What’s a Halloween party without the blood? Here’s a blood-red Halloween cocktail for your dark rituals.

Don’t be frightened by the inclusion of beets. They’re a great dye and impart only a very mild sweet and earthy taste to the drink.

Vampire Ritual

1 1/2 to 2 oz. gin
1/2 oz. triple sec
1 1/2 oz. blueberry-beet syrup (recipe below)
10-15 blueberries
3/4 oz. lemon juice

Muddle blueberries and syrup together, then pour mixture and all other ingredients into cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into martini glass. For garnish, use a lemon slice colored with beets.

For syrup: Boil equal parts water and sugar along with several slices of raw beet and small handful of blueberries. Strain out solids and let liquid cool before use.

More Halloween cocktail recipes

Ingredients

• 1 ½ to 2 oz gin
• ½ oz triple sec
• 1 ½ oz blueberry-beet syrup (recipe below)
• 10–15 blueberries
• ¾ oz lemon juice

Instructions

Muddle blueberries and syrup together, then pour mixture and all other ingredients into cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into martini glass. For garnish, use a lemon slice colored with beets.

For syrup: Boil equal parts water and sugar along with several slices of raw beet and small handful of blueberries. Strain out solids and let liquid cool before use.