Five Spooky Halloween Cocktails

Curl up on the sofa and immerse yourself in an evening of scary stories with one of these hauntingly good Halloween cocktails.

Our gin is made by hand craft, not witchcraft, but let our talented Distillers cast a spell on you with five of our most bewitching gin recipes to help perfect your cocktail-making craft. From the perfect blood-red brunch cocktail, to an eerily smoking garnish, a little ginspiration is all you need to embrace Halloween this year.

ZESTY ORANGE WHITE LADY

The classic book The Woman in White might have been giving readers sleepless nights since it was published in 1859, but there’s nothing nightmarish about this zesty take on the traditional White Lady cocktail, sure to banish thoughts of ghosts and ghouls.

2 1/2 parts Sipsmith Zesty Orange Gin
1 part fresh lemon juice
1/2 part sugar syrup
1 egg white or vegan alternative
Fresh orange twist and orange zest, to garnish

Combine all the ingredients – except garnishes- in a cocktail shaker and dry shake (without ice). Then add ice and shake again to form a creamy-white liquid. Double strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with fresh orange zest and an orange twist.

RED SNAPPER

We can’t promise that it will ward off werewolves, but this hair-of-the-dog cocktail is the perfect drink for mornings-after. We craft our restorative take on the Bloody Mary with gin in lieu of vodka, of course. Built in the glass, this is an effortlessly easy serve for a Halloween-themed brunch.

1 part Sipsmith London Dry Gin
Fresh juice of 1/4 lemon
6 dashes Worcestershire sauce
3 dashes Tabasco® sauce
Tomato juice, to top
Stick of celery or wedge of fresh lemon, to garnish
Celery salt and black pepper, to garnish

Fill a highball glass with ice and add the first 5 ingredients. Stir to blend with a bar spoon before garnishing with a sprinkling of celery salt and freshly ground black pepper. Then top with your choice of a slice of lemon or a stick of celery.

NEGRONI

Bracingly bitter and herbaceously complex, a classic Negroni is the ideal way to settle any jumps and jitters. Make yours by combining 1 part Sipsmith London Dry Gin, 1 part sweet vermouth and 1 part Campari®. Add a touch of Halloween-inspired mystery by making an eerily smoking garnish. Scorch a sprig of rosemary with a lighter or candle flame before blowing it out and allowing the aroma to fill the air.

HOT MULLED SLOE

Why go bobbing for apples this Halloween when you can enjoy a fruity gin cocktail that celebrates the very best of the fall harvest? Reach for a few traditional mulling spices – we use cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves and cardamom pods – and pop them in a saucepan on a low heat along with a vanilla pod that’s cut down the middle, with 5 parts cloudy apple juice. Simmer for between 5-10 minutes until just before boiling, then ladle into your favourite mug and add 1 part Sipsmith Sloe Gin. Garnish with an orange slice and a cinnamon stick. This warming cocktail is best enjoyed in front of a roaring fire, or your favourite scary film…

SLOE ROYALE

For a spookily stylish sip, reach for a bottle of blood-red Sloe Gin to make a distinctly British version of the classic Kir Royale cocktail. We rest our award-winning London Dry Gin on handpicked wild sloe berries to make this fruity offering that’s bursting with flavor. Try it for yourself by pouring 1 part Sipsmith Sloe Gin into a chilled flute before topping up with sparkling Champagne or prosecco.