Creepy concoctions

Signature drinks are a fun part of any special get-together, but Halloween is the rare occasion where you also get to add an element of creepy to your creative concoctions!

While Halloween is typically thought of as primarily orange and black holiday, there are a few other colors that also work well for spooky signature drinks, including dark purple, "hazardous material" neon green, and – of course – blood red.

Here are a few fun recipes for delicious blood-red cocktails that are sure to please your favorite (friends dressed up as) vampires… and other “unusual” guests!

Black Cat Cosmo

1½ oz Blavod black vodka½ oz CointreauJuice of ¼ fresh lime2 oz cranberry juice
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 1 ½ oz Blavod black vodka, ½ oz Cointreau, the juice of ¼ fresh lime and 2 oz cranberry juice.
Stir well and strain into a Martini glass.

Ghost

1.25 oz. Smirnoff Vanilla Vodka.25 oz. Godiva Chocolate Liqueur.25 oz. half-and-half.25 oz. simple syrup.25 oz. shavings of white chocolate
1. Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice.
2. Shake to combine, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass rimmed with white chocolate.
3. Garnish with white chocolate shavings

Or how about some theme drinks...

Blood Red Cocktails

1. EVIL SPIRITS{via Rachael Ray}

Yield: 12 cocktails
Ingredients:2 1/4 cups vodkaJuice of 6 lemons1 cup grenadineClub soda, chilled

Directions:

Fill a pitcher with ice cubes. Pour in the vodka, lemon juice and grenadine and stir until chilled. Strain the mixture into martini glasses and top with club soda.

2. CREEPY CRAWLY{via cocktailtimes.com}
Yield: 1 Cocktail
Ingredients:1 oz Brandy1 oz Blood Orange Puree*2 oz GranGala Triple Orange Liqueur1/2 oz Simple SyrupGlass Garnish:1-12 oz Bag of Dark Chocolate Chips**1 Orange Truffle or Chocolate-Dipped Orange Slice1 Plastic Spider (optional)

Directions:

Using 8 to 10 chocolate chips for one drink, heat in the microwave for 20 seconds until almost melted. Take chips out of the microwave and stir with a spoon until completely melted (this method creates best chocolate consistency for making the web). Place the melted chocolate in a squeeze bottle and 'draw' a spider web on the inside of the martini glass (glass can be prepared in advance**).

In a Boston shaker, add the rest of the ingredients and shake well. Pour into the decorated martini glass. Garnish with an orange truffle or chocolate dipped orange slice. Plastic spider is optional as an alternative garnish or decoration.

3. VAMPIRE KISS
Yield: 1 Cocktail

Ingredients:1.5 oz. Finlandia Vodka, chilled1.5 oz Korbel Champagne.75 oz Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur

Directions:

Pour vodka and half of the Chambord in a martini glass, top with Champagne and pour the remaining Chambord over the back of a spoon to make it float.

Orange and Black Cocktails

1. BLACK MARTINI{via about.com}
Ingredients:3.5 oz black vodka.5 oz blackberry brandy or Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueuredible gold flake and/or black olive for garnish

Directions:

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or serve on the rocks in an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with edible gold flake or a black olive.

2. SCREWED-UP SCREWDRIVER(two-tone cocktail pictured in image #2, via Martha Stewart)

Yield: 1 cocktail
Ingredients:1/4 cup ice1/2 cup freshly squeezed tangerine juice1 1/2 ounces black vodka1 black licorice twist, for serving

Directions:

Place ice in a tall glass. Pour juice into glass. Pour vodka over the back of a cocktail spoon into glass so it sits on top of juice and creates a layer of black. Slice 1/4 inch off each end of licorice, and use as a straw. Serve immediately.{Click here for the recipes of the two other Halloween cocktails pictured in image #2: Berry Scary Martini and Ghost in the Graveyard}

3. BLACK HALLOWEEN PUNCH (Mocktail){via All Recipes}
Ingredients:1 (.13 ounce) envelope unsweetened grape soft drink mix1 (.13 ounce) envelope unsweetened orange soft drink mix2 cups white sugar3 quarts cold water1 liter ginger ale

Directions:

Stir together grape soft drink mix, orange soft drink mix, sugar and water until solids are dissolved. Combine with chilled ginger ale just before serving. Dip the frozen hand briefly in warm water, then peel off the glove. Float the prepared hand in the punch bowl for a ghastly effect.To make a frozen hand, wash a disposable glove, fill with water, seal with a rubber band and freeze until hard.

4. THE WIDOW'S TOUCH{via Epicurious}
Ingredients:1 cup ice cubes5 tablespoons Laird's Applejack3 tablespoons St-Germain (elderflower liqueur)1 tablespoon Bénédictine liqueur2 dashes of angostura bitters

Directions:

Place ice cubes in cocktail shaker. Add remaining ingredients and stir 20 to 30 seconds. Strain into 2 chilled small coupe glasses and serve.

And please remember....