Best Black Cocktails for Halloween and Beyond

There's something particularly spooky about sipping black liquids, though most of these are simply colored from coffee or coffee liqueur. Black cocktails are the ideal mystical beverages to serve on holidays like Halloween or Day of the Dead. Here are some of our most deliciously dark drink recipes.

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Black Russian

Perhaps lesser known relative to its milky counterpart, the White Russian, the Black Russian is a celebration of coffee made boozy. The cocktail gets its signature deep black hue from coffee liqueur, a slightly sweet ingredient with a pronounced coffee flavor. Simply mix with vodka, to present the flavor of coffee in full force, without any additional milk or sweeteners.

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Espresso Martini

This recipe from Simon Sebbah, beverage director at NYC's American Bar, gets you a perfectly frothy, caffeinated cocktail every time. It calls for a shot of room temperature espresso — it’s important not to add coffee straight from the machine, as the heat will dilute the ice and other ingredients once added to the shaker — Mr. Black coffee liqueur, and Grey Goose vodka.

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Irish Coffee

The bartending team at Slane Distillery built the Irish Coffee around the whiskey itself, so quality is crucial. Use a whiskey you'd drink neat, heavy cream, and strong, freshly brewed. The ideal ratio is one ounce of whiskey to six ounces of coffee — a fairly small serving.

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Dominicana

Sasha Petraske taught Richard Boccato this White Russian variation when Boccato worked for him at Brooklyn coffee shop Milk & Honey. Boccato makes it with Caffé Lolita coffee liqueur.

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Oaxacan Coffee

With a float of whipped cream and just enough sweetness to temper the bitter coffee and herbal notes in the mezcal, this spiked coffee cocktail is well-balanced and fortifying.

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