Halloween is a good excuse to gather a few friends, dim the lights and make something a little more playful to drink. A bright green apple fizz tangled in marshmallow cobwebs, perhaps, or a dark berry and ginger drink with red jam dripping down the glass.

These two easy Halloween cocktails and mocktails start with flavours from our Signature Cocktail Mixer Variety Pack. Add a few ingredients from the kitchen cupboard, give each glass a suitably spooky finishing touch, and you’re ready for an evening of good company and ghost stories.

Both recipes are alcohol-free to begin with, with an optional spirit measure for anyone who would like a cocktail. There’s no shaker or homemade syrup required.

Cobweb Apple Fizz

Crisp apple, a squeeze of lime and a tangle of white marshmallow threads make this green Halloween mocktail a little too tempting to leave alone. A small amount of green food colouring gives it that witch’s-potion appearance, while Bradley’s Sparkling Apple Juice brings the fruit and fizz.

The marshmallow web is the finishing touch. Stretch it thinly across the glass for wispy cobwebs that stand out against the green drink.

Makes 1 drink · Prep: about 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 165 ml chilled Bradley’s Sparkling Apple Juice
• 10 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed or bottled
• A little green food colouring suitable for drinks: start with 1 drop of liquid colouring or a tiny dab of gel
• 2 regular white marshmallows
• Ice

Method

1. Pour the lime juice into a wide tumbler or stemless wine glass, around 350–400 ml in capacity. Add a tiny amount of green food colouring and stir to disperse it.
2. Add a small handful of ice, then slowly pour in the Sparkling Apple Juice. Stir gently and adjust the colour if needed, leaving space below the rim.
3. Put the marshmallows in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 10 seconds, then in 5-second bursts until puffed and soft. This usually takes around 15–25 seconds in total, depending on your microwave.
4. Stir the melted marshmallow and let it cool until safe to handle but still stretchy. With clean, slightly damp fingertips, pull a small amount into fine strands.
5. Anchor the strands to the dry outer rim and stretch them across the opening in several directions. Let a few trail down the outside of the glass, keeping a small gap for sipping or a straw.
6. Serve straight away, keeping the marshmallow above the liquid so the web holds its shape.

Make it a cocktail: Add 35 ml gin or vodka with the lime juice and reduce the Sparkling Apple Juice to 130 ml.

A little kitchen know-how: Start with less food colouring than you think you need; you can always add more. The apple juice won’t turn green on its own. Lemon juice works well if you haven’t got a lime, and the marshmallow web looks its best when added just before serving.

Vampire’s Ginger Fizz

Deep blackcurrant and warming ginger make a suitably dark pairing for Halloween. A squeeze of lemon keeps the fruit bright, while a little red jam around the rim gives the glass its vampire-inspired finish.

This one uses blackcurrant squash straight from the bottle, so there’s no need to hunt down a special syrup. Our Ginger Beer adds the sparkle and a lively ginger kick.

Makes 1 drink · Prep: about 3 minutes

Ingredients

• 165 ml chilled Bradley’s Ginger Beer
• 20 ml ordinary-strength blackcurrant squash, undiluted; use 10 ml if double concentrate and adjust to taste
• 10 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed or bottled
• Ice
• 1 teaspoon smooth strawberry or raspberry jam, for an optional “blood” rim

Method

1. Stir the jam until smooth. If it is very stiff, loosen it with just a few drops of water, keeping it thick enough to cling to the glass.
2. Use the back of a teaspoon to paint a little jam around the outside rim of a dry 350–400 ml tumbler, allowing two or three short drips to run down the glass.
3. Pour in the blackcurrant squash and lemon juice, then stir.
4. Add a small handful of ice and slowly pour in the chilled Ginger Beer.
5. Give it one gentle stir and taste. Add a little more lemon if you prefer a sharper finish, or a small splash of squash for extra sweetness. Serve immediately.

Make it a cocktail: Add 40 ml vodka or dark rum with the squash and lemon juice and reduce the Ginger Beer to 125 ml.

Use what you have: Lime juice can replace the lemon, and summer-fruit squash works in place of blackcurrant, although the colour will vary. Leave off the jam if you’d prefer a simpler serve.

A few tricks for your Halloween drinks table

Chill the mixers before your guests arrive, set out the glasses and keep the garnishes within reach. Add each sparkling mixer last and stir gently to keep the bubbles.

For the mocktail versions, one 330 ml can of Sparkling Apple Juice makes two Cobweb Apple Fizzes, and one 330 ml can of Ginger Beer makes two Vampire’s Ginger Fizzes. If you’re serving a group, measure the citrus and squash ahead, then finish each drink with ice, fizz and its garnish when you’re ready to serve.

Add the marshmallow webs at the last moment: condensation and contact with the drink will soften them. A clear glass will show off the green apple fizz, while a few short jam drips are all the decoration the berry drink needs.

Bring a little mischief to your home bar

Whether you’re planning a Halloween gathering or settling in for a scary film, our Signature Cocktail Mixer Variety Pack gives you six flavours to play with: Ginger Beer, Sparkling Apple, Lemon & Lime Sparkling Water, Lemon & Ginger Sparkling Water, Sicilian Lemonade and Elderflower Pressé.

Pick your potion, gather your favourite people and let the evening unfold.