SPOOKY SIPS
In celebration of Halloween, London has a killer selection of concotions on tap. Leighanne Brent on where to get the creepiest cocktails in town
Cha Chaan Teng – Pink eye
Although China might not celebrate Halloween per se, Cha Chaan Teng in Holborn have certainly embraced the spooky holiday by serving up a strong dose of Pink Eye. Rum is blended with the striking flavours of rosemary apple syrup, lime and lemon marmalade, egg whites and cherry syrup, to create a stunning tipple that marries the sweet and sour impressions synonymous with Asian cuisine.
Dirty Martini – The spiced pumpkin flip
Head to Dirty Martini’s Clapham haunt on 31 October for creepy face painting, DJs and their one-off Halloween tipple. When the clock strikes 8pm, their extended happy hour may end but do not fear, the egg-based spiced pumpkin flip will be on offer all night for £6.
Blending Goslings Dark Seal Rum with a dash of Angostura, gingerbread and cinnamon syrup and neutralised with orange and lemon juice, it’s a killer concoction for your night of madness.
Junkyard Golf – The Tee Diddy & Golf of Mexico
Brick Lane’s Junkyard Golf are throwing their first ever Halloween party this year and it’s set to be a crazy affair. Pick up a club and dodge their terrifying clowns and hell bound creatures across four revamped courses while you sip on their themed drinks.
The Tee Diddy is frightfully fruity, mixed with Caribbean Duppy Share Rum and blue curaçao, while the Golf of Mexico is a chilling number made with El Jimador and stirred into an ice cold slushie with orange curaçao, lime passionfruit and mango.
Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen – Stranger Sour & ‘Stranger Things’
Head to Hoxton Square’s Stranger Things-inspired party, where the first of their delectable drinks on offer pays homage to our favourite telekinetic, prone-to-the-odd-nosebleed character, Eleven.
Red wine is added to a Maple Whiskey Sour, creating a blood red colour that is then complemented by the protagonist’s favourite snack, a caramel waffle.
If you’re after something even sweeter, a retro rum punch made with Ting and a variety of liquors should be enough to get you on your way.
Bluebird Chelsea – Chelsea Chocolate Cauldron
No Halloween-themed cocktail list would be complete without a drink sent straight from the depths of chocolatey hell. Cue the Chelsea chocolate cauldron. Thick Mozart Chocolate Liqueur is blended with pineapple juice and sweetened with wicked toffee vodka. Fresh cream and strawberries are then thrown in to settle this eye-catching cocktail.
Balthazar Covent Garden – Corpse Reviver No 2
If you’re after a serious Halloween weekend, Balthazar in Covent Garden is the place to be, as they transforming their entire menu to fit the spooky season. The Witch’s Hat Parfait will be available for lunch and dinner from Friday, but it’s the Pick Your Poison cocktail masterclass that will undoubtedly steal the show. The Corpse Reviver No 2, made up of Beefeater Gin and served with Cocchi Americano, is complemented by a healthy dose of Cointreau and brought alive with absinthe. Expect a change in scenery as hanging skeletons, pumpkins and gothic floral displays adorn the ceilings and walls to give this venue a thrilling Halloween makeover.
For more info on Halloween events in London and other spooky cocktails, visit designmynight.com