Creepy cocktails to haunt your Halloween table

The classic Bloody Mary – named for the English Queen known to have burned heretics at the stake by the hundreds – makes for a suitably spooky Halloween cocktail.

What do you look for in a seasonally spooky libations to celebrate All Hallow’s Eve?

While the holiday might conjure images of witches hunched over a steaming cauldron, tossing eye of newt and toe of frog into an evil concoction, Corby Spirit and Wine offers a few more palatable creations help you get creative with the creepy cocktails this weekend.

  • Bloody Mary — This classic cocktail shares its name with the first-ever Queen of England, who burned heretics at the stake by the hundreds. To make a basic Bloody Mary (there are numerous variations, including the distinctly Canadian Bloody Caesar), fill a mixing glass with ice cubes. Then add four parts tomato juice, one shot of Absolut Vodka, one part horseradish, one-third part Worcestershire sauce, one-third part lemon juice and four dashes hot sauce. Stir and pour into a highball glass filled with ice and rimmed with celery salt. Garnish with a lemon wedge and celery stick.
  • Spooky Sour — A creepy twist on a classic gin sour. For the Spooky Sour, pour a shot of Beefeater gin, 20 mL of lemon juice, 15 mL of simple syrup, one egg white and a drop of green food colouring in a cocktail shaker with no ice. Give it a dry shake until frothy, then add ice cubes and shake until chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with matcha powder.
  • Ice Pick — This classic slasher film weapon doubles here as a new take to an old fashioned iced tea. A simple and refreshing cocktail, for the Ice Pick simply pour a shot of Polar Ice Vodka into a highball glass filled with ice, top with iced tea and a squeeze of lemon, stir and enjoy.
  • Jack ‘o’ Lantern Hot Toddy — Autumn is the season of pumpkin everything, including the gourds being transformed into the endearing Halloween symbol that perches on porches as kids go trick or treating. The Glenlivet’s pumpkin hot toddy is a rich and cozy cocktail for a cool autumn evening. Start with steeping a sachet of DavidsTea Pumpkin Crème Brule in three-quarter cup of hot water for five minutes. Remove the sachet and stir in a quarter teaspoon of maple syrup. Then add a shot of The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve, one slice of orange and two dashes of orange bitters. Garnish with an orange rind and pinch of cinnamon powder or a cinnamon stick.
  • Dracula Spritz — Give a spritz a bloody twist with one of the giants of the horror genre, Count Vlad Dracul himself. Start the Dracula Spritz with a wine glass with a few ice cubes. Pour in a shot of Beefeater Blood Orange gin, 50 mL of sparkling wine and 50 mL of ginger ale. Garnish with a slice of orange and some Halloween candies.

Have a sensationally spooky but safe Halloween. And if you plan to enjoy any of these creepy cocktails — or indulge in other adult beverages – do so responsibly. If you drink, don’t drive.

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