Witches Brew Cocktail

Conjure up a festive and fun Witches Brew Cocktail for your Halloween parties. This color-changing, purple elixir will stir the pot at any spooky fête this year.

Two glasses of blue drink with ice, rimmed with black sugar, garnished with colorful gummy worms. More gummy worms scattered on the surface nearby.

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About this Witches Brew Cocktail recipe

The best part of Halloween parties is how over-the-top they can get. From crazy costumes to creepy decor, there are so many ways to make it a little extra.

But it’s even better when the food menu is on theme too. Whether it’s hand-spun chocolate spiderweb tarts or gravestone-bedazzled brownie dirt pudding, there’s so much you can do to make Halloween food as fun as the decorations.

Colorful drinks in unearthly hues should be in order too, like a neon green Midori Sour or a bright blue margarita. A purple Witches Brew Cocktail, the color of a crystal ball, answers the call.

This witchy cocktail is complete with color-changing sorcery thanks to purple gin. It’s made with butterfly pea flowers that turn from indigo to pink when it meets citrus, but no one needs to know — just call it what it is: Halloween magic, witchcraft or special effects.

More Halloween recipes: Zombie DrinkVampiro CocktailDevil’s Margarita • Boozy Butterbeer • Potion Cocktail

Two clear glasses filled with a blue beverage and ice, garnished with black sugar around the rim and gummy worms on top and scattered around.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Halloween partiers will love the Witches Brew drink! It’s perfect for all your spooky October gatherings.

  • Its striking color-changing effect brings a fun, spooky presentation. The black sugar rim and gummy worm garnish give it an extra eerie touch.
  • The combination of citrus, gin, and a hint of blue curaçao creates a refreshing, balanced drink.
  • The vibrant transformation from yellow to purple to pink to blue makes it a visually exciting party trick (and treat).

Tools & glassware

To make your own Witches Brew, you don’t need much more than a jigger, a bar spoon and a glass of some kind. While you could serve this in plastic cups, I suggest you make sure they’re clear ones or you will miss out on the color-changing action.

A goblet (what I used), coupe glass or brandy snifter are both elegant choices, but there’s no reason you couldn’t use a rocks glass either.

A purple cocktail with ice is garnished with gummy worms and a black sugar rim, surrounded by scattered gummy worms and a straw.

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make your own Witches Brew:

  • Lemon juice: Fresh-squeezed is always best. Bottled concentrate is a bit darker than fresh, so it could alter the color of the drink slightly.
  • Simple syrup: You’ll need a classic, clear simple syrup. You can have fun with flavors if you like, such as mint simple syrup or jalapeño simple syrup for a spicy twist.
  • Purple gin: Empress Gin is my go-to brand of purple gin for its color changing properties. It’s perfect for this cocktail!
  • Blue curaçao: This bright blue orange liqueur is optional but it gives the drink a deeper purple color. You can skip it if you want though!
Two glasses of a clear iced drink with black sugar rims, garnished with colorful gummy worms. A golden jigger and more gummy worms are scattered around on a white surface.

Garnishes

Dress up your drink with one of these Halloween garnishes:

  • Black sugar rim: Give this cocktail an edge with a spooky rim. (I used this sugar.)
  • Gummy worms: A sweet and spooky edible garnish, some colorful gummy worms (or vodka gummy worms) add an extra touch of Halloween pizzazz.
  • Plastic spiders: Have some fun by dropping plastic spiders into the drink for a little more spook factor.
  • Dry ice: Add a cube of dry ice to make this Witches Brew bubble, bubble, toil and trouble with a chilling smoky effect. Check out my dry ice cocktails for tips on serving drinks with dry ice. (It’s cool but dangerous, so please read up on it before you do it!)

Instructions

Dip the edge of the glass in simple syrup, then roll it in black sugar to coat the rim. Set the glass aside.

A hand pours liquid from a jigger into a glass with ice, partially rimmed with black salt.
A hand pours liquid from a gold jigger into a glass with a black salt rim, containing ice.

Fill the glass with ice, then pour in the lemon juice and simple syrup.

A hand pours liquid from a small gold cup into a stemmed glass with purple drink and a black sugar rim on a white background.
A hand pours blue liquid into a clear glass filled with ice, containing a purple drink. The rim is partially coated with black sugar.

Slowly pour the purple gin over the top, watching as the color changes. Add a few drops of blue curaçao over top for a deeper blue-purple color.

Stir gently to combine. Garnish with gummy worms.

A hand holding gummy worms over a frosty purple drink in a glass with black sugar on the rim. Another similar drink is in the background.

How to serve it

This recipe works best when served in individual cups for a Halloween party.

  1. Make the sour mix base ahead of time.
  2. Serve the sour mix in a pitcher.
  3. Pour the purple gin and blue curaçao into small apothecary bottles for guests to add to their own drinks. (Or just keep the bottles and a jigger on the table and serve it to each person yourself, or leave instructions.)

Tips & tricks

Here are some tips and tricks for making this recipe:

  • Mix the lemon juice and simple syrup ahead of time, or use store-bought sour mix to save time. But don’t add the purple gin until party time or everyone will miss the exciting color change.
  • Likewise, serve the drinks in clear glasses so that guests can witness the color-changing magic.
  • While optional, the blue curaçao gives the drink a richer color. The pinkish-purple before adding the curaçao does look pretty witchy, too.
  • If you want to stretch the cocktail a little bit, add some sparkling lemonade, soda water or ginger ale.

Food pairings

Serve this Halloween cocktail with some other spooky treats, of course! If you’re going for the creep factor, jello shot syringes are sure to delight.

If you’re going for cutesy, these Halloween rice krispie treats look like little monsters. Or go with these chorizo jalapeño mummy poppers that look like little mummies!

And there’s always some witchy food, like this terrifying Halloween pasta or some witch hat cupcakes.

Two glass goblets with blue drinks, ice, black sugar rims, and gummy worms, on a white surface with scattered gummy worms and a copper jigger.

FAQ

Can I make this non-alcoholic?

It’s a bit trickier, but yes. You can use a non-alcoholic gin and with butterfly pea flower syrup. It’s made from the same flower as the color-changing purple gin, so it will have a similar effect. However, it’s hard to find, so you’ll likely have to make your own by infusing simple syrup with butterfly pea flowers.

More Halloween recipes

— Did you make this recipe? —

Please leave a ★★★★★ review or comment below.

A purple cocktail with ice is garnished with gummy worms and a black sugar rim, surrounded by scattered gummy worms and a straw.

Witches Brew Cocktail

Yield: 1 drink
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Whip up some spooky fun with our Witches Brew Cocktail! This bewitching blend of fruity flavors and a dash of magic is perfect for Halloween parties or a mysterious night in. Sip on this eerie, easy-to-make potion and get ready to cast a spell on your taste buds!
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ingredients

  • 1 ounce lemon juice or lime juice
  • 1 ounce simple syrup
  • 2 ounces color-changing purple gin such as Empress Gin
  • 2-3 drops blue curaçao
  • 1 tablespoon black sugar for the rim
  • 3-4 gummy worms for garnish

instructions

  • Pour some simple syrup on a plate and black sugar on another. Dip your finger in simple syrup and rub it around the edge of the glass where you'd like the sugar to go. Roll the syrup-covered area of the glass in the sugar to coat the rim.
  • In a cocktail glass, add ice, then top with lemon juice and simple syrup.
  • Add purple gin over top. (It will turn from yellow to purple to pink!)
  • Add a splash of blue curaçao. Stir gently to combine. Garnish with gummy worms.

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nutrition information

Yield: 1 drink

amount per serving:

Serving: 4ounces Calories: 336kcal Carbohydrates: 54g Protein: 3g Fat: 0.1g Saturated Fat: 0.01g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g Sodium: 30mg Potassium: 58mg Fiber: 0.4g Sugar: 40g Vitamin A: 2IU Vitamin C: 11mg Calcium: 7mg Iron: 1mg
did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #feastandwestrecipes!

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