Halloween Party Cocktail Recipes that Are Hauntingly Good

If you're hosting a Halloween party this year, don't scare off your guests with meek martinis or skittish screwdrivers. Even most margaritas are too tame for Halloween, although a pumpkin margarita could make even the slackest skeleton sit up and take notice.

The key to a happening Halloween cocktail is special effects. Everyday garnishes such as olives can become eyeballs, as in this recipe for Eyeball Martinis adapted from msnbc.com.

EYEBALL MARTINI

Ingredients:

2 ounces gin

1/2 ounce dry vermouth

Crushed eyes ( I mean ice)

2 radishes

2 green olives, stuffed with pimentos

How to make an eyeball martini:

Combine gin, vermouth and crushed ice in martini shaker; shake vigorously until alcohols are chilled. Strain into martini glass. Garnish with two eyeballs.

(To make martini eyeballs, hollow out the radishes, creating a cradle for the olives. Carve the radish flesh to create scary looking veins.)

GHOSTLY SUNSET

Don't wait until the sun goes down to bring out these frightfully fun drinks, adapted from marthastewart.com (and who's scarier than Martha?)

Ingredients:

2 ounces tangerine juice

1 ounce pineapple juice

1 1/2 ounces coconut rum

3/4 ounce grenadine

ice cubes

How to make a Ghostly Sunset:

Stir together fruit juices and rum in tumbler. Add ice cubes, and splash top with grenadine. Garnish with swizzle stick ghost.

(To make swizzle stick ghost, cut out small piece of plastic from grocery bag and slip over cotton ball. Cinch with string or fishing line. Glue on craft store eyes and draw nose with Sharpie. Slip completed ghost onto swizzle stick.)

CREEPY COLADAS

Turn a pina colada into a creepy colada by adding gummy worms or other creepy gummy candies (body parts are popular) using this pina colada recipe adapted from allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup rum

2 tablespoons white sugar

ice cubes

How to make a creepy colada:

Pour coconut milk, pineapple juice, rum and sugar into blender. Add ice cubes and blend. Pour into glasses and garnish with creepy gummy candy of choice.

Sources:
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personal experience