Rising up from the dark depths: The Surprising Ingredient Mixing Up Halloween Cocktails This Season

Halloween is almost upon us, with everyone looking for the perfect way to be the ‘ghost with the most’ and level up their cocktail game just in time for the big day. This year, the spooktacular trend of the season is for perfectly pitch-black cocktails, but using a uniquely unexpected ingredient, squid ink. 

The growing online trend is all about embracing the darker hues in food and drink, with Google Trends noting a surge of interest in searches for ‘black drinks’ in September by 138%, as people look for ways to shake up show-stopping drinks.

While some at home mixologists and experimenters are also exploring charcoal to deepen their deliciously spooky creations, others are leaning on squid ink to elevate their serves creating an impressively glossy and jet-black look as their blackening ingredient, others are finding its squid ink that gives that impressively, glossy and jet-black look. From Guinness to Ciroc and Seedlip, this unsuspecting ingredient helps to create a truly show-stopping cocktail –  whether you’re looking to shake up a Ciroc Cosmo or an alcohol-freeTanqueray 0.0% Bramble, this inky addition creates a show-stopping cocktail offering adaptable for everyone on All Hallows’ Eve. 

Diageo Expert/Drinks Expert says: “This is a drinks trend that we predict we’re going to see a lot this Halloween, as people move out of their comfort zone into experimenting with making drinks with unusual flavours and colours”. 

They add that the marine ingredient might be intimidating, but to dive in with a try: “Squid ink can be easily bought at a fishmongers, or in little packets at specialist grocery stores. We’d recommend adding a couple of drops to taste while mixing up drinks like a Ciroc Vodka Martini Cocktail; a Tanqueray G ‘n’ T, a Johnnie Walker and Coke, a Guinness twist on a classic or even a delicious mocktail made with Seedlip”.

“It’s not got that fishy smell that people might presume it has, it’s more of an umami, sea salt-type taste that complements other sweet or rich flavours well. For an extra touch to your spooky cocktails, add dark berries like blackberries, blackcurrant, black olives or even liquorice and you’ve got a delicious, eerie-looking drink that’s sure to nail the trend on October 31st.”