Halloween is as much a celebration for adults as it for kids these days. Grown-ups may not get to go trick-or-treating (except as chaperones), but we can have the same fun finding the perfect costume, carving pumpkins, festooning our homes with fake cobwebs and hosting Halloween parties.

Experts like Martha Stewart – who annually goes all-out for the holiday — offer a wealth of ideas for ghoulishly appropriate party décor and food. And what’s an adult Halloween party without a signature cocktail to get everyone into the “spirit?” Here’s a lineup of devilish drinks; the first one has an angelic side - it features acai, the antioxidant superfruit.

ANTIOXIDANT WITCHES BREW

    1 ounce VeeV Acai Spirit

    1 ounce blanco tequila

    1 ounce fresh lime juice

    1 ounce agave nectar or simple syrup

    1-2 drops black food coloring (or ½ ounce POM juice)

       Blood orange wheel, for garnish

Shake all ingredients well with ice and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with the blood orange wheel.

Makes: 1

 

DEVIL’S TUXEDO

    2 ounces Patron XO Café

    1 ounce Irish whiskey

Pour Patron XO Café into a glass. Top off with Irish whiskey.

Makes: 1

 


THE GREAT PUMPKIN

    1 1/2 ounces Ketel One Oranje

    1 1/2 ounces pumpkin spice syrup (available at monin.com or torani.com)

   ¼ ounce light cream

Combine Ketel One Oranje, pumpkin spice nectar and light cream in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with orange peel.

Makes: 1

 

PUMPKIN IRISH COFFEE

    2 ounces Bailey’s Irish Cream

    4 ounces espresso or strongly-brewed coffee

    1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

       Whipped cream

Combine the Bailey’s Irish Cream and pumpkin pie spice in a mug. Pour in coffee and stir. Top with a dollop of lightly sweetened Whipped Cream and three coffee beans.

Makes: 1

 

CORPSE REVIVER

    1 ounce gin

    1 ounce Lillet (blanc)

    1 ounce triple sec

       Juice of half a lemon

    5 drops of absinthe

    1 thin slice orange

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the gin, Lillet, triple sec, lemon juice and absinthe. Strain into a martini glass, then garnish with the orange slice.

Makes: 1

Recipe from Epic Roasthouse in San Francisco, courtesy of the Associated Press.

 

BLOOD SIPPER

    1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries

    1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

    1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

    1 cup pomegranate juice

       750-millileter bottle vodka

In a blender combine all ingredients. Pulse several times to just chop the fruit. Refrigerate for at least an hour or up to several days.

Pour the vodka and fruit mixture through a mesh strainer. Press the solids to extract as much liquid as possible, then discard the solids. The infused vodka can be sipped straight, chilled, or cut with apple cider, ginger ale or coconut cream.

Makes: About 1 liter

Recipe courtesy of the Associated Press.