NYC's 5 Best Halloween-Inspired Cocktails For 2015
Halloween is just around the corner. Start celebrating with one of these ghoulish cocktails that will get you in the spooky spirit. By Carly Petrone.
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Sip on the Cotton Candy Old Fashioned at Piora and you'll immediately feel like a kid on Halloween. This fun concoction, created by Head Bartender Shinya Yamao, is perfect for the playful kid in all of us. First, a ball of housemade cotton candy is placed in a rocks glass before a traditional Old Fashioned (made with Old Forester Straight Bourbon Whiskey) is poured over it so that the cotton candy melts into the drink. This candy cocktail is available now through Oct. 31, so come by and enjoy this special holiday treat.
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Nothing says Halloween like pumpkins so make sure to taste the fall-inspired Pumpkin Margarita at the JIMMY at the James Hotel. This fun concoction is made with Tromba Reposado Tequila, pumpkin butter, agave, lime, and cinnamon salt. Yum! Grab a seat by the fireplace and take in the views of Manhattan from 18 stories up.
Lemon Lime Sour Critter Shots
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If you're hosting your own Halloween party this year than make sure to take a note from bartender Niccole Trzaska, of The Liberty. She has created the Lemon Lime Sour Critter Shots that are reminiscent of those sour gummies we all love. This recipe calls for 5 ounces of Menage a Trois Straight Vodka, 5 ounces of water, 5 ounces of Tres Agaves Margarita Mix, 1 packet of gelatin, and lemon lime rock candy for the "brains." Mix all of the ingredients until smooth and pour into a silicon mold in the shape of your choice (skulls would be pretty killer). Then add 1 sour patch kid to each mold and set in the refrigerator until it becomes a gel. Everyone will want to try these spooky jello shots!
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Stop into Dos Caminos and celebrate the Day of the Dead with their special Gato Negro cocktail ($14). It's made with Espolon Blanco tequila, black currant liqueur, muddled blackberries, and fresh lime juice. The drink will be available all weekend long starting on Friday, Oct. 30. Pair it with one of their other Dia de los Muertos specials, including Huitacoche Tamales, Mole Negro de Oaxaca (short ribs simmered in mole negro, braised black kale, and winter squash tamale), as well as Chocolate Sugar Skulls. Don't forget to sign up for a Dia de los Muertos Cooking Class ($75) with Executive Chef Ivy Stark. She'll be showing you how to recreate this holiday with handmade cocktails and traditional dishes. Class goes from 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 31.
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Pretty much all of the specialty cocktails at Times Scare will get you in the Halloween spirit. Sip on a Death in the Afternoon, a drink created by Ernest Hemingway or take a risk with Dracula's Kiss (Stoli Raz and pepsi in a grenadine swirled glass). They're also serving the Corpse Reviver for the gin lover as well as the Black Death for those who are willing to drink vodka and Southern Comfort together. Happy hour goes until 8 p.m. every day. These libations will give you some liquid courage to step into the haunted house that awaits your visit. Learn more here.
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Carly Petrone is a freelance writer living in New York City.