October is North Carolina Spirits Month, so Halloween weekend is the perfect time to highlight some wickedly fun cocktails featuring North Carolina spirits. North Carolina is home to about 50 distilleries and the industry continues to grow.
North Carolina is home to about 50 distilleries, which produce a wide range of spirits. You can find North Carolina products at N.C. ABC stores. Please drink responsibly.
Fair Game Zombie
- 3/4 cup crushed ice
- 1 1/2 ounces Fair Game Amber Rum
- 1 1/2 ounces No’Lasses Sorghum Rum
- 1 ounce Fair Game Carolina Agricole Rum
- 3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 teaspoons white grapefruit juice
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon Syrup*
- 1 teaspoon Grenadine
- 1/2 ounce falernum**
- 1/8 teaspoon Pernod
- 1 dash aromatic bitters, such as angostura
- Ice cubes
- 1 mint sprig, for garnish
- Place all ingredients except ice cubes and mint sprig in a blender. Blend on high until frothy but not slushy, no more than 5 seconds.
- Pour into a tall, narrow glass and add ice cubes to fill the glass. Garnish with a mint sprig.
*You can use any high-quality commercial cinnamon syrup, or infuse your own. You might want to try your hand at making your own grenadine as well.
**Falernum is a clove-and-lime-infused liqueur and can be purchased at most liquor stores; a popular brand is John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum. If you can’t find Falernum, try making your own.
Monster’s Blood, featuring Old Nick Carolina Whiskey
Monster’s Blood
- 2 ounces Old Nick Carolina Whiskey
- 1.5 ounces Powell & Mahoney Blood Orange Cocktail Mixer (or your favorite blood orange juice/mix)
- 5 ounces cranberry juice
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- Green food coloring
- Mix 1/4 cup light corn syrup with green food dye. Tip: Start with just a little coloring and add until you get the desired color then set aside.
- Dip the glass into the green syrup and invert to allow the syrup to drip slightly. Put the glass into the freezer for a few minutes to set.
- Mix Old Nick Carolina Whiskey, Powell & Mahoney Blood Orange and cranberry juice in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. Pour over ice in the frosted glass that has been dipped in green syrup.
Happy Halloween!