Vampire's Kiss Halloween Cocktail Recipe
Whether you plan to man your home's trick-or-treat station solo or you're hosting a Halloween party for friends, you're going to want something properly thematic to sip on (you know, a true Halloween cocktail). Even better if that somethin' somethin' features a little bit of alcohol to help carry you through the night. This delightfully spooky vampire's kiss cocktail couldn't be more perfect for the occasion; its light, fruity flavor with notes of raspberry and lemon will have you going back for seconds or thirds.
"This drink looks so cool and fun," says recipe developer Jessica Morone of Jess Loves Baking. "I actually had no idea the colors would separate like they did the first time I tried to make this. I thought the black would swirl in, but the way they completely separate is awesome. Also, it doesn't just look cool, it is really delicious. You could make this all year round by just not dying the vodka black."
Gather the ingredients for the vampire's kiss cocktail
To make a single cocktail, you'll need raspberry jam, lemon juice, vodka, raspberry liqueur, club soda, and black food coloring. Just remember that the 2 ounces of vodka need to be separated to make the distinct black and red layers of the cocktail.
Step 1: Whisk jam and water together
In a small bowl whisk together the raspberry jam and about a teaspoon of water until smooth.
Step 2: Rim the cocktail glasses
Dip the top edge of a glass in the raspberry mixture until coated.
Step 3: Add ice
Fill the rimmed glass with ice.
Step 4: Build the cocktail base
Add the lemon juice, 1 ounce vodka, raspberry liqueur, and club soda to the glass.
Step 5: Stir well
Stir until combined. Set aside.
Step 6: Dye the vodka
In a separate glass, add the remaining 1 ounce vodka and the black food coloring. Stir to combine.
Step 7: Add the black vodka
Gently pour the black vodka over the liquid in the raspberry-rimmed glass. Do not stir.
Step 8: Garnish and serve
Garnish as desired and serve cold.
Do you need to color the vodka black?
To give the drink that extra-spooky effect of black and red layers, it's important to separate the 2 ounces of vodka and color 1 ounce per serving. "You only need a few drops to make it the right color, and it won't be so much color that your mouth will end up black all night while drinking it," says Morone. She also suggests using liquid food coloring rather than gel, as the gel might make the mixture a bit heavier, causing the red and black to mix rather than remain separate.
That said, if you love the flavor of the drink and want to serve it at other times throughout the year, just skip adding the food coloring to the second ounce of vodka and serve the drink red. Or, as an alternative, you could experiment with dying the vodka in different colors. For instance, for the 4th of July, you could color the second ounce of vodka blue and garnish the drink with white rock candy or star-shaped gummies for an appropriately festive drink. In the same vein, for Christmas, you could color the vodka green and garnish the glass with a sprig of holly or a Christmas tree candy.
Can the drink be made ahead or scaled up for a party?
Fortunately, it's easy to scale this drink up for a party. "You could make a pitcher with the lemon juice, raspberry liqueur, club soda, and clear vodka. I would suggest keeping the black vodka separate from the rest of the mixture," says Morone. That said, if you want to prep the pitcher several hours before the event, hold the club soda aside, as well, to prevent it from going flat — just pour it into your pitcher right before the party. You can also rim the cocktail glasses and prep the garnishes in advance, storing them in the fridge until you're ready serve the drinks.
When it's finally party time, simply pour the red mix into the glasses right before you plan to serve them, topping each glass with the separate black vodka as you hand out drinks to your guests.
What should the cocktail be garnished with?
The raspberry jam around the rim of the glass can work as a garnish itself, but there are lots of ways to add an extra touch to this drink. "I got these cute vampire bat gummies from a Halloween store and that's what I used to garnish them. I also saw gummy vampire fangs that could be fun," says Morone. So certainly, you can head to your local Halloween store or browse the Halloween section of your grocery store to see what fun garnish options you can find.
That said, don't overlook the impact of fresh or natural garnishes. "You could also just garnish the drink with some raspberries," says Morone. Likewise, blackberries or slices of blood orange would be appropriately on-theme, and if you wanted to create a natural garnish that looks extra spooky, try making eyeballs with a combination of canned lychee fruit, raspberry jam, and blueberries. Simply rinse the lychee fruit, dab a bit of raspberry jam into the opening of each fruit, then fill the hole with a blueberry. The end result is an appropriately bloody-looking "eye."
- 1 tablespoon raspberry jam
- 1 ounce lemon juice
- 2 ounces vodka, divided
- 2 ounces raspberry liqueur
- 2 ounces club soda
- 2-3 drops black food coloring
- In a small bowl whisk together the raspberry jam and about a teaspoon of water until smooth.
- Dip the top edge of a glass in the raspberry mixture until coated.
- Fill the rimmed glass with ice.
- Add the lemon juice, 1 ounce vodka, raspberry liqueur, and club soda to the glass.
- Stir until combined. Set aside.
- In a separate glass, add the remaining 1 ounce vodka and the black food coloring. Stir to combine.
- Gently pour the black vodka over the liquid in the raspberry-rimmed glass. Do not stir.
- Garnish as desired and serve cold.
| Calories per Serving | 367 |
| Total Fat | 0.3 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.1 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0.0 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 34.0 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0.3 g |
| Total Sugars | 28.7 g |
| Sodium | 23.7 mg |
| Protein | 0.2 g |
