As the nights close in, Halloween looms, and that gives you the perfect opportunity to make some of the best themed cocktails of the year. Hosting a haunted gathering? Want to get into the spirit at home? Or maybe you just want an excuse to knock up a cocktail? These Halloween garnish ideas are pretty easy to make but add the perfect chilling touch to your boo-zy potions.
Orange Peel Jack-o’-lanterns
Start your Halloween celebration with a burst of pumpkin-themed flair. Cut a small piece of orange peel, shape it into a classic wicked grin or a sinister face with a small, sharp knife, and clip it to the rim of your glass, or skewer it, or simply drop it in. Now, your beverage looks like it's sipping from its very own jack-o'-lantern.
Lychee Eyeballs
This is a classic because they look so good. Take a lychee and after removing the pit, insert a blueberry into its hollow centre. Add a few drops of red food colouring to give it that bloodshot look. Now, let your eerie eyeball float in your drink, watching your every sip. Or, if you want a more gruesome look, skewer the eyeball!
Strawberry Bloody Hearts
Add a dash of romance (or something much gorier) to your horror-themed drink with strawberry hearts. Simply slice strawberries into heart shapes and skewer them on toothpicks. You could also add some edible blood/dyed red syrup for extra special effects. Attach these crimson hearts to the rim of your glass, giving your drink a touch of macabre love.
Kiwi Frankenstein
Channel your inner mad scientist with a Kiwi Frankenstein. Slice a kiwi into thirds, preserving one part for its helmet-like-hair. Using cake decorations for eyes and a dash of black food colouring for a mouth, bring Frankenstein to life. Now for the bolts, which you can recreate by piercing with a cocktail stick.
Pineapple Bat Wings
Give your drink an eerie ambiance with pineapple bat wings. Carve out bat wing shapes from pineapple slices and perch them on your glass. It can be added to make tropical beverages adhere to the Halloween theme, but this sorts that right out.
Apple Witch Hats
Stir some witchy charm into your potion with apple witch hats. Grab a cookie cutter, ideally star shaped, and slice your apple in half. Attach these apple hat shapes to your glass, and you'll be spellbound.
Bloody Rim
This is another idea that’s so simple but effective. Dip the edge of your glass into a syrupy mixture dyed red with food colouring. Let it ooze and drip down the glass and for an extra touch of wickedness, add red or black sugar crystals to complete the look.
Spooky Spider Web
For an intricate and spooky garnish, use a spider web stencil to decorate your drink with ingredients such as cocoa powder, cinnamon, or powdered sugar. You could even try to make an Espresso Martini with cocoa powder web dusting and decorate the coffee bean garnish as a trapped fly!
But it’s not just garnishes where you can have spooktacular fun – pop these on our Easy Halloween Cocktails and you’ll blow guests away.