As fall has quickly snuck up on all of us, it’s time to prepare for Spooky Season and Día de los Muertos with cocktails that will be sure to get you in the holiday spirit.

While creative costumes are a huge part of most Halloween parties, no party would be complete without a scary good cocktail. Impress your party guests with a Finger Stirred Old Fashioned, which mixes Aberfeldy Scotch Whisky with pomegranate grenadine, bitters and absinthe, and is garnished with a rose ice cube and bloody finger.

For those who will be celebrating Día de los Muertos (10/31-11/2), a time to honor and celebrate the lives of loved ones lost, what better way to elevate your traditional festivities than with tequila cocktails. Honor the holiday with Tequila Cazadores, an authentic Mexican tequila by Bacardi, by serving a Pomegranate Paloma (Cazadores Blanco, St-Germain, pomegranate juice, lime juice and grapefruit soda) or a Mi Recuerdo (Cazadores Reposado, orange curaçao, grenadine, ruby grapefruit and lemon juice) created by Global Brand Ambassador Manny Hinojosa in memory of his mother.

Halloween

Finger Stirred Old Fashioned | Recipe and Photo by Gabe Urrutia, National Brand Ambassador, Aberfeldy

• 2 oz. Aberfeldy 12 Year Old
• 0.5 oz. Pomegranate Grenadine*
• 2 dashes Aromatic Bitters
• 0.25 oz. Copper & Kings Barrel Finished Absinthe Rinse
• Orange

* Method for Pomegranate Grenadine: Combine equal parts sugar and pomegranate juice in a pan over the stove on low heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Label and store until ready to use.

Cocktail Method: Add all ingredients except Absinthe into a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until well chilled. Add 0.25 oz. of absinthe to a rocks glass and coat the inside of the glass. Discard leftover absinthe. Strain cocktail over ice or up. Expel oils of orange in a cocktail and discard peel.

Garnish: Give your guests an extra spooky surprise by garnishing the cocktail with a bloody finger (available on Amazon or at a local party store) and a rose ice cube.

Dia de los Muertos:

Pomegranate Paloma

• 1 ½ oz. Tequila Cazadores Blanco
• ½ oz. St-Germain
• 2 oz. Pomegranate Juice
• Top with Grapefruit Soda
• Splash of Lime Juice
• Pinch of Salt

Method: Pour ingredients into a Collins glass. Garnish with a lime slice and serve over ice.

Mi Recuerdo | Courtesy of Manny Hinojosa, Global Brand Ambassador, Cazadores

“This cocktail is in memory of my mother, who loved my cocktails and everything I made for her. What makes this cocktail extra special is that I used grapefruit and bail from her garden to create it.” – Manny Hinojosa

• 2 oz. Tequila Cazadores Reposado
• ¾ oz. Orange Curaçao
• ¾ oz. Homemade Grenadine
• ¾ oz. Lemon Juice
• 2 oz Fresh Ruby Grapefruit Juice
• Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

Method: In a Collins glass combine all the ingredients. Garnish with basil and white flowers.