Halloween Hocus Pocus Cocktail

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Prepare for a bewitching night with this spellbinding purple Halloween Hocus Pocus cocktail. Crafted with gin and Creme de Violette liqueur, this enchanting concoction is the perfect drink for any spooky October get-together!

Halloween Hocus Pocus Cocktail in sugar rimmed martini glasses with potions in background

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
...
By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes.
-
Macbeth

Here in my kitchen, it isn't spooky season without a festive themed beverage! And it must be said, this Halloween hocus pocus cocktail is on POINT this year. Essentially a sweetened, purple infused gin martini/classic aviation cocktail, I might just have a new favorite drink. TBH I couldn't figure out what to call it: witches' brew, purple people eater...but I've gone with a decidedly Sanderson Sisters theme in my decor this year so "Hocus Pocus" for the win!

Jump to:

The Magical Ingredients
Tips For Serving
FAQs About This Recipe
Halloween Hocus Pocus Cocktail

Halloween Hocus Pocus Cocktail swirling in sugar rimmed martini glass with candles in background

The Magical Ingredients

Have your cauldron ready (I'm sorry, I just can't help myself 🤣)?? Here's what you'll need for this Halloween hocus pocus cocktail:

Your favorite gin - An Indigo Gin if you can! Since it's already purple in color and I love it, I used Empress Gin.
Creme de Violette - Sweet, violet colored syrup. It's lovely and I always have a bottle in my cabinet. Lightly floral and gorgeously purple, it adds a touch of sweet to this beverage.
Dry Vermouth - Necessary. Delicious flavor and cuts the sweetness down wonderfully.
Lemon juice - Just a touch for a little tartness!
Club soda - A splash for bubbles.
Optional garnishes - Purple (red and blue) food dye for deeper color, themed sanding sugars, and edible glitter to achieve that bewitching swirl.

Halloween Hocus Pocus Cocktail in witch hazel poison bottle with candles in background

Tips For Serving

For the perfect halloween hocus pocus cocktail, I have a couple tricks for you.

First and foremost, stir the ingredients together. It might be tempting to shake them together...I go into this more in the FAQs section below but basically James Bond is wrong. Do not shake! Stir to avoid diluting the drink!

Second, use a chilled glass. You can avoid the use of ice entirely! I don't specify this in the recipe because I ain't got time to waste waiting for a martini glass to freeze 🥴, but if you do have a spare minute (and the patience) it's truly the way to go.

Third and final, have fun with it! I used purple, orange, and black sanding sugars to coat the rims of my glasses and a purple edible glitter that looks like a mini whirlpool everytime you stir this delectable concoction.

FAQs About This Recipe

Do I have to use food dye?

Nope! I did for a deeper purple (mixed red and blue) but you can absolutely skip it. The Creme de Violette is a very intense purple already and if you also use an Indigo Gin (I like Empress Gin) you'll be set.

How do you make it shimmer like that???

Excellent question, and my new obsession. Edible glitter! Also known as edible food grade shimmer dust. I got myself a sample pack and use it ALL the time. Scroll to the equipment section of the recipe card to check it out!

Why is this cocktail "stirred" not "shaken"?

It has come to my attention that a certain spy is, in fact, wrong. Apparently, you must NEVER shake a martini as it will water down the drink. Since this cocktail is essentially a purple infused, sweetened martini, I tried my best to adhere to bartenders' advice (and not James Bond) and opted to stir, not shake.

Have an unanswered question? Scroll down to the comments section and drop me a line!