Brews & Booze: Halloween Cocktails for a Spirited Night

A spirited Halloween starts at Anderson's

Halloween weekend is here and it's the perfect excuse to mix up something a little spooky, a little seasonal, and a lot of fun. Dennis has mixed up the potions for a costume party, passing out candy, or keeping things low-key by the fire. These cocktails are all treats and no tricks.

We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite fall-inspired drinks, some featuring our house-pressed, unpasteurized Anderson’s Apple Cider, made with local Honeycrisp apples, and others just too festive to pass up.

Cider & Whiskey Mule

A fall twist on the classic mule. This one mixes Traverse City Whiskey Co. apple whiskey or bourbon with Anderson’s Apple Cider, a splash of lemon juice, and a pour of Fever Tree ginger beer. Serve it in a copper mug over ice with an apple slice, cinnamon stick, and thyme sprig for a cocktail that tastes like an autumn evening in Glen Arbor.

Ingredients

2 ounces Traverse City Whiskey Co. apple whiskey or bourbon

2 ounces Anderson’s Apple Cider

½ ounce lemon juice

3 ounces ginger beer recommended: Fever Tree

Instructions

Fill a copper mug (or rocks glass!) with ice.

Pour in the bourbon, cider, and lemon juice. Add the ginger beer.

Gently swirl the drink with a spoon one time to mix.

Garnish with an apple slice, cinnamon stick, and spring of thyme. Enjoy!

Bourbon, Bitters & Cider

Simple, smooth, and perfectly balanced. Combine bourbon, Anderson’s Apple Cider, a few dashes of Angostura bitters, and top with ginger beer. Add a squeeze of lemon if you like things bright, and garnish with a cinnamon stick, star anise, and fresh apple slice. It’s fall comfort in a glass.

Ingredients

• Ice

• 2 ounces Traverse City Whiskey bourbon (or any other good bourbon)

• 2 ounces Anderson’s apple cider

• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

• 2 ounces ginger beer

• squeeze of lemon, optional

• 
  

For garnish

• Cinnamon stick

• Star anise

• Apple slice

• Fresh thyme sprig

  
  

Instructions

Fill a rocks glass with ice.

Add the bourbon, apple cider, bitters. Top with the ginger beer and gently stir.

Add a squeeze of lemon, if desired.

Garnish with a cinnamon stick, star anise, apple slice, and/or fresh thyme and serve.

Vampire’s Kiss

This one’s pure Halloween drama — deep red, slightly sweet, and just the right amount of mysterious. Shake up vodka, Chambord, cranberry juice, lemon juice, and grenadine, then pour into a sugar-rimmed glass. It’s eerie, elegant, and made for your most theatrical guests.

Ingredients

· 1 ½ ounces vodka

· 1 ounce* Chambord 

· ½ ounce 100% unsweetened cranberry juice (not sweetened or cranberry juice cocktail)

· ½ ounce fresh lemon juice

· ½ ounce grenadine

Granulated sugar and additional grenadine, for the sugar rim (optional)

FOR THE PHOTO : Use corn syrup and red food coloring to rim the glass before serving

Instructions

 Add the vodka, Chambord, unsweetened cranberry juice, lemon juice, and grenadine to a cocktail shaker. Add 2 handfuls ice cubes and shake until cold.

Halloween Margarita with Apple Cider Syrup

An unexpected favorite — this margarita brings together tequila reposado, fresh lime, and a spiced apple cider syrup made from Anderson’s Apple Cider, cinnamon sticks, and a touch of sugar. Rim your glass with black sugar or salt, and garnish with a blood orange slice for the perfect mix of spooky and sophisticated.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces tequila reposado (or tequila blanco)

• 1 ounce apple cider syrup (see below)

• ½ ounce lime juice

• Kosher salt or black colored sugar, for the rim

• Blood orange slice, for garnish (optional)

• Ice for serving

• For the apple cider syrup (makes ¾ cup)

  • 4 cups Anderson’s apple cider

  • ¼ cup granulated sugar

  • 4 cinnamon sticks

Instructions:

• Make the apple cider syrup: Place the apple cider, granulated sugar and cinnamon sticks in a saucepan. Bring to a low boil, then maintain a low boil for 30 to 35 minutes until reduced to ¾ cup. Use immediately or refrigerate until using (stores up to 2 weeks refrigerated).

·       Prepare the glass: Cut a notch in a lime wedge, then run the lime around the rim of a glass. Dip the edge of the rim into a plate of salt or black colored sugar.

·       Make a single drink: Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with 4 ice cubes and shake until cold.

·       Serve: Strain the margarita into the glass with the salted rim. Fill the glass with ice. If desired, garnish with a blood orange slice

At Anderson’s Market, we love seeing how a few local ingredients can turn into something special — whether it’s our fresh-pressed Honeycrisp cider or a bottle from one of Michigan’s craft distilleries.

So stop by before the weekend, grab your cider, spirits, and mixers, and raise a glass to good friends, great flavors, and a little Halloween mischief.