Halloween drinks that are guaranteed to impress

It's funny how when you are a teenager there is period where you tend to grow out of Halloween. Personal experience shows that as you get into your late teens and early twenties Halloween becomes fun again.

More and more pubs and nightclubs are profiting off Halloween. You could probably count more places in your local area that are doing fancy dress competitions, than those that aren't doing competitions. These competitions often have a money prize, which makes for a huge incentive to dress up.

Halloween cocktails, and even shots are becoming increasingly popular, and with a little help from websites such as Pinterest, perhaps we can dress up as a bartender for the night?

Whether you are having a few sociables indoors this evening, or are painting the town red we've got your drinks sorted...

Zombie

• 25ml dark rum

• 25ml white rum

• 50ml lime juice

• 150ml pineapple juice

• 1tsp grenadine

• ice

1. Pour the rums, and fruit juices into a cocktail shaker (a bottle could act as a student friendly substitute) with ice and shake.

2. Pour into a hurricane glass (or tall glass), and add grenadine for colour.

3. Garnish: Orange wedge, cherries, mint sprigs

Vampire Kiss

• 20ml raspberry liqeur

• 25ml vodka

• 4-6 frozen raspberries

• ice

• champagne

• red sugar (optional for garnish)

1. Add the raspberry liquer and vodka into a shaker (or alternative) along with a handful of ice, and the raspberries, and shake.

2. If using the sugar; dip the rim of your glass into cold water, and then into the sugar.

3. Strain the cocktail into the glass, and top with champagne.

Alien Brain Hemorrhage

• 30ml peach schnapps

• 1 tsp cream liqueur (eg. Baileys)

• 1 drop of grenadine

1. Pour the peach schnapps into the shot glass.

2. Gently pour the cream liqueur over the schnapps.

3. The liqueur will begin to clump and "curdle" to look like a brain.

4. Add a drop of grenadine to add the 'blood' over the brain.

Halloween Old Fashioned

• 60ml bourbon

• 10 dashed of dark chocolate bitters

• 2 strips orange peel

• squeeze of fresh orange juice

• 1 amarena or luxardo cherry

• 1 tsp cherry syrup

• 15ml simple syrup (optional)

• ice

1. Muddle orange peel and cherry together.

2. Add bourbon, chocolate bitters, orange juice, cherry syrup and simple syrup .

3. Stir to mix, and add one large ice cube to chill. Serve straight away.

4. Garnish: cherry, orange zest.

Bloody Mary

• 100ml vodka

• 500ml tomato juice

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 2-4 dashes of Worcestershire sauce

• 2-4 shakes Tabasco sauce

• shake of celery salt

• shake of black pepper

• ice

1. Measure vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice into a jug with ice.

2. Add the sauces, and celery salt and pepper.

3. Stir until cold, and strain into cocktail or tall glasses.

4. Garnish: Celery stick, lemon slice