ideas, games, activities and recipes

Having a frightful and successful Halloween party for adults is about more than some spooky decorations, those are for the children. The adults need something to liven up the mood, even if it is reminiscent of the dead. A good cocktail made for the occasion can be just the mood and party lifter that is needed. The flavors are diverse and the amount of “haunted horror” you can put into them is nearly endless. They are better than some paper cup with Halloween related images printed all over them, much more fun than a bottled beer, and much more frightening than a clear drink in a clear glass. Any and all adults who drink can find some enjoyment out of a spooky Halloween inspired drink.
A ghostly, spooky, or horrifying drink does not mean it will be a childish one. You can have plenty of fun with an alcoholic beverage but keep it something adults would enjoy. If you are looking for something a bit more on the elegant side, without the creepy and horrific additions that you might associate with Halloween, then you can find some drinks that stay classy but add a bit of darkness and mystery to the party. There are, of course, drinks that may frighten some, and even horrify others. These are perfect for the Halloween party that wants to be out there, huge, and keep people entertained for hours. No matter your part type, you can find the right drink for it.

Black martini

A simple way to make a classy Halloween drink is to make a black martini. You can use a black vodka or even black raspberry or blackberry flavored martinis, both of which will be add a perfect balance of sophistication and darkness that can fit any party. Another martini is the bloody-tini, which gets its color from acai, adds a touch of color and elegance to a party. There are also some of the more colorful and fun ones, like a rum drink that has red wine and rum, obviously, which appears very bloody but is not all the way out there in terms of “creepy.”

Those looking for a bit more fun in their Halloween drinks have plenty to choose from because the list is very large. The Green Ghoul uses a mix of liquors to create a green beverage and then everything is brought together with a ginger beer. Dracula’s Kiss is another wonderfully delightful drink that is sure to entice and mesmerize those who drink it. Continuing with some interestingly colored drinks, the Halloween Hypnotist is a martini that may even find itself with the elegant crowd as well. If you are hoping to serve your guests drinks in a punch bowl, then have fun with it. Add different fruits to the bowl, put the bowl inside a larger bowl of dried ice, or even make a hand out of ice! The possibilities are as diverse as your imagination.

Having fun with drinks on Halloween is easy, and very rewarding. You want your guests to enjoy the party and what you can do is limitless; just put your mind to it and find a fitting, yet spooky, drink recipe.

Halloween cocktail recipes

Black martini

Combine 2-1/2 oz. Black Vodka and 1/2 oz. Blackberry Brandy in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake for 10 – 15 seconds and garnish with black olives.

The Green Ghoul

Add 1 part Melon Liqueur, 1/2 part Yellow Chartreuse herbal liqueur and 1/2 part Ginger Liqueur into a cocktail shaker. Shake well. Strain into Collins glass and fill with ginger beer.

Dracula’s kiss

Coat the bottom of a highball glass with 1/2 oz grenadine. Add ice and 1 oz of black cherry vodka. Fill with cola. Garnish with cherries.

Black cat

Combine 2 ounces Blavod black vodka with 1/2 ounce Chambord raspberry liquor in a cocktail shaker. Shake well.

Many people think of fancy dress, decorations, and parties when it comes to Halloween, but once everyone arrives at the party one of the first things they look for is the food. Really, while the decorations make the first impression, in is the food that really impresses people and gets them talking AND eating. The great thing about it is that with Halloween food you can be as creative as you want and there are some really fun and disgusting things you can create that will be a big hit at your party. Whether you are serving finger foods, desserts, or appetisers, you will be able to wow your guests.

What’s for dessert?

Make your favorite dessert and add some fun halloween decorations

Desserts are such a common thing to serve at a party and at a Halloween party these aren’t just plain old cakes and cookies. No, at a Halloween party these are Halloween cakes and cookies and this is something entirely different. You can make cakes that look like the cat’s used litter box. Yuck! Just make a couple of cakes, get some butterscotch pudding, and make some vanilla cookie crumbs in a food processor, colour some of them green, and make the cake in a new and unused litter box. You can add an unused litter scoop as a prop or to scoop up the cake. Cakes made into a cemetery scene are also popular. Cookies and cupcakes can be made to look like eyeballs, spider webs, bats, or any other scary Halloween creature. You can even make shortbread cookies into severed fingers, using almond slices for fingernails and red food colouring for the bloody stump. A gelatin brain is always a winner. Just make a brain using a brain-shaped mould and add a bloody-looking cranberry-corn starch sauce to liven it up a bit. Next is possibly the most disgusting idea yet, the toilet brownie surprise, or whatever you wish to call it. Using a new and unused white potty, fill the bowl of it with lovely brownies and then splatter and smear the seat and lid with bloody-looking berry sauce and chocolate icing. Then you can see who would dare touch it.

Finger foods and appetisers

Yummy spider anyone?

If you think desserts are fun, then you’ll really love the finger foods and appetisers. There are so many things you can create. How about stuffed cockroaches made with pitted dates that are stuffed with cream cheese and chopped almonds? These are tasty and totally creepy looking. Pizza rolls labelled as baked flesh would work wonders for the imagination. The severed fingers would also work with cocktail sausages. Just add onion pieces for fingernails and stick them stump-end down in a red dipping sauce and watch your guests dive in. Tapeworm sandwiches are sure to be a hit with the kids. Cook hot dogs and cut them into long, thin, flat slices, then mix them with ketchup and put them in the bun.

Let’s take the grossness factor up a notch with the some dips to go with nachos, crackers, or any other dipping food. You can always do a pumpkin cheese fondue simply by carving out a pumpkin and baking it and then filling it with an incredible fondue. Then there is the classic seven-layer dip made to look like a spider web. However, if you REALLY want to gross out your guests, then you can make a dark brown dip, out of chickpeas and black beans or something similar, and place it on a platter so it appears to be coming out of the behind of a headless baby (use a nice clean plastic doll and place the doll’s head on the table near the platter). Then your guests can have the gross diaper dip if they dare.

No matter what when you make food like that described above and serve it at your fancy dress Halloween party or dinner party your guests will thoroughly enjoy it and they will be talking about it long after the party is done and gone. After all, we live in a culture in which food plays a large roll. People love to gather over food and Halloween is certainly no different. So be sure to do your homework, use your imagination, and work hard in the kitchen to create foods that will truly have your Halloween guests rolling on the floor with laughter and gobbling up all the goodies you have served.