10 Creative Halloween-Themed Adult Alcoholic Drinks

To many, Halloween is for the kids and about ghosts, pumpkins, candy and costumes. But children aren’t the only ones who are entitled to enjoy themselves on All Hallow’s Eve.

Create Your Own Halloween Bottle Labels

According to a 2010 survey conducted by BIGresearch, Americans spent $200 million MORE on adult Halloween costumes than children’s costumes. In addition, a larger percentage of American adults attended or hosted a Halloween party than took their children trick or treating. So, it’s pretty safe to say that Halloween has become a holiday for adults.

Recognizing this trend, Shindigz, where the world comes to party, has partnered up with PartyAndEventGuide.com to come up with a list of dastardly adult drinks that are spooky, fun and full of Halloween “spirits.” PartyAndEventGuide.com has a drink recipe guide that features hundreds of unique drink combinations. While perusing through their list, Shindigz came up with their own list of blood curdling concoctions that are sure to please the guests of any party or night club.

1. The Witch’s Brew
This popular drink can be found in almost any bar and with 100 different recipes. We like this recipe because it really focuses on the spices that make up a true cauldron of taste.
Ingredients:
2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1 1/2 oz Blue Curacao
1/2 oz Brandy
1/4 tsp cloves
1 dash nutmeg
1 dash allspice
Instructions: Mix Yellow Chartreuse, Blue Curacao, Brandy and the rest in a shaker. Shake well and serve in a chilled glass. Alcoholic Cocktail, served in a Highball glass.

Create A Poison Wine Bottle Label

2. Vampire Juice
If you’ve got fangs, this is the drink for you! It’s just the right mix of alcohol and juice. Don’t worry; no blood is in this recipe.
Ingredients:
1 oz Coconut Rum
1 oz Blue Curacao
1 oz Bacardi Rum
8 oz orange juice
Instructions: Mix Rums and Blue Curacao in shaker over ice. Fill up with orange juice, shake well and strain into a glass. Alcoholic Shot, served in an Old-fashioned glass.

3. Snakebite Cocktail
This mixture of beer and cider has the spicy taste of fall with the bite of a good beer.
Ingredients:
1 part Beer
1 part cider
Instructions: Pour all ingredients carefully down the side of the glass to make two distinct layers in a glass. Alcoholic Cocktail, served in a Highball glass.

4. Pumpkin Pie Cocktail
It’s not Halloween without the pumpkins. This drink actually uses pumpkin pie filling for a true pumpkin taste with an adult twist of Malibu and Kahlua.
Ingredients:
1 oz Malibu Rum
1/2 oz Kahlua
3/4 oz canned pumpkin pie filling
2 oz cold milk
cinnamon
Special Equipment: Blender
Instructions: Mix Rum, Kahlua, milk and pumpkin pie filling in a blender with ice and blend well. Pour into graham cracker-rimmed highball glass and garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Create A Devil's Drink Bottle Label

5. Death in the Afternoon
We have one thought about this drink – it ought to be against the law to consume. Read the ingredients and you’ll see why. Here’s to Fridays!
Ingredients:
1/2 oz Baileys Irish Cream
1 oz Kahlua
1/2 oz Crème de Cacao
1 oz Chocolate Syrup
2 oz milk
4 oz Ice Cream
whipped cream to garnish
chocolate flakes to garnish
Special Equipment: Blender
Instructions: Blend all ingredients. Garnish with whipped cream and sprinkle chocolate flakes on the top. Alcoholic Blended and Frozen, served in a Margarita glass.

6. Zombie Cocktail
If there were ever a Jamaican Zombie, I’m sure he was the creator of this crazy concoction of fruit and rum. If you weren’t a zombie when you ordered this drink, you might be one when you’re finished.
Ingredients:
3/4 oz Light Rum
3/4 oz Dark Rum
1 1/2 oz Jamaican Rum
2 oz pineapple juice
1 oz lime juice
1 oz orange juice
a pineapple slice or cherry
Special Equipment: Shaker
Instructions: Mix light rum, Dark Rum, Jamaican Rum, and juices. Shake and strain into a highball glass over fresh ice. Serve with a straw. Alcoholic Cocktail, served in a Highball glass.

7. Gates of Hell
We have two words that explain the title of this evil drink: Tequila and Brandy.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz Cuervo Tequila
2 tsp lime juice
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Cherry Brandy
Special Equipment: Shaker
Instructions: Mix tequila, lemon and lime juice in a shaker over ice. Shake well. Strain into a cocktail glass with crushed ice. Pour cherry brandy over top. Alcoholic Cocktail, served in a Cocktail glass.

Create A Witch's Brew Bottle Label

8. The Undertaker
Just as the profession is a combination of macabre and compassion, this dark shot is a perfect mix of darkness and sweetness.
Ingredients:
1 part Jagermeister
1 part Cointreau (or Triple Sec)
1 part Bacardi Rum
Instructions: Pour liqueurs layer after layer in a shot glass. Alcoholic Shot, served in a Shot glass.

9. Tootsie Roll Cocktail
It’s one of America’s favorite Halloween treats. So why not enjoy a glass of this classic chocolaty goodness?
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz Kahlua
1 1/2 oz Dark Crème de Cacao
orange juice to fill
Instructions: Mix liqueurs and juice. Shake with ice in a highball glass. Alcoholic Cocktail, served in a Highball glass.

10. Black Magic Cocktail
This vodka and Kahlua mixed drink creates a bit of black magic with a lemony loop.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz Vodka
3/4 oz Kahlua
1 dash lemon juice
lemon twist
Instructions: Mix all ingredients in a shaking glass with ice and stir gently. Strain over ice into a highball glass. Garnish with a lemon twist. Alcoholic Cocktail, served in a Highball glass.

Shindigz and Party and Event Guide would like to remind you to please drink responsibly. Getting home safely ALWAYS makes life more fun.

Boo! Bags and Party Favor Bags — Ideas for Fun

Can you make Halloween party favor bags that are bloody and completely fa-boo-lous at the same time? Let’s examine this and other Halloween party favor container dilemmas.

Add Your Own Touches to Halloween Favor Bags
The Gift Bags page is a pretty good place to start. Here, you can begin to get a feel for the materials that will best suit your Halloween party style, mood and budget: plain or glossy paper, metallics or clear vinyl.

Select a plain cub tote bag and give it a treatment with your own stencils or stamps

Order a skull or pumpkin design on cake bags

Design a Halloween personalized sticker to place on your party favor bags of choice (the photo at right is an example)

As you widen your search you’ll come across our marvelous paintable canvas mini totes. These totes, in a party-perfect 6”x6” size, come in several colors including orange and purple. We especially like them for kids’ Halloween parties because fabric paint and glitter glue turn them into a craft activity as well as party favor bags.

Use Decorating Fabrics to Make Halloween Favor Bags
Perhaps you’ve used netting to wrap favors for a wedding? Though you may be using a different color, the same principles apply to create Halloween favor bags, including the delightful principles of “no sewing” and “no raveling,” to which many of us are loyal adherents.

Simply cut the netting into squares of your favored size, which will probably fall between 12” and 15” or thereabouts. Fill the center of each square with your Halloween treats or favors, pull up the corners and tie the bag closed with a pretty (or perhaps in this case, ghastly) piece of ribbon.

Another easy decorating fabric to use is gossamer. Cut squares from a solid color or spiderweb patterned gossamer, and use strips cut from the same material or from a contrasting color of gossamer streamer to tie the bags.

If your Halloween party involves a “chop shop” or similar mayhem, cut the squares out of a bloody gauze panel. (You may need two squares layered together for better opacity). In this case, the material will ravel but it’s all part of the effect.

Be sure to include a severed fingers decoration in each bloody favor bag.

By “Bags,” We Also Mean Boxes and Coffins

Party favor bags are fun and easy containers, but they are just one of a range of choices when it comes to holding Halloween party favors. Be sure to check out favor boxes in several Halloween designs that you can personalize, generously-sized orange buckets and black cauldrons, and our cute coffin treat boxes.

Check out more party favor boxes and bags, as well as a huge menu of party favors to stuff them with, in the Party Favors store.

Grandma’s Halloween Storybook Decorating Tips

From the lessons of the Little Green Witch to Berenstain Bears® adventures, Halloween storybooks tend to contain many of the same key elements. Here are some tips for Grandmas (and others!) in using Halloween party supplies for storybook style home or party decorating no matter the plot.

Go For an “Illustrated” Look
Seek Halloween decorations that look like something that’s just jumped out of a storybook. The Haunted Mansion background illustration, shown at right, is a wonderful example of what we mean: richly colored and stylized, with an overall lighthearted feel. The Halloween Night backdrop is another terrific choice in this vein.

If you have a haunted castle or mansion to re-create, start with a brick or stone patterned flat paper or poly vinyl rolls on the walls.

Add a cast of fun characters to a Halloween storybook setting with mylar Halloween balloons in comical cat, bat and spider shapes. Cutout assortments such as Ghost felt cutouts or the funny Gruesome Group glitter cutouts strike the right mood and adorn walls, windows and tables affordably.

Select Universal Symbols of the Holiday
Besides haunted buildings, many Halloween storybooks contain a spooky tree or haunted forest. Plant 6- or 8-foot 3D Spooky Tree standees or a big ol’ Spooky Balloon Tree in the middle of the party room and get ready for the screams – of delight! These stand-alone pieces are real showstoppers and perfect for children old enough to appreciate them to look at but not to climb.

Pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns rule the day, er, night in a storybook land. The personalized Pumpkin yard sign, Jack-o-Lantern lighted corex standee and Scary Silhouettes party pack are just a few of your Halloween decoration pumpkin options.

To recreate Five Pesky Pumpkins or other storybook jack-o-lantern characters, just use a permanent marker to draw and color in the same faces and expressions from the book illustrations onto inflated orange latex balloons.

Make plenty to use as storybook Halloween decorations and extras for balloon games. Add our Radiant LED balloon lights to the decorative balloon faces for added interest.

For decorations and other products with owls on them, take a look at our Creepy Owl or more unconventional Hippie Chick Owl designs.

Think Hands-On
Halloween-themed piñatas, ball-toss games, fun photo stand-ins and similar items will serve you well as items for storybook décor as well as child’s play. Find these products and more in Halloween Activities.

Help Me, It’s Halloween! Decorations that Win

Capture Halloween decorations that can help you put together a prize-winning display or secure your position as host with the most.

Wow ‘Em with Ominous Outdoor Displays
Your first step is to choose between cute-scary and scary-scary. Take into account the makeup of the family and the neighborhood; for example, do you have a block full of teenagers or lots of small fries? For a competition, it’s usually best to choose outdoor Halloween decorations with the widest range of appeal, which usually means a “G” rating.

For this reason, consider the Halloween Outdoor decorating kit for house-decorating contests. This decorating kit contains a banner, bunting, door decoration, window decorations and eight smiling, kid-friendly ghosts to hang.

Complete your display with Halloween yard decorations such as Halloween warning tape, silver skull fencing or your own funny personalized tombstone creations.

Score with Sinister Effects
We all know the wow-factor of a special Halloween decoration, and the addition of a special effect to a unique piece or display can magnify that power.

Take an 8’ spooky 3D tree, an arrangement of Spooktacular Cemetery decorations or a life-sized piece from our new Boo-tique collection and add fog or special lighting to it. We have black light fixtures – including a model that can be used outdoors – fog machines and bubble foggers.

Perhaps a decoration that already includes a visual or other effect appeals to you. No problem! A 5’ standing witch with red lighted eyes and blood-curdling screams, an adorable lighted spiderweb, a quivering cocoon or a tabletop misting cauldron are just a few of the options with special effects. Shop Outdoor Halloween Decorations and Halloween Lights for the full selection.

Earn Props for Terrifying Tables
Speaking of tabletops, this is one area you don’t want to neglect no matter the Halloween event. Yes, yummy treats count for a lot, but Halloween party tables also offer excellent opportunities to show off witchin’ new centerpiece arrangements, a boo-riffic tableware ensemble or personalized Halloween bottle labels you’ve customized yourself.

Imagine one of our impressively tall tabletop skull or spiderweb candle holders sitting on a table cover of our Spider Web patterned gossamer and embellished with decorative cobwebs. For a truly macabre touch, stuff candle holders with black or white flickering LED “bloody” candlesticks and pour red punch into clear Halloween goblets.

If you need something for a big crowd, check out the Halloween Ultimate Table Decorating Kit. This is a cheerful combination of decorations that are perfect when you need instant ambience (with emphasis on “instant”). It also coordinates beautifully with our Boo Bash and Chills and Thrills tableware designs as well as several solid tableware colors.

Achieve More Halloween Fun
We’ve offered just a taste of the possibilities for bloody good Halloween fun. Browse all our Halloween party supplies for a Halloween party, contest or other venue fit for special Halloween decorations.

Top 10 Halloween Cities in America

It’s that time of year when the ghosts and goblins arise from their dark lairs to rattle their chains and whisper their creepy hauntings. But where in America will the hairs on the back of your neck stand the tallest? Shindigz, Where the World Comes to Party, set out on a quest to find the top 10 cities for celebrating Halloween.

Although Halloween is the second biggest decorating holiday of the year (surpassed only by Christmas), there’s more to Halloween than just the decorations. Some U.S. cities are known for their “authentic” haunted locations and ghostly history. Others are known for their Halloween tourist attractions and trick-or-treating. When searching for the absolute best Halloween cities in America, Shindigz monster-mashed all of these factors together to compile a list of ten cities where visitors can experience the best of what Halloween has to offer.

10. Cleveland, OH: Even though Zillow ranked Cleveland at #17 on the list of best places to trick-or-treat in America, it made the Shindigz top ten list for many other reasons. The Fear Experience, Cleveland’s scariest haunt, actually puts a warning on their website that discourages visitors from touching the animals. Enough said. You can also take a Haunted Cleveland Ghost Tour of the Torso Murders that re-traces the timeline and cites of one of America’s very first serial killers.

9. Charleston, SC: Despite Charleston leaving much to be desired on the haunted attractions side of the business, a city with so much REAL haunted history doesn’t really need attractions to make it creepy. The Battery Carriage House Inn and the Dock Street Theatre are thought to inhabit the ghosts and spirits of Civil War Soldiers, African Gullahs and headless spirits. This combined, with its family-friendly Halloween festivities, gives Charleston a spot on the top ten.

8. Las Vegas, NV: Vegas, the “city of lights,” has turned to the dark side with two attractions being featured this year on Macabre Theater. The Asylum and Hotel Fear are two of Nevada’s scariest attractions and are quickly gaining national notoriety. Zillow lists Las Vegas as the 9th best trick-or-treating city in America. Finally, The Flamingo Hotel is where former owner and well known gangster Bugsy Segal is said to roam the Presidential Suite and pool of his hotel between cut-throat games of blackjack.

7. Chicago, IL: Chi-town is on the Shindigz, list not only for its great trick-or-treating suburbs, but also its history. The Great Fire and stories of gangsters including Al Capone have given Chicago quite a haunted reputation. In nearby Aurora, IL visitors can see an attraction called “Basement of the Dead.” This frightening haunt in the basement of an old laundry company is known for its large cast of adult actors, costumes, decorations and visual effects. When you’re done at the “Basement of the Dead,” you can take a tour of the haunted Bachelor’s Cemetery and try to catch a glimpse of the “White Lady.”

6. Atlanta, GA: One word: Netherworld. This 15-year-old haunted attraction is recommended for adults and brave teens only. Its different houses and dark themes give it a uniqueness that keeps visitors coming back for more. Atlanta also carries the title of being the 15th best city for trick-or-treating according to Zillow and houses more than ten allegedly haunted locations including Antebellum Plantation and Oakland Cemetery.

5. Portland, OR: Portland, and surrounding areas like Richmond and Northwest Heights, provide all the little ghosts and goblins with some of the country’s best trick-or-treating. This, combined with the hair-raising, world famous Shanghai Tunnels and Pittock Mansion, gives Portland a central spot on Shindigz’ list of Halloween’s best cities.

4. San Antonio, TX: The haunted, historic stories behind the Alamo, the Governor’s Mansion and Menger Hotel, combined with its annual “Nightmare on Grayson” haunted attraction and its listing on Zillow as one of the country’s best cities for trick-or-treating, San Antonio takes the #4 position in our list. Stop by the Crown Plaza St. Anthony where there have been numerous stories of sightings of strange shadowy outlines, feelings of a presence in some rooms, and the opening and closing of doors.

3. San Francisco, CA: This city, synonymous with Alcatraz Prison, takes the #3 spot on Shindigz list of Best Halloween Cities in America. The creepiness of Alcatraz aside, San Francisco took Zillow’s #2 spot for best trick-or-treating in America. Take a drive out of the city over the Bay Bridge at night on the lower deck towards Oakland and you may also experience what drivers say are ghosts knocking on your vehicle’s windows. Some also say that they’ve see a headless man running next to their cars.

2. Denver, CO: Denver is host to one of the most well-known haunted attractions: The 13th Floor. This attraction is not for the faint of heart. Its realistic effects and “unlucky” name give it a creepiness all its own. Denver is also known for its festive and decorative trick-or-treating neighborhoods like Cherry Creek, Hilltop and Congress Park. Lastly, its haunted history includes sites like The Brown Palace Hotel, Buckhorn Exchange and the famed Cheesman Park.

1. Philadelphia, PA: Philly takes first place on the Shindigz list of Best Halloween Cities in America. Its haunted sites like Fort Mifflin and Eastern State Penitentiary give it an eeriness that makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck, arms AND legs. The former capital of the US is also a hot trick or treating spot in areas like Manayunk, Society Hill and Rittenhouse Square. But more than anything, Philly made its way to the top of the list thanks to Pennhurst Asylum. This spine-chilling attraction is set inside an old abandoned mental institution and has been featured on the SyFy channel’s Ghost Hunters on more than one occasion. An attraction built on the actual site of a sinister and frightening mental hospital? That was the proverbial nail in the coffin (which is good in this case).

Halloween Kid Party Planning

The one big difference between planning Halloween kid parties and other children’s parties is keeping the degree of scariness consistent with the comfort level of the age group. This is not always readily apparent. For example, younger children can be quite sensitive to Halloween sound effect CDs with their creaks, rumbles of thunder and “evil” laughter, even the most fake-sounding ones. When in doubt, go with the less scary option!

Outside of the degree of tolerated scariness, Halloween parties are the same as other kids’ parties in that one of the biggest challenges is keeping young guests occupied just right.

We recommend having something to start off imaginative play right from arrival with wigs, pirate hooks, face paints or other wearables from our costume accessories department. Alternatively, you can select from one or more of nearly two dozen Halloween designs with our Create-a-Funtoo option for temporary tattoos.

When all the guests have arrived, start with the most active games to help burn off excessive excitement – outdoors if you can! Balloon-popping games, relays and treasure hunts are all good choices.

If trick-or-treat will be part of the party fun, consider checking with your local fire station to see if the firefighters will welcome trick-or-treaters. Many of them do, and such an outing would constitute an extra treat for some age groups.

Be sure to include glow stick favors with lanyards as party favors if you’re planning outdoor fun.

When the party’s end looms, start bringing the activity level down a notch with pumpkin painting and party crafts.

The right timing and balance of active vs. quiet activities is the key to success in Halloween kid party planning. Schedule plenty, and always have an extra trick (or treat) up your sleeve!