The spirits are here and we aren’t talking ghosts

Spooky season has arrived and there is nothing better than celebrating Halloween with a festive cocktail in hand.  Check out some of our favorite recipes below that will make your Halloweekend even better.

Tequila/Mezcal

The Treat

Ingredients:

• 1.5oz Gran Coramino Reposado
• 0.75oz Lime Juice
• 0.25oz Triple Sec
• 1oz Red Wine Float

 Instructions: Pour lime juice, agave, triple sec, and Gran Coramino Reposado in a cocktail shaker. Add ice to the cocktail tin and shake. Strain into rocks glass with fresh ice. Top with a float of red wine and garnish with a dehydrated lime wheel.

Altos Tequila Blood Orange Margarita

Ingredients 

• Altos Tequila Blood Orange Margarita Recipe
• 2 oz Altos Tequila
• 1 oz fresh blood orange juice  
• ¾ oz lime juice
• ½ oz agave syrup
• Blood orange wheel for garnish

Hornitos®: Cucumber Habanero Margarita

Ingredients

• 2 parts Hornitos®: Cucumber Habanero
• 1 Part Fresh Lime Juice
• ½ Part Agave Syrup

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into rocks glass over ice.

Garnishes: Lime wheel and half rim of salt.

La Calavera

Ingredients:

•  1 ½ parts Hornitos Plata or Reposado Tequila
•  1 part Cream of Coconut
•  1 part Rice Milk
•  1 part Pineapple Juice
•  1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

Directions: Combine ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass over fresh ice. Garnish with ground cinnamon and pineapple wedge.

La Calaverita

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Mezcal Unión Uno
• 1 oz Fresh Tangerine or Mandarin Juice
• .75 oz Pumpkin Spice Syrup 
• .25 oz Fresh Lime Juice
• Smoked Salt Rim
• Marigold Garnish

Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a shaker, add ice, shake and garnish. 

Vida Rita

Ingredients

Vodka

Crystal Cranberry Skull

Ingredients:

• 1½ oz Original Crystal Head Vodka
• 1 oz Cranberry Syrup
• ½ oz Lime Juice
• Fresh Cucumber, Mint, and Cranberries
• Sparkling Wine

Directions: In a cocktail shaker, muddle two cucumber slices, 3-4 mint leaves and 4-5 cranberries. Add Crystal Head Vodka, cranberry syrup, lime juice and plenty of ice. Shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds. Double strain into a chilled coupe glass and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with a mint and cranberry skewer.

Hazelnut Espresso Martini

Ingredients: 

• 0.5 Part Frangelico
• 1.5 Parts SKYY Vodka
• 1.5 Part Cold Brew Concentrate or Espresso
• 0.25 Part Simple Syrup (1:1)

Method: 

Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin with fresh ice, shake vigorously until chilled.

Strain into chilled coupe or martini glass & garnish with (3) whole coffee beans.

Glassware: Coupe Glass

Haku Matcha Martini

Ingredients: 

• 3 parts Haku Japanese Craft Vodka 
• 3/4 part fresh lime juice
• 3/4 part matcha simple syrup (equal parts matcha tea with sugar, refrigerated)

Method: 

• Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker
• Shake, then double strain into a chilled coupe glass

Berry Oyster Shooter

Ingredients 

• 1 oz Chambord Liqueur
• 2 oz premium vodka
• 1 oz red wine vinegar
• 1 slice shallot
• Pinch of white pepper

Method: Finely chop a slice of shallot. Add shallot, Chambord, vodka, vinegar, and white pepper into a sealed container and marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Pour into glass and garnish.

Glass: Shooter Glass

Garnish: Fresh oyster

Whiskey/Bourbon

The Corpse Reviver by Rémy Martin

Ingredients: 

• 1 oz Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal
• 1 oz Calvados
• 1/2 oz sweet vermouth
• Orange twist

How to Make: 

Add 1 oz of Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal, 1 oz of Calvados, and 1/2 oz of sweet vermouth to a mixing glass with ice.

Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Garnish with an orange twist.

Golden Oak

Ingredients

• 1.5oz Angel’s Envy Triple Oak​
• 4.5oz European Style Hard Cider

DirectionsCombine all ingredients into a chilled highball glass with ice.

Stir lightly to combine.  Garnish with a long lemon peel.

Black Manhattan

Ingredients:

• 1 part Averna 
• 2 parts Russell’s Reserve 6 Year Rye
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
• Garnish: brandied cherry

Method:Mix all ingredients with ice. 

Strain into coupe glass and garnish with a brandied cherry. 

Basil Hayden Spellbound SmashIngredients

• 2 parts Basil Hayden Bourbon
• ¾ part Demerara Syrup*
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
• 2 dashes Orange Bitters
• Half of a Lemon
• 5 Fresh Blackberries
• 3 Sage Leaves (2 for garnish)
• 1 sprig of Thyme (for garnish)

Method

• Place half of a lemon and the blackberries into a cocktail shaker and lightly press with the back of a bar spoon
• Add remaining ingredients, including one sage leaf, to cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously
• Strain into a rocks glass over ice
• Garnish with remaining two sage leaves and a sprig of thyme

Truffled Manhattan

Ingredients 

• 2.5 oz Great Jones Four Grain Bourbon
• .75 oz dry vermouth
• .75 oz sweet vermouth (such as Carpano Antica Formula)
• .5 oz black truffle syrup*

Glass: Coupe 

Garnish: Black Truffle Sliver

Method: Combine all ingredients over ice in a mixing glass and stir until well chilled. Serve up in a chilled cocktail coupe. 

Salted Jefferson’s Old Fashioned

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 dashes Angostura® bitters
• 2 parts Jefferson’s Ocean
• 2 teaspoons water
• Pinch of sea salt
• Orange peel for garnish

Method: To make a Salted Jefferson’s Bourbon Old fashioned, add sugar, bitters, salt, and ~2 teaspoons of water into a rocks glass and stir until the sugar and salt are mostly dissolved. Next, add the bourbon and gently stir to combine. Drop in a large ice cube, squeeze the orange peel over the drink and drop it into the glass as garnish. Enjoy!

Rum

Diplomatico Old Fashioned

Ingredients:

• 2 Parts Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva
• 0.25 Part Sugar syrup
• 3 dashes bitters
• Orange peel

Instructions: Add all ingredients to a mixing glass, fill with ice. Stir, strain over large ice cube in a rocks glass. Garnish with orange peel.

Gin

Pizza Party

Ingredients:

• .75 oz Gin Mare Mediterranean Gin
• .75 oz Saint Benevolence Clairin
• .75 oz Tomato-Parmesan Syrup
• .50 oz Lemon Juice
• .125 oz Ancho Verde
• .125 oz Acompani Flora Green
• Bottom: 1.0 oz Cava

Glass: Coupe

Garnish: Skewered Tomolovie + Grape Tomato

Method: Stir. Strain over cava. Garnish.

Wine/Champagne

Layered New York Sour

Ingredients: 

• 2 oz. Bourbon 
• 1 oz. Lemon juice 
• 1/2 oz. Simple syrup 
• 2 oz. Josh Cellars Hearth Cabernet Sauvignon 
• Ice  

Directions: Add bourbon, lemon juice and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. 

Shake well and pour into an Old Fashioned cocktail glass. Fill with ice. 

To achieve the layered float effect, gently pour the Hearth Cabernet Sauvignon over the back of a spoon, letting it rest on the surface of the already-poured cocktail mixture. 

Fall Red Wine Sangria

Ingredients: 

• 2 apples, cored and sliced 
• 2 bosc pears, cored and sliced 
• 1 bottle Josh Cellars Legacy Red Blend 
• 2 cups apple juice 
• ¼ cup bourbon 
• 3 – 4 cinnamon sticks 
• 2 – 3 star anise 
• Ice 

Directions: Add the sliced apples, sliced pears, cinnamon sticks and star anise to a large pitcher. Add ice and then pour in the Josh Cellars Legacy Red Blend, the apple juice and the bourbon. Stir and refrigerate for about 3 hours to let the flavors infuse. 

Add ice to a wine glass and pour in the sangria. Garnish with slices of apple and pear. 

And nothing goes better with a celebration than a glass of champagne.  And thanks for our friends at Veuve Clicquot, Moët & Chandon, and CHANDON, we have some fun holiday pairings for you.

Aperitifs

Campari Spritz

Ingredients:

• 3 parts Cinzano Prosecco 
• 2 parts Campari
• 1 part Soda Water
• Ice
• Orange Slice 

Method: In a wine glass full of ice, combine 3 parts of Cinzano Prosecco followed by 2 parts Campari. Add 1 part or a splash of soda water, and garnish with an orange slice.

Glassware: Wine Glass

Aperol Spritz

Ingredients:

• 3 Parts Cinzano Prosecco D.O.C.
• 2 Parts Aperol
• 1 Part Soda Water (served from a siphon or chilled bottle) 
• 1 Slice of orange

Method:  In a wine glass full of ice, combine 3 parts of Cinzano Prosecco D.O.C. followed by 2 parts Aperol. Add 1 part or a splash of soda water, stir gently if needed, and garnish with an orange slice. The result should be a uniform, perfect orange color. Garnish with an orange slice.

Glassware: Wine Glass

Savory Meyer Lemon Spritz

Ingredients

• 1.5oz Le Moné
• .5oz Cynar
• Dash of Celery Bitters
• 1.5oz Soda Water
• 3oz Sparkling Brut

Glass: Large wine glass 

Garnish: Meyer Lemon Twist & Olive

Canned Spirits

Bols, the world’s first cocktail brand with nearly 450 years of expertise, brings the bar-quality experience straight to your home with its ready-to-enjoy cocktails. These RTD cocktails make it effortless to indulge – simply pour over ice, add a garnish, and enjoy. The collection includes five signature cocktails: Espresso Martini, Margarita Azul, Red Light Negroni, Very Old Fashioned, and Pornstar Martini – all crafted with natural flavors for a premium taste.

Espresso Martini: Made with iconic Galliano Espresso liqueur, this cocktail is rich and creamy with a bold espresso flavor. Best served chilled with coffee beans for garnish, making it a smooth and indulgent treat.

Margarita Azul: A tangy and refreshing margarita with a vibrant blue color. Enjoy its bold citrus flavors and smooth tequila kick, perfect for a sunny fall day.

Red Light Negroni: A bittersweet classic with a Dutch twist, blending botanicals and orange for a smooth, malty finish. Ideal for a sophisticated evening, served over ice with a twist of orange zest.

Very Old Fashioned: Sophisticated and aromatic, this cocktail features rich orange notes and warm cedarwood tones. It’s perfect for sipping by a crackling fire on a cool fall night.

Pornstar Martini: Sweet and vibrant with flavors of vanilla and candied orange peel. Its eye-catching orange hue makes it a fun choice for lively gatherings.

Another favorite canned spirit comes from  Lipton Hard Iced Tea, available in five bold, fruity flavors including peach. Whether you’re hosting friends for a football Sunday, carving pumpkins, or toasting to the holiday season, Lipton Hard Iced Tea Peach brings the perfect blend of smooth tea and a kick of fun, making it the ideal sip for all your fall occasions.

And as of this month, a new product has hit the market, called MUYU.  MUYU is a collection of aromatic liqueurs that were designed by Monica Berg and Alex Kratena of London’s famed Tayer + Elementary cocktail bar, currently #8 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list – and Simone Caporale of SIPS in Barcelona, which is currently #1 on the list. Inspired by the techniques of perfumery, the trailblazing trio collaborated with aroma experts to capture the flavors of esoteric ingredients to bring brand new realms of possibility to cocktail creators around the world. Bottled at low-abv, the collection was an instant hit when it launched in the UK, they will now be available at a retail price of $39.95 and the three expressions include: 

Jasmine Verte – floral, blooming, fresh, sensual and luminous jasmine with accents of neroli, patchouli, yuzu and iris

Chinotto Nero – citrusy, opulent, zesty, lush and mystical chinotto with accents of cinchona, oak moss, curacao orange and cacao 

Vetiver Gris – earthy, woody, mystical, intriguing and endless vetiver with accents of timur, patchouli, petit grains and cedarwood