Two Easy Halloween Cocktails You Can Batch Ahead

It's almost Halloween, and I'm sharing the two drinks everyone loved when I hosted bunco!

I wanted something festive that didn't have me stuck behind the bar all night, so I went with two cocktails that batch beautifully. I made a pitcher of each ahead of time, set up a little drink station, and let everyone help themselves. Real talk: squeezing all those limes for the batches took FOREVER. If you're making these for a crowd, put on a good playlist and settle in. It's worth it!

The Beetlejuice

I know, I know. Coconut tequila and coconut water feel like a summer thing, not a fall thing. But trust me, it is SO good. The basil and blackberries keep it from being too sweet and make it taste fresh and a little bit grown up. Plus the color is perfectly spooky.

Single drink

• 2 oz coconut tequila

• 2 oz coconut water

• 1 oz fresh lime juice

• 3/4 oz simple syrup

• 3 blackberries

• 3 to 4 basil leaves

• Ice

Gently muddle the blackberries and basil in the bottom of your glass, add ice, then pour in the rest and stir.

Batched for 12

• 3 cups (24 oz) coconut tequila

• 3 cups (24 oz) coconut water

• 1 1/2 cups (12 oz) fresh lime juice

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (9 oz) simple syrup

• About 36 blackberries, for garnishing

• 1 big bunch of basil, for garnishing

Stir the tequila, coconut water, lime juice, and simple syrup together in a pitcher and chill it. Add ice right before guests arrive. Then set out a little tray of blackberries, basil, and lime wedges so everyone can garnish their own.

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The Ghoul's Mule

This is a spooky twist on a classic Moscow mule, and it's just as easy to make ahead. The one trick is to hold the ginger beer until the last minute so it stays bubbly. Mix everything else in your pitcher, then top each glass with ginger beer as you pour. The grenadine gives it that deep, blood-red glow at the bottom of the glass. Add a lime wedge and you're done!

Single drink

• 2 oz vodka

• 1 oz fresh lime juice

• 1/2 oz grenadine

• About 4 oz ginger beer, added last

• Ice and a lime wedge

Batched for 12

• 3 cups (24 oz) vodka

• 1 1/2 cups (12 oz) fresh lime juice

• 3/4 cup (6 oz) grenadine

• 48 oz ginger beer (about four 12 oz cans), added to each glass as you serve

Stir the vodka, lime juice, and grenadine together in a pitcher and chill. When it's time to serve, pour over ice and top each glass with ginger beer.

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My favorite little touch was the recipe cards. I made them in ChatGPT, printed them, and popped them into my cute Mariposa frames, and they instantly made the whole drink station feel more intentional. Guests could see exactly what was in each drink, and I didn't have to answer "what's in this?" fifty times!

Then there are the skeleton goblets. Confession: I didn't let anyone use them. Everyone wanted to, and honestly I would have trusted my friends with them, I just didn't have enough to go around! So they stayed on display as part of the decor, and I'm already looking for more for next year (they were old HomeGoods finds).

Whether you're hosting bunco, a girls' night, or just want a fun drink to sip while the kids are out trick-or-treating, I hope these make your Halloween a little more magical. Let's turn every day into a reason to celebrate!

From my little family to yours – Happy Everything!