Halloween is a good excuse to put something on the bar that people will talk about. That can mean a bottle shaped like a skull, a spirit with a strange history, or a fall flavor that works in an easy party drink. Here is a short guide to the bottles we stock that fit the night, with the facts behind each one.
Skull bottles: Crystal Head Vodka
Crystal Head was created by actor Dan Aykroyd and artist John Alexander, and its glass skull bottle makes it an obvious fit for a Halloween bar. The Crystal Head Aurora Vodka uses the same skull with an iridescent metallic coating inspired by the Northern Lights, so no two bottles look exactly alike. Aurora is made from English wheat and water from St. John's, Newfoundland. It is distilled five times, then filtered seven times, including three passes through Herkimer diamonds.
If you want a different look, we also carry the Crystal Head Camo Limited Edition Vodka.
Absinthe: the green fairy
Absinthe was banned in the United States in 1912. The rules changed at the end of 2006, when a thujone limit of 10 parts per million was set, and on March 5, 2007 Lucid Absinthe Supérieure received federal label approval. Lucid was created by Ted Breaux, is made with grande wormwood at the Combier distillery in France, and is bottled at 62% ABV.
Other absinthes on our shelf:
- Jade Nouvelle-Orléans Absinthe Supérieure: also developed by Breaux with Combier, modeled on absinthes from the mid-1800s, and bottled at 68% ABV.
- Kübler Verte Suisse Vintage Edition: from the Kübler family in Môtiers, in Switzerland's Val-de-Travers, where it is distilled by fourth-generation distiller Yves Kübler.
- Grande Absente Originale Absinthe with Spoon: sold here as a set with an absinthe spoon for the traditional serve.
How to serve it
The traditional French method is simple. Pour a measure of absinthe into a glass, rest a sugar cube on a slotted spoon over the glass, and slowly drip ice-cold water over the sugar. A typical ratio is 1 part absinthe to 3 to 5 parts water. As the water goes in, the drink turns cloudy. That cloudiness is called the louche, and it is part of the show. Absinthe is very strong, so serve it diluted.
A grape-steeped gin
Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin from Australia is made by steeping Yarra Valley Shiraz grapes in Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin for eight weeks, then pressing the grapes and blending the liquid with more gin. It is released once a year as a new vintage. The name alone makes it an easy pick for a Halloween gin and tonic.
Fall flavors for party drinks
- St. George NOLA Coffee Liqueur: made in California with Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee, French chicory root, Madagascar vanilla and organic cane sugar, at 25% ABV. A good base for an espresso martini or a White Russian.
- RumChata Pumpkin Spice: the pumpkin spice version of RumChata's cream liqueur, made with Caribbean rum and real dairy cream. Pour it over ice or into cold coffee.
- Ole Smoky Apple Pie Moonshine: an apple pie flavored moonshine that works well in hot cider.
- Fireball Cinnamon Whisky: the familiar cinnamon shot, and an easy add to cider punch.
Order ahead
Halloween is on a Saturday this year, so order early enough for the bottles to arrive before your party. An adult 21 or older must sign for every delivery. We ship to 44 states and cannot ship to Alaska, Hawaii, Michigan, South Dakota, Tennessee or Utah. For more ideas, browse our full vodka and liqueur collections.
