By Adam Bloodworth
Halloween means different things to different people. For some it’s a theatrical celebration of the macabre, for others an opportunity to explore the darker aspects of the supernatural, and then there are those for whom it’s just about gorging on bucket-loads of sweets. However you mark the occasion, we have a drink for you.
If you’re looking to head out in the capital this Halloween, here is our guide to the best events this Halloween in the capital.
Best for dressing up
If spooky costumes are your thing, grab a limited edition Halloween bottle of Dead Man’s Fingers Spiced Rum. The party drink, created at the Rum & Crab Shack in St Ives, is already in the creepy camp with its skeletal branding, but this seasonal packaging comes with added bats, spiders, and cobwebs, and under a UV light, the distinctive skull logo takes on an eldritch glow. £ £18, thedropstore.com
Halloween drinks for connoisseurs
Disquieting tales of ghosts, monsters, and evil spirits are a Halloween staple, and there is no shortage of drinks that come with a spine-chilling backstory. Bowmore ‘No Corners to Hide’ Limited Edition 23 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky was released last Halloween in collaboration with renowned Scottish comic book artist Frank Quitely. His illustrations depict a local legend in which the devil is chased and takes refuge at the Bowmore distillery, but when it was searched Beelzebub was nowhere to be found. It is assumed he escaped to the mainland, hiding in a whisky cask. Aged for 21 years in American oak, the whisky spent a further two years in Essencia barriques dating back to the 1830s. Available on the secondary market, you will have to hunt down this devil for yourself. £ £600+, wine-searcher.com
Best for the adventurous
Not quite a witch’s brew, but definitely something for adventurous drinkers, Cambridge Anty Gin is a gin distilled from red wood ants. The ants are a source of formic acid, and provide a tangy backdrop to foraged botanicals, including wood avens and nettles. Developed in conjunction with the University of Copenhagen’s Nordic Food Lab, which was established with the cooperation of Noma’s Rene Redzepi, the bottle also contains not 61 and not 63, but exactly 62 whole ants. Prepare for the winter flu season with a boost of tiny anty-bodies. £ £195, thewhiskyexchange.com
Not for the faint of heart
There are many drinks you could pour to prank an unsuspecting reveller, but if you’re feeling especially devilish, why not deploy The ‘Hot Enough’ Vodka Company’s 500,000 Scovilles Naga Chilli Vodka? Potential legal liability might be one reason, because this “challenge drink” is made with the infamous ghost pepper, the world’s one-time hottest chilli, which in 2007 the Guinness Book of Records certified as 170 times hotter than Tabasco sauce. So, raise a glass and experience the fires of perdition. £ £27.95, masterofmalt.com
Halloween drinks for traditionalists
No list of Halloween drinks would be complete without a pumpkin-based option. Mozart Chocolate Cream Pumpkin Spice Liqueur is a Bailey’s like dessert drink, blending the flavours of everyone’s favourite festive gourd with warming spices like cinnamon, star anise, and even a little chilli. £ £13.75, thewhiskyexchange.com
Best for big kids
If your Halloween is all about the candy, grab a bottle of Au Vodka Bubblegum. Au Vodka produces a range of flavoured vodkas, but this sinfully artificial new addition not only tastes like it might stay in your stomach for seven years, it also changes colour. With the addition of lemonade, the baby blue spirit turns a pinky-purple, which brings spectacle to an already enjoyably naughty treat. £ £32, sainsburys.co.uk
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