Spooky sippers
Mix haunting Halloween cocktails from Miriam Nice and stock up your drinks cabinet with seasonal picks from drinks expert
Corpse reviver no.2
Whereas the corpse reviver no.1 is typically made with cognac, calvados and vermouth, this is a fresher, citrus-led drink with a hearty hit of absinthe.
SERVES 1 PREP 5 mins EASY V
25ml London dry gin
25ml white wine-based aperitif 25ml triple sec
25ml lemon juice
1 tsp absinthe
1 2 tsp sugar syrup (optional) ice strip of orange peel, to serve
1 Pour all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with a large handful of ice. Shake until the outside feels cold and frosty.
2 Strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Garnish with a strip of orange peel.
GOOD TO KNOW vegan • low fat • gluten free PER SERVING 162 kcals • fat none • saturates none
• carbs 4g • sugars 4g • ibre none • protein 0.1g
• salt 0.02gt 0.0g
Witch’s brew
Get some berries bubbling in your cauldron and add some edible glitter to this spooky, fruity purple cocktail.
SERVES 4 PREP 10 mins COOK 5 mins EASY V
20g caster sugar (optional) 50g frozen mixed berries 200ml vodka
100ml raspberry liqueur 50ml blue curaçao
100ml lemon juice ice edible glitter, to garnish (optional) 4 cocktail cherries, to
serve (optional)
1 Start by making the fruit base. Pour 60ml water into a saucepan and add the caster sugar, if using (use 75ml water if not using the sugar), and tip in the berries. Cook for 3-4 mins over a medium heat until the berries have defrosted and are starting to soften, and the liquid is bubbling. Turn o the heat and leave to cool. Strain and pour into a jug.
2 Pour the fruit base (you should have approximately 80ml) into a cocktail shaker with the vodka, raspberry liqueur, blue curaçao, lemon juice and a large handful of ice. Shake well until the outside of the shaker feels cold and frosty.
3 Double strain into four chilled coupe or martini glasses. Sprinkle with a little edible glitter, if using, and stir. Garnish with a skewered cocktail cherry, too, if you like.
GOOD TO KNOW low fat • gluten free
PER SERVING 216 kcals • fat 0.1g • saturates none
• carbs 13g • sugars 13g • ibre 0.3g • protein 0.2g
• salt 0.02g
Death in the afternoon
It might look elegant, but as the name suggests, this cocktail is very strong. To reduce the strength, you could serve in smaller measures and stretch it to two people. Feel free to reduce both the absinthe and sugar syrup depending on your preference for sweet and/or aniseed flavours.
SERVES 1 2 PREP 5 mins EASY V
15ml absinthe
2 tsp sugar syrup 120ml champagne, chilled, for topping up white rose petal or edible lower,
to serve (optional)
1 Pour the absinthe into a chilled champagne flute or small coupe and add the sugar syrup. Stir to combine, add a splash of champagne, stir again, then top up with more champagne.
2 Garnish with a white rose petal or other edible flower, if you like.
GOOD TO KNOW low fat • gluten free
PER SERVING 179 kcals • fat none • saturates none
• carbs 17g • sugars 17g • ibre none • protein 0.3g
• salt 0.02g
Dracula’s blood punch
Make a mocktail for a Halloween party using cherry juice, chilli, cinnamon and ginger, then garnish with edible fangs. If you need a simple party punch for adults, just add vodka.
SERVES 12 PREP 10 mins plus at least 4 hrs chilling COOK 5 mins EASY V
2 litres cherry juice
3 oranges, zest pared with
a vegetable peeler 1 thumb-sized red chilli, pierced
a few times but left whole 3 cinnamon sticks
10 cloves
6 slices ginger vampire fang sweets, to
serve (optional)
For an alcoholic punch (optional) 200ml vodka, or 25ml per glass
1 Tip the cherry juice, orange peel, chilli, cinnamon sticks, cloves and ginger into a large saucepan. Simmer for 5 mins over a lowmedium heat, then turn o the heat. Leave to cool, then chill for at least 4 hrs or up to 48 hrs – the longer you leave it, the more intense the flavours. If serving to young children, take the chilli out after a few hours.
2 When ready to serve, pour the infused juice into a jug. Serve in glass bottles or highball glasses. If adding vodka, stir it in at this stage. Dangle a vampire-fang sweet from each glass.
GOOD TO KNOW vegan • low fat • gluten free PER SERVING 72 kcals • fat none • saturates none
• carbs 15g • sugars 13g • ibre 2g • protein 2g
• salt 0.03g