For me, October marks the beginning of the most festive time of year. So many reasons to meet with friends and family to clink glasses during the last three months of the year. For Halloween, I try to creative ways to bring spooky touches around the house and into recipes that reflect my style. Typically I am drawn to light, natural and airy colors and textures, so it’s fun to try things with deeper, moodier vibes to dress things up in October.
Spooky Garnishes for Halloween Cocktails
If you’re not looking to get fancy with your cocktail shaker, easily spice things up with creepy garnishes. Spray herb leaves with black food coloring to create some drama to accompany a simple glass of rose. Muddle blackberries in a margarita to give the classic recipe a moody twist. For a large Halloween party, keep the recipes simple and add festive touches for impact.
Use Moody Colors for Halloween Decorations
Instead of black and orange, I always go the non-traditional route for Halloween decor and spooky tablescapes. Black is definitely a go to color, but instead of orange, use a beautiful deep Cabernet purple. These two colors paired with black table decorations and spooky cocktails create the perfect ghoulish glamour scene.
For me, the best part of decorating or entertaining around Halloween is going outside my comfort zone. Using elaborate garnishes with dark moody colors for food and drinks is an easy way to keep things fun. Wearing something you typically wouldn’t put on is always exciting. Using the color black in creative ways. Maybe a little dry ice in places for certain spookiness? All of these things are what make Halloween special – so don’t be afraid to try them out.
Credits
My ghoulish gal pal – Lydia Senef, of LydiaSenef.com
Styling – Myself, and Lydia Senef
Flowers – Spring Creek Designs
Photography – Amanda O’Rourke