gay which is a fairly affordable golden rum but can be substituted (see dark rum).
1 shot of Dark Rum - I used Woods Navy which is actually an overproof rum. I’d recommend Captain Morgans dark as an affordable alternative, or if you’re skipping out on the golden then use 2 shots of a spiced rum such as Captain Morgans or Kraken to compensate for the lack of golden rum.
4 shots of Pineapple Juice - Any supermarket pineapple juice will do.
Juice of 1 Lime -I’d recommend juicing one and a half. This allows a bit of leeway with the tartness of your drink, and you can use the other half of the second lime as garnish.
Dash of Sugar Syrup -This is a standard bartending ingredient but it’s just water and sugar boiled down. An easy alternative would be a teaspoon of white sugar but if you do this make sure to stir well to ensure it’s all dissolved and mixed in.
Ice- 4-5 cubes or whatever necessary to fill your glass.
The Devil’s Torch
A vodka cocktail for those going up a notch from a white wine spritzer. This one uses a cocktail shaker, if you haven’t got one then Poundland does a very cheap (albeit rather flimsy) plastic set that should suffice for the occasion.
Take your vodka, white wine and the grenadine and place into the shaker with a small amount of ice. Shake until a frost forms on the shaker (or around 15 seconds minimum). Strain into a martini glass if being fancy, pour into whatever glass is at hand if not.
There are two variations to this cocktail if you want to really push the boat out:
El Diablo’s Torch - Swap the vodka for silver tequila and the white wine for sparkling wine.
The Devil’s Bonfire -Use chilli vodka and fortified white wine like sherry.
Ingredients:
2 shots of Vodka -A good quality vodka would work best, like Stolichnaya, Skyy or New Amsterdam but work with what you have.
2 shots of White Wine -A good quality wine would work but the grenadine and vodka may overpower a nicer wine. Save the good stuff and use whatever is cheapest.
4 dashes of Grenadine -If you haven’t got this bartenders staple, blackcurrant cordial will work in a pinch.
Black Cat
Avoid the bad luck by having this kind of black cat cross your path. This is another one using a cocktail shaker but you can stir instead, just make sure you really give it a good mix.
In your shaker, add the Blue Curacao, Vodka and some ice. Shake/mix well. Pour into a tall glass filled with ice. Top up to around ¾ of the glass with lemonade and then slowly drip the cranberry juice in to top up. Garnish with a slice of lime either in the drink or on the side of the glass.
Ingredients:
1 Shot of Vodka - Any standard vodka, whatever you have to hand.
1 Shot of Blue Curaceo -Orange liqueur with a deep blue colour, this isn’t really replaceable but is also fairly cheap given it has a low ABV.
Lemonade -To top up, any lemon soda will work.
Cranberry Juice - To top up, only a small amount is needed so if buying a whole carton consider doing one of the punch recipes too.
Lime Wedges - To garnish.
Shooters
Everyone loves shots, but sometimes pounding straight vodka can be a little boring. Even if you don’t fancy the cocktails, why not try livening up your shots with these shooter cocktails?
Flat Liner
This one has a bit of a kick but it mixes two shotting favourites; sambuca and tequila. Simply take a 50ml shot glass and fill half and half tequila and sambuca. While this will definitely liven up your night, the kicker comes from a dash or four of hot sauce.
Ingredients:
1 shot Tequila - I prefer Tequila Blanco but whatever you have will do.
1 shot Sambuca - Any aniseed spirit should work well such as Ouzo.
3-4 dashes Hot Sauce -Purists insist on Tabasco, but whatever you have thats hot and spicy, it’s the kick that matters.
Silver Bullet
Silver Bullets: Great for killing werewolves and your liver! Use a 50ml shot glass and fill half and half with gin and whisk(e)y. A real simple one and encourages you to broaden your shotting spirits horizon.
Ingredients:
1 shot of Gin -Nothing fancy as any intricate flavours will be masked by the whisky.
1 shot of Whisk(e)y -The traditional Silver Bullet calls for scotch but whatever whisky you have to hand should suffice as long as it’s fairly mild. Anything like an Islay will overpower the gin entirely.
Party Punch
If you really want to show off at your spooky halloween party then nothing really impresses like a big bowl of punch. Who doesn’t love a free drink? (though feel free to charge your guests, the cheapskates). I’ve got two recipes for two different types.
Aaron’s Spooky Skeleton Syrup
Like with most of these recipes there's leeway for your budget and tastes but also some really cool ways to present this. I never really had a name for it other than Spooky Syrup, so here’s how to make Aarons Spooky Skeleton Syrup:
Regardless of how you want to present this, I recommend mixing up the alcohol mix in a bowl, preferably one you can seal securely for a few hours. This recipe is for a punch for 4 people but you can adjust it appropriately for however many people you’ve got turning up. This first step is entirely optional but will add an extra depth of flavour to your drink and can easily be done and left to sit while you get yourself in costume.
Start by adding four shots of spiced rum into your bowl and add two shots of cointreau. Add two cinnamon sticks broke in two and a couple of chunks of orange. Cover with cling film and leave in a cool dry place for at least two hours. When you’re ready to make the rest of the punch, remove these aromatics and keep aside for garnishing later. Add four shots of smoky whisky and then top up to your liking with orange juice. Break up some more cinnamon sticks and put some orange slices in as garnish. The result is a punch which is fairly simple but has a nice autumnal kick.
Ingredients:(For a 4 person punch bowl)
4 shots of Spiced Rum -I used Sailor Jerries in my original version but whatever is cheapest will work fine.
2 shots of Cointreau -Otherwise known as triple sec. This can be an expensive item given it’s not really a spirit you can drink on it’s own. If you don’t want to fork out, non-alcoholic syrups can give the same flavour and you can just put in a shot of vodka to compensate for the alcohol.
4 shots of Smoky Whisk(e)y - Once again I used Jura Superstition in my original version for its cinnamon kick and heavy smokiness. Any generic bourbon or blended scotch will suffice but for Islay whisky alternatives see the list at the end.
Orange Juice - To top up, to taste. A good rule of thumb here is a 1 to 3 ratio spirits to mixer so one full carton would work well, but it’s completely up to you how hard or soft you want your punch.
Ice -For an extra spooky trick, find a skull mask, use tape to seal all the holes and fill with water. Freeze it and you’ll have a skull ice cube.
Cinnamon Sticks and Orange Slices - Important both for infusing some extra flavour but also as garnish.
Bristol Blood
This punch is honestly a bit of a potluck in terms of its ingredients but is a lot more accessible than my spooky syrup both in ingredients and ease of preparation. Once again, this is designed for a 4 person serving so adjust appropriately. Unlike the previous punch, this one only takes five minutes to put together and doesn’t really require any preparation earlier in the day.
Into a large mixing bowl or whatever you intend to serve in add the vodka and rum. Drop the raspberries and strawberries in and mash them up to create a pulp that still has some solid bits. If you have any, add some grenadine at this point. Next add both bottles of cider and stir to mix in the fruit. Add a bag of ice (or however much you feel necessary) and then top up with an entire carton of cranberry juice. To garnish, add some more berries and if you’re feeling particularly cruel to your guests some jelly eyeball sweets.
Ingredients:
4 shots of Vodka - I used Stolichnaya but this turned out to be a complete waste of good vodka. You won’t taste any intricacies of the base spirits in this one so use the cheapest you can get.
4 shots of White Rum -Once again, I used Bacardi which seemed a waste. Any supermarket own brand rum would have worked just as well.
1 Bottle of Hard Cider - I used Cornish Rattler again but any good scrumpy, this is Bristolblood after all.
1 Bottle of Mixed Berries Cider - I used Rattler Berry for it’s higher percentage but anything deep purple coloured and fruity will do.
1 shot of Grenadine - A standard bar syrup with a tart yet sweet berry flavour. Adds an extra depth to the punch but ultimately not necessary if you’re on a budget.
Cranberry Juice - Like the previous punch, top up to taste but I recommend at least a whole carton due to the extra alcohol content in this punch.
Raspberries/Strawberries - For garnishing purposes.
You could serve either of these punches out of the bowl you mixed them in but of course i’ve got some serving recommendations for you to consider. A plastic (or metal if you really want to commit) cauldron can be a great talking piece, especially if its large enough to freestand without having to be on a table. However, my favourite method is to try and find a big pumpkin. Hollow and clean it out and line with a food safe plastic bag. Pour the punch into the makeshift bowl and you have a great serving bowl that’s also biodegradable. Just make sure you look for your serving bowl a few days in advance as big pumpkins tend to sell fast from shops.
Affordability and alcohol alternatives:
All of these cocktails are great drinks to make but some of them do have a wider variety of ingredients than one might expect your average student to keep stocked. To ensure you get the most of your cocktails and night, just bear these things in mind:
First up, it is important to note that it doesn’t matter what the recipe originally says or what I have preferred to use in making them. Making cocktails should be fun and there's no point going completely out of your budget and comfort zone to blindly follow a recipe, just try and use the same base alcohol.
Secondly, bear in mind that unless you intend to make these multiple times (which I do recommend you do) you might end up lumbered with a bottle of spirits you don’t really want or use. Especially when making the punches, try and find other people to split the cost with who like the different ingredients to mitigate any wastage and cost. When using supermarket own brand spirits you can make the Bristol Blood for around £15 for 15 people
Alternatives:
Whisk(e)y -I mention Jura Superstition in my punch and the grave digger. Even a half bottle can set you back a good £20. Subsequently I recommend Tesco and Sainsbury's own brand Islay scotches if you want a similar smoky whisky or otherwise a bourbon like Jim Beam. Both these alternatives retail at around £18 for a 700ml bottle.
Grenadine -This fruit syrup is fairly cheap and can be picked up for around £3-£5 a bottle, but it doesn’t have much use outside of cocktail bartending. Standard Blackcurrant cordial should suffice if you know you’re not going to use it again.
Vodka/Rum -I used Stolichnaya, Bacardi and other branded spirits but all major supermarkets offer own brand bottles, in a variety of sizes that are better suited to making punches or one off sets of cocktails.
Photos courtesy of Aaron Wilkinson
Have you got any festive cocktail recipes to share? Let us know in the comments below!
