The Summerland Advocate-Messenger - Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community

If you're planning a Halloween party - whether for kids or adults - don't forget about beverages when choosing your menu.

While it's easy to stock with fridge with orange Kool-Aid for the kids or something a little stronger for adults, why not create the perfect "spooky" drink for your guests?

For devilish drinks, try these recipes from McCormick:

Ghost Busted Cocktail: Black food color turns marshmallows into eyes while vanilla extract accents a simple syrup, cream and vodka cocktail. Rim the beverage glass with black-tinted sugar to make it particularly frightening.

Orange Hocus Pocus Fizz: This tantalizing cocktail of rum, coconut and pineapple - made with red and yellow food color - is a sweetly spooky beverage that'll be a Halloween hit. Leave the rum out for a virgin "mocktail" if you've got little ghouls and goblins at your party.

Green Lagoon Punch: It doesn't get much more Halloween-y than this green-tinted punch, complete with a floating purple hand - perfect for adults and kids alike.

Serve up a ghostly cocktail at your Halloween party. Rimming the beverage glass with black-tinted sugar makes it particularly ghoulish.

Ghost Busted Cocktails

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Rimming sugar:

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

10 drops black food color

Marshmallow eyeballs:

1 large marshmallow

2 drops black food color

Cocktail:

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons simple syrup

1 ounce vodka

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup cold club soda

For the Rimming Sugar, mix sugar and vanilla on a small plate. Add food color; mix until sugar is evenly tinted. Wet rim of beverage glass with water. Dip rim of glass into black sugar to lightly coat.

For the Marshmallow Eyeballs, cut marshmallow crosswise in half. Place 1 drop food color in center of cut-side of each marshmallow half.

Fill cocktail shaker two-thirds full with ice. Add cream, simple syrup, vodka and vanilla; shake until well mixed and chilled. Strain into rimmed beverage glass. Top with club soda. Garnish with Marshmallow Eyeballs. Serve immediately.

Simple Syrup: Microwave 1/2 cup each sugar and water in microwavable measuring cup 1 minute. Stir to dissolve sugar. Cool before using. Makes enough syrup to prepare 6 cocktails.

Makes 1 serving.

Recipe from: McCormick

Rim this tantalizing cocktail of rum, coconut and pineapple with black sugar for a sweetly spooky beverage that'll be the hit of the land. Leave out the rum for a virgin "mocktail" all your little ghouls and goblins can enjoy.

Orange Hocus Pocus Fizz

Preparation time: 5 minutes

1 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup rum

1/4 teaspoon imitation coconut extract

3 drops red food color

2 drops yellow food color

1 bottle (750 ml) sparkling white wine

Mix pineapple juice, rum, coconut extract and food colors in measuring cup.

For each cocktail, pour 2 ounces pineapple juice mixture into beverage glass. Top with 4 ounces sparkling white wine.

Makes 6 servings.

How to rim glass with black-tinted sugar: Place 2 tablespoons sugar in small resealable plastic bag. Add 10 drops black food color. Seal bag. Knead sugar until the color is evenly distributed. Pour out onto shallow plate. Dip rim of beverage glass in water, then into black-tinted sugar to lightly coat.

Tips: Beverage may also be prepared in a pitcher. Mix pineapple juice, rum, coconut extract and food colors in 2-quart pitcher. Add sparkling wine just before serving.

For a nonalcoholic version, omit rum, increase pineapple juice to 1-1/2 cups and use 1 bottle (750 ml) sparkling white grape juice in place of the sparkling white wine.

Recipe from: McCormick

Purple hands floating in a neon green punch - how Halloween can you get!

Green Lagoon Punch

Preparation time: 15 minutes

1-1/2 cups water

4 drops purple neon food color

Clear clean disposable vinyl glove (non-powdered)

Rubber band

1 bottle (2 liters) lemon-lime soda, chilled

1 can (12 ounces) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

1/4 teaspoon green neon food color

To make the hand, mix 1-1/2 cups water and 4 to 5 drops purple food color. Pour into glove and secure with rubber band or twist-tie. Place in resealable plastic bag and seal bag (to prevent possible leaks). Freeze 8 hours or overnight until solid.

Just before serving, mix soda, lemonade concentrate and green food color in punch bowl.

To serve, float hand in punch bowl. If desired, glove may be removed from the ice hand. The purple color will blend with the green punch.

Makes 10 (1-cup) servings.

Recipe from: McCormick

Check out these great party drinks for guests of all ages. Both recipes are from Wilton.

Witch's Brew Mocktail

3 cups ginger ale, chilled

1-1/2 cups pineapple juice, chilled

1/3 cup sweetened lime juice, chilled

Green gel food color or green icing color (optional)

Black Colored Sugar

Gummy Eyeball Skewers

In large pitcher, combine ginger ale, pineapple juice, sweetened lime juice and, if using, gel food color.

To prepare glasses, dip rims of martini glasses in water, then in black sugar. Fill with drink mixture; add eyeball skewers.

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe from: Wilton

To make Candy Corn Drinks, use a silicone mold to create "glasses" that look like candy corn. Fill with your orange-colored beverage of choice.

Candy Corn Drinks

1 cup (half of 12-ounce package) bright white candy melts candy, melted according to package directions

1 cup (half of 12-ounce package) orange candy melts candy, melted according to package directions

1 package (12 ounces) yellow candy melts candy, melted according to package directions

Orange flavored fruit drink, orange, peach or mango juice or other favorite drink

Fill disposable decorating bag with melted bright white candy. Divide evenly among cavities of 8-cavity silicone shot glass mold, taking care to not get any candy on sides of mold.

Repeat process with orange and yellow candy. Refrigerate until candy is set, about 30 minutes.

Carefully remove candy glasses from mold and set aside. Fill with orange drink.

Makes 8 servings.

Recipe from: Wilton

A Monster Mash Float is a ghoulishly good treat that kids and adults alike will love, and it's easy to make. The fun is all in the orange scream milk from TruMoo, available for a limited time at your local grocery store.

Monster Mash Float

1 cup orange scream milk

1 large scoop low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream

1 cup chilled seltzer

In tall glass, pour in milk. Add scoop of frozen yogurt. Slowly add seltzer to create foamy, web-like effect on top of float.

Serve immediately.

Makes 1 serving.

Recipe from: TruMoo

Recipe developer Alison Ladman created a spooky, muddy punch that's more healthy than it looks. Sure, it's jammed with chocolate, but it tastes more fruity than sugary. We kept it simple - and nonalcoholic - in case you're willing to share it with the kids. But after they go to bed, we suggest adding a healthy splash of light rum.

Liquid Mud Punch

McCormick

Ghost Busted Cocktail: Black food color turns marshmallows into eyes while vanilla extract accents a simple syrup, cream and vodka cocktail. Rim the beverage glass with black-tinted sugar to make it particularly frightening.

4 cups grape juice

Two 20-ounce bags bittersweet chocolate bits

4 cups blueberry juice, chilled

2-liter bottle lemon-lime soda, chilled

Shaved chocolate, to serve

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the grape juice to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate bits. Continue stirring until completely melted and smooth. Whisk in the blueberry juice, then refrigerate until completely chilled.

In a large punch bowl, gently stir the chocolate juice mixture with the lemon-lime soda. Sprinkle with shaved chocolate just before serving.

Makes 24 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 320 calories; 180 calories from fat (56 percent of total calories); 20 g fat (10 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 45 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 36 g sugar; 4 g protein; 20 mg sodium.

Recipe from: Alison Ladman