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    Home » Recipes » Drinks

    Published: Oct 12, 2021 by Rachel

    Red Death Halloween Martini Cocktail

    This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure.
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    With its spooky dark red hue and delicious sweet flavor, the Red Death cocktail is a perfectly spooky Halloween cocktail recipe! Inspired by Edgar Allen Poe’s masquerade, it’s an easy, crowd pleasing Halloween drink to die for. Step by step instructions for a layered martini glass cocktail or an easy recipe served over ice.

    Halloween red martini cocktail with cherry garnish on masquerade themed tray.
    Contents show
    1 Bartender’s Tools to Make Martinis
    2 Red Death Cocktail Ingredients and Substitutions
    3 The Science Behind Layered Cocktails
    4 How To Make A Layered Cocktail
    5 Check Out Our Other Fun Cocktail Recipes
    6 Red Death Cocktail Variation
    7 Halloween Cocktail Making Tips
    8 Red Death Halloween Cocktail
    8.1 Equipment
    8.2 Ingredients
    8.3 Instructions
    8.4 Notes
    8.5 Nutrition

    It’s October which means that things are about to get really spooky around here! I have loved October and all things Halloween my entire life. Halloween is the go-to party season around here.

    We’ve got loads of ideas gathered for you to check out like setting up a Halloween Party Buffet or Amazing Outdoor Porch Decoration Ideas, while we here are gushing over choosing our Halloween costumes, watching spooky ghost movies, and getting ready for our annual Halloween fete. 

    The base of the cocktail is a simple combination of Rum with boozy and sinister flavors of raspberry, pomegranate, and cola. The drink not only tastes delicious, but the presentation makes this signature Red Death Martini the must-serve drink at any Halloween party.

    Bartender’s Tools to Make Martinis

    I worked my way through college as a bartender and thoroughly enjoy the creativity of making cocktails. For this cocktail, the essentials of a well-stocked bar are easy to gather.

    • Jigger with 1oz and 1.5 oz measurements
    • A spoon
    • Cocktail shaker (optional for this recipe)
    • Martini Glasses
    • Rocks Glasses
    • Cocktail swords or these Reusable Skull Cocktail Picks

    Red Death Cocktail Ingredients and Substitutions

    • A White Rum such as Bacardi Superior Rum – A classic choice for a smooth, subtle flavor.
    • Raspberry Liqueur – Chambord is one of the best-known examples, but DeKuyper Razzmatazz is fine as it is more budget friendly. You can also use other fruit flavored liqueurs, as most will layer between the grenadine and rum nicely.
    • Soda – Coca-Cola, Pepsi, or Diet of either brand work well.
    • Maraschino Cherries – these are for garnish.
    Halloween Party Cocktail Tray with festive bats blood labelled cherry jars.

    The Science Behind Layered Cocktails

    You wondering why certain drinks layer and separate rather than blend together? Science, my friends!

    The secret to getting the drink to layer nicely is using components with different specific gravities. This is just a fancy way of saying how heavy or dense an ingredient is.

    The amount of sugar or alcohol in an ingredient determines its density or specific gravity. Lighter ingredients (low specific gravity) will float on top of heavier liquids (high specific gravity). For example, grenadine is very sugary, syrupy, and thick, so it’s almost always sinks to the bottom. Grenadine has a specific gravity of 1.18.

    On the other hand, High-proof rum, whiskey, and other liquors are lighter than water and have a specific gravity around 0.95. For instance, 151-proof rum often floats on top of drinks like the flaming Dr. Pepper so it can be lit on fire.

    You can easily find specific gravities of many liquors and mixers in this specific gravity chart.

    How To Make A Layered Cocktail

    Now that you understand how certain liquors and mixers will layer, there are some specific tips and tricks to making a drink layer perfectly. Don’t worry, you don’t need to be a bartender to make perfectly layered cocktails!

    1. Chill all ingredients in the refrigerator prior to layering. Density and specific gravity will change depending on temperature of the ingredients. Also, the addition of water can change how cocktails layer. If you happen to forget, you can shake the rum and raspberry liqueur separately with ice for this recipe. The grenadine will be fine.

    2. Measure and add grenadine in the bottom of the glass.

    Making a layered cocktail by pouring rum in  jigger over grenadine in a martini glass.

    3. Using the back of a spoon placed against the glass rim, slowly pour the raspberry liqueur in the glass. For ingredients with similar specific gravidities, this will slow the liquid down, so it doesn’t mix with the previous layer. Repeat with the rest of the layered ingredients.

    Using a spoon to make a layered mixed drink cocktail.

    4. Serve immediately with two maraschino cherries pinched together on a cocktail pick.

    Check Out Our Other Fun Cocktail Recipes

    • Strawberry White Sangria Recipe
    • Crown Apple Cocktail
    • Festive Christmas Punch
    • Blackberry Bourbon Smash
    • Blackberry Sangria Recipe

    Red Death Cocktail Variation

    Or…if you are fresh out of martini glasses or just looking for an easy signature party cocktail that guests can make themselves, this recipe also works very well with ice in a rocks glass. It will still be somewhat layered, although it may be a bit muddier.

    Pre-chill the ingredients as well just to slow the melting of the ice. Add ice to a rocks glass and pour the ingredients in order – grenadine, Chambord, Rum, then cola – over the ice. Garnish with two maraschino cherries on a pick and enjoy!

    The ice itself will slow the pour action, so no need to use a spoon in this variation.

    Rum and Coke Halloween Cocktail with red cherry garnish and grenadine

    Halloween Cocktail Making Tips

    • To add an even spookier ambiance, consider adding a small piece of dry ice to each cocktail. However, it is extremely important that you wait until the dry ice has completely dissolved before drinking. You DO NOT want to ingest dry ice. Also, use gloves or tongs to handle the dry ice as it will burn you.
    • If you do not have a jigger, 1 ounce is equal to 2 tablespoons.
    • If you happen to forget to chill your ingredients, you can shake the rum and raspberry liqueur separately with ice for this recipe. The grenadine will be fine. You would still have to chill the cola or pour through ice before pouring into the glass.
    Cookbook cover of Chicken and Rice casserole. The cookbook is titled Weeknight Supper Solutions

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    More Boozy Drink Recipes

    Apple cocktail with crown royal and pomegranate juice with apples and red striped straws for garnish.
    Crown Apple Cocktail
    Side view of three glasses of caramel apple sangria on a rustic wood board. Cinnamon sticks lay around the glasses with slices of apple and herbs as garnish.
    Caramel Apple Sangria
    Two glasses of blackberry sangria with straws on a wood background.
    Blackberry Sangria
    Vodka Punch in a wine glass with ice garnished with orange slices and pomegranate seeds.
    Winter Vodka Punch

    PS. If you make this recipe, leave a COMMENT AND A STAR RATING in the comments section at the bottom and be sure to take a photo and tag it #cravingcreative on Instagram! I appreciate you for taking the time to read about me and my family recipes. 

    Rum and coke in a martini glass with marchino cherry garnish.

    Red Death Halloween Cocktail

    Inspired by Edgar Allen Poe's masquerade story, the Red Death Halloween cocktail has a spooky dark red hue and delicious sweet flavor that is perfect for a Halloween cocktail recipe!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Drinks
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: halloween cocktail, halloween drink, halloween martini
    Prep Time: 1 minute
    Cook Time: 1 minute
    Total Time: 2 minutes
    Servings: 1 cocktail
    Calories: 230kcal
    Author: Rachel

    Equipment

    • Martini Glasses
    • Jigger

    Ingredients

    • 5 oz Coca-Cola Pepsi and Diet cola varieties also work.
    • 1.5 tablespoon Grenadine
    • 1.5 oz Bacardi Superior Rum
    • 2 Maraschino Cherries
    • 1 Cocktail Picks
    • 1 oz Raspberry Liqueur Chambord is the best, but DeKuyper Razzmatazz is a cheaper option.

    Instructions

    • Chill all ingredients in the refrigerator prior to layering.
    • Measure and add grenadine in the bottom of the glass.
    • Measure out the raspberry liqueur with a jigger. Using the back of a spoon placed against the glass rim, slowly pour the raspberry liqueur over the spoon into the glass. Repeat with the rum and then the Cola,
    • Garnish with two maraschino cherries on a cocktail pick.

    Notes

  • If you don’t have a jigger, one fluid ounce equals to two tablespoons.
  • To add an even spookier ambiance, consider adding a small piece of dry ice to each cocktail. However, it is extremely important that you wait until the dry ice has completely dissolved before drinking. You DO NOT want to ingest dry ice. Also, use gloves or tongs to handle the dry ice as it will burn you.
  • Nutrition

    Serving: 1glass | Calories: 230kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Sugar: 32g
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @CravingCreative or tag #CravingSomeCreativity!

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    Creativity makes me energized and fearless. My husband and I have been renovating homes for over a decade and love to share our passion for all things home. Follow along for remodeling tutorials, recipes, and entertaining ideas sure to inspire!

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