Halloween inspired cocktails

Bloody Martini (Black Martini)

Ingredients:

• 7-8 ice cubes
• 15ml extra dry vermouth
• 75ml London dry gin
• 60ml pomegranate juice drink

Add the ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for a few minutes, then strain into a martini glass.

To garnish, crush a few blackberries and mix with granulated sugar, then dip the rim of the glass into the crushed purple sugar. Alternatively, sieve a few blackberries and mix with icing sugar then drizzle around the edges of the glass (for a dripping blood effect). To finish, add a mint sprig and a dusting of icing sugar, or more purple blackberry sugar on the serving platter.

Spicy Apple Martini

Try this beautiful Autumnal drink with a little cinnamon kick.

Ingredients:

• 50ml vodka (or pear-flavoured vodka if you have it)
• 15ml lemon juice (fresh is best)
• 75ml sparkling apple cider
• A few drops of cinnamon syrup (to taste)

Add ice, vodka and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for a minute or two, before straining into a chilled martini glass. Top with sparkling cider and add any decorative touches such a sugar around the rim of the glass or a mini pumpkin on the side.

Pumpkintini

Perfect for Halloween. Note: You can also substitute the pumpkin ingredients with an 'orange' flavoured variety if pumpkin isn't your preferred flavour.

Ingredients:

• 30ml cinnamon whiskey
• 30ml pumpkin spice liqueur
• 45ml rum cream
• 30ml half & half (half whole milk, half cream)
• Caramel syrup, whipped cream, sprinkles and Graham Cracker crumbs to garnish

Rim the edge of a martini glass with caramel syrup and graham cracker crumbs. Combine the whiskey, liqueur, rum and cream in a cocktail shaker and shake thoroughly, then strain into a martini glass (or similar) and garnish with the whipped cream and sprinkles or leave plain with only the decadent sugar rim.

Mocktails

The options are endless. Just pop anything orange, green or red into a glass, dip the rim in granulated sugar (coloured sugar is even better, and edible glitter is another option), then and add a few accessories to decorate. Star anise looks great on the side or popped into the glass, or berries as we have here. If you're going full 'Halloween-effect' then perhaps even a spider dangling from the glass (we don't suggest using a real spider!).