Halloween Candy Inspired Cocktails (that are really good)
Halloween! We hear the word and we think of jack-o-laterns, witches, ghosts. But mostly? We think of candy. In this era of Pinterest, it’s easy enough to come by ideas for Halloween cocktails that have been inspired by candy, but guess what. They’re mostly terrible. Tooth achingly sweet, not complex. Too much like…well, too much like candy, honestly. We decided to try to improve upon a few, working our Vikre craft cocktail magic (was there sorcery involved? Perhaps.) so that both your inner child and your grown-up palate can be delighted. These cocktails evoke the most essential elements of their candy inspirations without trying to replicate them outright. And without the sugar hangover. Whether you are taking kids trick-or-treating, hosting a Halloween soiree, or both, you’ll probably want to try one - or all - of these treats.
York Peppermint Patty
Instead of going straight for chocolate or mint liqueurs, we grabbed a bottle of Amaro Nardini, a bracing Italian digestif that has strong notes of mint and chocolate. Then we layered it with our vodka, chocolate bitters, and half-and-half for a bitter and invigorating take on a grasshopper cocktail that hints at a York Peppermint Patty but sips like a digestif comme dessert.
1.5 oz. Lake Superior Vodka
1 oz. Amaro Nardini
1 oz. half-and-half
4 dashes chocolate bitters
Shake all the ingredients with ice until chilled, then dump - ice and all - into a double rocks glass. Garnish with a mint sprig. If you like a sweeter dessert drink, feel free to add 1/4-1/2 oz of mint syrup, or go all out and blend the spirits and bitters with chocolate ice cream instead of using half-and-half.
Twix
How do you nod to caramel and biscuit without caramel and biscuit? The answer lies in the toast and butterscotch notes found in whiskey and sherry. This is basically a Manhattan made with sherry instead of vermouth. But calling it a Twix cocktail makes it so fun! Infuse the whiskey with cacao nibs first to get a hint of chocolate.
2 oz. cacao infused Honor Brand whiskey*
3/4 oz. Amontillado sherry
1/4 oz. brown sugar syrup**
2 dashes vanilla bitters
Stir all ingredients with ice until chilled. Strain into a lowball glass over a large ice cube.
*To make cacao infused whiskey combine 2 cups whiskey with 1/4 cup cacao nibs in a sealed jar. Allow to steep at room temperature for 3 days, up to a week. Strain through cheesecloth before using.
**To make brown sugar syrup, combine equal parts brown sugar and warm water and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Starbursts
Is there a way to pack a cocktail with tutti fruity flavors without making it ridiculous? Perhaps. We drew on the format of a Blood & Sand, which is admittedly kind of ridiculous, but in a way that works. Plus it has the word blood in it, so probably good Halloween inspo right there already. Here Cedar gin takes the place of Scotch so that the cherry, orange, and lemon can pop through more clearly. Garnish with a strawberry to give the drink the last (and greatest) of the original Starburst flavors.
1 oz. Cedar Gin
3/4 oz. sweet vermouth
3/4 oz. Cherry Heering
3/4 oz. orange juice
1/2 oz. lemon juice
a whole strawberry to garnish
Shake all the ingredients (except the strawberry) with ice to chill. Strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with the strawberry.