Spooky Season Playlist: 2021

The countdown to Halloween is on! I can’t believe we’re here already. It’s time to share this year’s Spooky Season playlist – this one is moody, atmospheric and creepy, with some fun party tunes in there for good measure.

Enjoy it on repeat during your workday, or save it for Halloween night – hopefully it puts you in the spirit!

Click below to listen and follow on Spotify:

Recipe: Spooky Sidecar Cocktail

Something about fall and the cooler months makes me really into cocktails. Spring and summer, I like to keep it simple, but all of the flavor options for fall get me inspired to actually mix something up, beyond a simple pour. Plus there’s nothing more fun than sipping alongside a spooky, decked-out bar cart!

The inspiration for this cocktail came after being introduced to Empress gin for the first time – a beautiful, color changing purple gin that instantly said HALLOWEEN to me (though, to be fair, it will make some gorgeous spring-centric cocktails).

I ordered this pair of smoky gray coupe glasses from H&M home, which add the perfect spooky touch to this cocktail. This twist on a classic gin sidecar is super easy to make, and has a hint of fall flavor with the dash of cardamom bitters. The luxardo cherry garnish is also giving me subtle eyeball vibes – anyone else?

Simply shake, pour, and enjoy with your favorite scary movie! Read on for the recipe and instructions – I doubled this easily to make two, but you can scale up the proportions however you need to.

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Makes 1 cocktail | Recipe adapted from Growing Up In Cali

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 ounces Empress Gin
3/4 ounces Cointreau
3/4 ounces fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons simple syrup*
Dash of Cardamom bitters (optional)
Luxardo Cherry for garnish

*It’s very easy to make your own simple syrup! Heat equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan, stir until heated through and sugar is melted. Cool in a heat-safe container until room temperature, before mixing into your cocktail.

DIRECTIONS:

1) Add the gin, Cointreau, simple syrup, and lemon juice into a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake until chilled
2) Strain into coupe glass
3) Add 1-2 dashes Cardamom bitters, and garnish with a single Luxardo cherry

Cheers!