5 Scary Halloween Cocktail Recipes: Candy Corn Vodka! Gummy Eyeball Martinis!

Halloween is the holiday where we can be as creepy, gory and gross as we want — and that applies to cocktails as well. When else would you even consider drinking a cockail made with Midori AND grenadine AND chocolate syrup (assuming you are no longer a college freshman)? Or infusing perfectly good vodka with candy corn? Or freezing gummy eyeballs in ice cubes and tossing them in an otherwise respectable martini? Or imbibing something called X-Rated Fusion Liqueur (bright red vodka mixed with blood orange, mango and passion fruit — not sure what's x-rated about that)? To adultify these Halloween cocktails — recipes provided by the booze-makers — use some black sugar to rim a glass, or add a rough hunk of pomegranate or some mushed blackberries for a nice gory look.

Have at it. If you look like a zombie the next day and/or are missing part of your brain, don't blame us.

The Monster Mash; Credit: Akvinta

The Monster Mash

From: Akvinta vodka

Makes: 1 drink

2 oz. candy corn-infused vodka

½ oz. lemon juice

½ oz. simple syrup

¼ oz. amaretto

7 candy corn pieces (we recommend some high-quality stuff, like from Little Flower Candy Co.)

1. Take 25 pieces of candy corn and let sit in the vodka bottle for 18-24 hours.

2. Shake all ingredients with ice and pour into a Collins glass.

3. Garnish with candy corn.

Skulled Cider; Credit: Crystal Head Vodka

Skulled Cider

From: Crystal Head Vodka

Makes: 1 drink

1 1/2 oz. vodka

1/2 oz. vanilla liqueur

1 oz. apple cider

Dash of angostura bitters

Ginger ale

Apple slice

1. Add all ingredients to a highball glass filled with ice, in the order given. Give a quick stir.

2. Garnish with an apple slice on the rim or inside of the glass.

The Spider Kiss; Credit: Midori

The Spider Kiss

From: Midori

Makes: 1 drink

1 part melon liqueur

1 part vodka

Juice from 1/2 lemon

Chocolate syrup

Grenadine

Chocolate-dipped orange slice for garnish

1. Draw a chocolate web into a martini glass using squeezable chocolate syrup. Place in freezer and chill until chocolate is hard.

2. Shake all ingredients and strain into glass.

3. For a bloody effect, drizzle grenadine down the side of the glass, or let a dollop pool at the bottom of the glass.

4. Garnish with a chocolate-dipped orange slice.

The Itsy Bitsy; Credit: X-Rated Fusion Liqueur

The Itsy Bitsy

From: X-Rated Fusion Liqueur and SKYY Vodka

Makes: 1 drink

1 oz. X-Rated Fusion liqueur

1/2 oz. vodka

1 1/2 oz. black raspberry liqueur

3 blackberries

Black rimming sugar

1. Muddle 2-3 blackberries in cocktail shaker.

2. Place remaining ingredients in a shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously.

3. Strain into a chilled martini glass rimmed with black rimming sugar.

4. Garnish with cocktail pick with blackberries. (Squash them a little if you want them to look gory.)

Dracula's Kiss; Credit: SKYY

Dracula's Kiss

From: SKYY Infusions vodka

Makes: 1 drink

1 1/2 oz. blood orange-infused vodka

1 oz. blood orange puree

1 1/2 oz. blueberry pomegranate juice

1/2 oz. lemon juice

1/2 oz. simple syrup

1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake hard.

2. Strain into a martini glass.

3. Garnish with an orange slice, or a piece of orange peel cut as creatively as you wish.

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