HALLOWEEN COCKTAILS

What better way to celebrate the spookiest night of the year than with a haunting Halloween party? There are plenty of things you can do to spook and scare your guests but why not raise spirits (quite literally) with a few blood-curdlingly tasty cocktails? Check out our top 5 favourite Halloween tipples.

BLOODY DEVIL

Ideal for: Fruity Freaks

¾ oz. Orange/Mandarin vodka (Svedka and Asolut both do great orange-based ones)

¾ oz. sweet vermouth

¾ oz. orange juice

½ oz. orange curaçao

Dash orange bitters

Fake blood:

½ c. white corn syrup

1 tbsp. cornstarch

⅛ to ¼ c. water

15 drops red food colouring

5 drops blue food colouring

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain in a glass drizzled with fake blood.

HALLOWEEN HYPNOTIST

Ideal for: Hideous Horny-Toed Witches

2 oz Hpnotiq liqueur (available from Amazon)

1 oz vodka

Splash of lemon juice

Glow stick for garnish

Combine all the ingredients together and then add a blue-coloured glow stick, making sure it doesn't leak and poison you. Assuming it doesn't, the blue glow effect will be really cool and super-spooky.

THE ZOMBIE

Ideal for: The gut-guzzling undead.

1 1/2 oz - golden rum

1 oz - dark rum

1 oz lime juice

1 teaspoon pineapple juice

1 teaspoon papaya juice

1 teaspoon castor sugar

Stir together all ingredients and pour into a glass 3/4 full of cracked ice. Garnish with mint (either straight or dipped in lime juice and then the sugar) and/or fruit.

BLOOD & SAND

Ideal for: Blood sucking vampires

3/4 oz Scotch whiskey

3/4 oz Rosso Vermouth

1/4 oz Cherry Brandy

1 orange

Shake over ice cubes, strain into a cocktail glass and serve.

BLACK CAT COCKTAIL

Ideal for: Cats, bats and anything else with sharp claws

1 oz Vodka

1oz Cherry Brandy

Cranberry Juice

Coca Cola to taste

Pour vodka and liqueur into a high glass with ice and stir in equal parts cranberry juice and cola.