Dry Ice Cocktails

Eery and colorful, these Dry Ice Cocktails with a mad scientist vibe make for a fun Halloween party drink. Impress all your guests when you mix Skittles-infused vodka with soda and add dry ice to make it bubble and smoke! 

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Dry Ice Cocktails for Halloween

Whenever you throw a party, it’s normal to want to impress your guests. Hosting parties can be so stressful, so I always say you should do the best you can, and your guests will more than likely be impressed no matter what.

But, from time to time, it helps to have a party trick up your sleeve. Whether that’s a signature cocktail or a magnificent dessert, serving your guests something they can ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ over will always give them something to talk about.

That’s why I love using dry ice in a cocktail. These Halloween drinks are brightly colored and made from real candy, then garnished with dry ice’s spooky smoke for a breath-taking effect.

Channel Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll or your high school chemistry teacher and mix up these totally crazy and creepy drinks!

Skittles-infused vodka

Halloween is no different is probably the best time to try an impressive party trick/treat. These Mad Scientist Cocktails are just that.

For these cocktails, I used vodka that I unfused with candy for ultra bright colors and fruity flavor.

I chose Skittles for their creepy, artificial coloring. Makes it more authentically mad scientist-like, I think.

However, pick your poison — in other words, feel free to use your favorite colorful, fruity candy, such as:

• Jolly Ranchers
• Starbursts
• Lifesavers
• Skittles

How to make skittles vodka

Skittles-infused vodka is made in a similar process to my Candy Corn Vodka and Marshmallow Vodka.

Just separate out the colors and soak them in vodka overnight. Strain out the now-colorless candies and — voila! — you’ve got five shades of vibrantly-colored vodka, ready for mixing.

Here are the steps to follow:

1. First, separate out the different colors of candy into different jars or glasses. (For Skittles, you will need five.)
2. Pour vodka over the candy and let it infuse for a few hours or even a day, until you are satisfied with the color.
3. Strain off any solids and then pour the colored vodka into pretty bottles or beakers for pouring into cocktails.

Store it in glass bottles or jars if you’re not going to use it right away.

How to Make Dry Ice Cocktails

These Mad Scientist Cocktails themselves are simple: A shot of vodka plus clear soda, like lemon-lime soda, ginger ale or ginger beer. Even club soda will work!

This is spooky enough on its own, especially when served in beakers or test tubes. But you can take it up a notch with dry ice.

When dry ice meets liquid, it will begin to bubble violently and produce an odorless, white smoke that oozes off the drink, giving it an ultra-eery appearance.

Once mixed in the glass — I used these adorable mixology beakers for added effect — drop in a cube of dry ice. Immediate bubbles and smoke! And so much fun. Your guests will definitely be impressed with your trick. (Or treat?)

You don’t have to use the vodka and soda — you can add dry ice to just about any drink. Try it in this Harry Potter Boozy Butterbeer or other Halloween cocktails.

Tips for using dry ice in a cocktail

Where to buy dry ice: You can buy dry ice at most grocery stores. You should ask at customer service and they will direct you to a freezer where it is stored.

Storing dry ice: Pick up your dry ice just a few hours before your party. Store it in a cooler, not in the freezer. See The Kitchen’s article on dry ice tips for more advice on using this in your drinks.

Handling dry ice: Dry ice is very cold and can burn you, so it’s dangerous! Be sure to wear gloves and use tongs to handle it. To get small pieces, I used a meat tenderizer mallet. Keep it in a cooler until you’re ready to use it.

Pouring drinks with dry ice: Leave a few inches of space between the top of the drink and the top of the glass because the dry ice will make it bubble and splash.

Drinking with dry ice: It is technically safe to consume the drink while the dry ice is in it, but don’t let the dry ice touch your lips. Personally, I’d let the dry ice dissolve entirely or remove it before taking a sip.

More Halloween cocktails

Need other Halloween-inspired ideas? Try my No-Bake Mini Chocolate Ganache Spiderweb Tarts, these Bourbon Apple Cider Jello Shots, some creepy Jello Shot Syringes, or one of these cocktails:

• Vodka Gummy Worms
• Witches Brew Cocktail
• Rum Gummy Bears
• Harry Potter Potion Cocktail
• Tootsie Roll Cocktail
• Classic Jello Shots

Featured products

• Mixology Beakers by Libbey
• Meat Tenderizer Mallet by OXO
• Clear Glass Bottles by Estilo
• Silicone Kitchen Tongs by StarPack

Video by Chris Henry Co.