Witchcraft or Spooky Science? Glow-in-the-Dark Halloween Cocktail With Creepy Garnish

Okay, maybe it’s science. But you don’t have to tell your party guests that.

Send shivers down the spines of your party guests as you summon the glowing powers of moonlight for this creepy Halloween cocktail.

We confess, it’s not really moonlight magic. Thanks to the quinine present in tonic — which becomes fluorescent when it absorbs UV light — this cocktail party trick can be pulled off with a blacklight and a dark room.

This cocktail includes maraschino liqueur, maraschino cherry syrup, absinthe, juniper-forward gin and tonic water. For more festive fun, we’ve included instructions to make a jalapeño and orange twist witch finger garnish. Let’s get mixing!

The witch we sourced this finger from was suffering from a bad manicure.

Ingredients

• Splash of absinthe
• 1 oz. Gin
• 3 oz. Tonic water
• Splash of Maraschino liqueur
• Jalapeño
• Orange twist
• Maraschino cherry syrup (blood!)
• Blacklight

The garnish:

Cut the top off of a jalapeño and then slice it into quarters, length-wise. Cut out the inside membrane and seeds of the pepper. Use scissors to shape a quarter of the pepper so that it has a slightly pointed tip. Leave the other end flat to give it the “freshly-cut finger look.”

Use a peeler or knife to slice of a small portion of orange peel. Use scissors to cut the zest into an almond shape. Use a small piece of tooth pick and jab it under the jalapeno. Poke the orange peel witch nail onto the toothpick. If you’re feeling fancy, use a knife to add finger creases to the middle of the pepper finger.

The cocktail:

Rinse an ice-cold glass with absinthe. This is done by pouring a splash into the glass, swirling it around a few times and dumping it out. Pour in your quick splash of maraschino liqueur, gin and tonic. Try to keep all liquid ingredients in the freezer so you have a nice chilly drink. Don’t accidentally freeze your tonic water or liqueur, though!

If you don’t have the desire to purchase a bottle of maraschino liqueur for one drink, feel free to skip it. However, keep in mind that plenty of wonderful cocktails can be made with the cherry-flavored tipple.

The magic:

Turn off the lights and turn on the blacklight. Look at that glow, it’s positively ghastly!

Now that you’ve had your glow-in-the-dark fun, dip the end of your witch finger garnish in the red syrup that comes in a maraschino or Luxardo cherry jar. When you place the finger in your drink, the syrup slowly drips off the garnish like blood. How scary.

Drink up and have a happy, safe Halloween!

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