Halloween is a prime time to get those creative juices flowing and add some spooky twists to your drink menu. Whether you're planning a ghostly event at your bar or restaurant or just looking to add some spine-chilling libations to your cocktail selection, the devil is in the details, and that includes the garnishes. Elevate your Halloween drinks with these seven fun and festive garnish ideas that are sure to bewitch your guests.
Sinister Spiderwebs
Ingredients:
White or milk chocolate melting wafers
Wax or parchment paper
Piping bag or squeeze bottle
Instructions:
Line a cookie tray with wax or parchment paper.
Melt chocolate wafers and pour into a squeeze bottle or piping bag.
Draw an “x” shape with melted chocolate, followed by “+”. Connect the lines to create a web design.
Place this tray in the freezer until webs harden.
Gently remove from the wax paper and garnish cocktail by placing across the rim of the glass or floating on top of the drink itself.
Pumpkin Punch Toppers
Ingredients:
Oranges
Lime
Skewers (optional)
Instructions:
Cut a circular slice of orange and a straight peel of lime.
Push the lime peel through the center of the orange slice.
Sit the orange slice across the top of an iced cocktail or use a skewer to lay it over the glass rim.
Raspberry Brains
Ingredients:
Fresh raspberries
Corn syrup
Red gel food coloring
Toothpicks
Instructions:
1. Take a fresh raspberry and carefully insert a toothpick into the bottom.
2. Mix a drop of red food coloring in with a couple tablespoons of corn syrup.
3. Dip the raspberry into red corn syrup mixture until it's coated in "blood."
4. Place the raspberry on top of the drink letting the "bloody" juice drip into the cocktail or down the sides of the glass for a gruesome effect. *Remember, the sweet corn syrup will change the flavor profile of the cocktail, so plan accordingly.
Bloody Eyeballs
Ingredients:
Lychees, fresh or canned
Blueberries
Cherry juice or grenadine
Instructions:
Cut a small hole/incision in the middle of the lychee.
Put a blueberry into the hole, then pour cherry juice or grenadine over the top.
Pop your eyeball into the cocktail glass and watch it float as it watches you! Alternatively, you can skewer it with a toothpick and lay it across the cocktail glass.
Witches' Broomstick Stirrers
Ingredients:
Pretzel sticks
Fresh rosemary sprigs
Black licorice, thinly sliced
Instructions:
Bundle a few fresh rosemary sprigs together to create a miniature broomstick.
Secure the rosemary sprigs to the top of a pretzel stick using black licorice.
Add to any cocktail for a witchy touch.
Ghastly Glowing Ice Cubes
Ingredients:
Tonic water
Glow-in-the-dark food coloring
Ice cube trays
Plastic spiders (optional)
Instructions:
Mix tonic water with a few drops of glow-in-the-dark food coloring.
Pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze. For an extra spooky boost, pop plastic spiders into the ice cube trays before adding the tonic water mixture.
As the ice cubes melt, they'll emit an eerie glow, creating a haunting effect in your cocktails.
Gooey Ghosts
Ingredients:
Whipping cream
Mini chocolate chips
Piping bag
Silicone baking mat
Instructions:
Whip the cream and spoon it into a piping bag.
Cut off the end of the bag and swirl a ghost shape onto a silicone baking mat. Carefully attach two chocolate chips towards the top of the swirl to create eyes.
Freeze the ghosts for at least an hour. Add the whipped cream ghosts to the top of the cocktail just before serving.
With these creative and easy-to-make garnishes, your Halloween cocktails are sure to be the life (or afterlife) of the party. Cheers to a hauntingly delicious October!
