Day of the Dead Cocktail Recipes

Day of the dead, known as "Día de Muertos" in Spanish, is a Mexican holiday celebrated on November 1 & 2, which involves paying respects to family and friends who have passed away.

The holiday lacks the traditional morbidity associated with the dead. Instead, it is a festive occasion embracing color (such as orange marigolds) and making death accessible through symbols like elaborately decorated sugar skulls. Families often create colorful altars called "ofrendas" with their ancestors' favorite foods, drinks, and photos to welcome their spirits home for a reunion.

Here in the US, the holiday has gone mainstream and is now widely recognized by those inside and outside the Mexican community.

If your bar or restaurant is looking to celebrate the dead and raise some spirits, we've rounded up a collection of cocktail recipes.

To get you started, here is a recipe from Diageo:

70 Cristalino Espresso Martini

Ingredients:

2 oz Don Julio 70 Cristalino

5 oz coffee liqueur

5 oz simply syrup

1 oz espresso/cold brew concentrate

3 espresso beans

Directions:

1. Combine Don Julio 70 Cristalino, coffee liqueur, simple syrup and espresso/cold brew in a cocktail shaker.
2. Add ice to the shaker.
3. Shake passionately until combined and chilled.
4. Strain into a martini glass.
5. Garnish with espresso beans. 

And here are even more Day of the Dead cocktail recipes!

A Tale of Three

Ingredients:
1.5 oz Jim Beam Black
0.25 oz Carcavelos 10 Year
0.75 oz Dolin Chamberyzette Aperitif
0.25 oz Rivulet Pecan Liqueur
2 dashes Angostura bitters (add before mixing)
Garnish: Cherry & orange expression (discard after expressed)
 

Directions:

1. Stir all ingredients together.
2. Top with orange expression and garnish with a cherry.

La Catrina

Ingredients:

1.75oz Lalo Blanco Tequila
0.5oz Aperol
1.75oz Pear Nectar (Mira)
0.75oz Fresh lemon juice
0.25oz Agave (Tres Agaves)

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a shaker tin with ice.
2. Shake until chilled.
3. Strain into a Collins class filled with fresh ice.
4. Garnish with a dehydrate a pear slice & cempasuchil flower (marigold)

Como La(lo) Flor

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Hibiscus Infused Lalo
.5 oz Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur
1.5 oz Strawberry Passoa Syrup (2:1:2)
.5 oz Lemon Juice
3 oz Sparkling Rose
1 oz Soda Water

Directions:

For the Strawberry Passoa Syrup:

1. Combine 2 parts Strawberry Perfect Puree, 1 part Passoa Passionfruit Liqueur, 2 parts White Sugar
2. Sift to rid of strawberry chunks

For the Hibiscus Lalo:

1. Combine 1L Lalo, 25g Dried Hibiscus
2. Let sit 45 min, with agitation every 15min

For the cocktail:

1. Add Lemon, Syrup, Solerno, and Hibiscus Lalo to shaker.
2. Shake, strain into a flute glass with no ice.
3. Add Rose & Soda Water on top. 

YUMKÁ

Ingredients:
4 oz amaranth & cardamom horchata
sweetened with honey (see sub recipe)
0.5 oz Roasted Pineapple juice
1 dash Epazote Tincture (see sub recipe)
½ Bar Spoon Gold Glitter
Garnish: Banana leaf with moon and/or star punched out

Directions:

1. In a shaker add all the ingredients and shake with plenty of ice.
2. Double strain and serve in a highball glass.
3. Garnish with banana leaf with star and/or moon shapes punched out.

Spooky and Tasty

Ingredients:

Ingredients:
0.5 oz Cointreau
1 oz Mount Gay dark rum
4 dashes Aromatic bitters
1 top Cola foam
Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients into a glass.
2. Stir briefly.
3. Top with foam.

La Calavera Catrina

Ingredients:

3/4 oz Reposado Tequila
3/4 oz Mezcal
3/4 oz Amaro Meletti
3/4 oz Bonal Gentiane-Quina
2 dash Molé Bitters

Directions:

1. Stir with ice.
2. Strain into a cocktail coupe or rocks glass.
3. Garnish with an orange twist.

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