4 Essential Cocktails To Mix This October

Get inspired for seasonal specials with four cocktails for October’s National Days.

Up your marketing game by making use of the weirder holidays this October! Everyone loves a fun special, they’re fun, festive, and an easy way to increase sales. This month, there are plenty of holidays you can use to your advantage. Not only is there International Coffee Day, National Vodka Day, Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos, there’s some lesser-known days in-between.

Mix Up a Pink Drink for National Mean Girls Day on 10/3. This year it doesn’t fall on a Wednesday, but we think it’s still a perfect opportunity to whip up a rosy sipper.

The Dapper Dragon

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Ketel One® Family-Made Vodka
• 1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
• 3/4 oz. coconut water syrup*
• 3/4 oz. papaya nectar
• 20 drops cardamom tincture*
• 1/2 tsp. dragon fruit powder
• 3 dashes of Bittered Sling Moondog Bitters
• 2 oz. soda water

Preparation: Combine all ingredients, except soda water, in a shaker. Shake well to combine. Pour over fresh ice and top with soda.

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This cocktail from Mozart Chocolate Cream works for several October Holidays, including National Dessert Day on 10/14 and National Liqueur Day on 10/16. This uses Mozart’s Pumpkin Spice expression, so you can rebrand for 10/26’s National Pumpkin Day and Halloween as well.

Hungry Like the Wolfgang

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. Mozart Chocolate Cream Pumpkin Spice Liqueur
• 5 oz. Ten to One Aged Rum
• .5 oz. Cointreau
• .5 oz. Lemon Juice
• 1 oz. Cabernet Sauvignon (to Top) 

Preparation: Shake all ingredients, save for the wine, and strain into a rocks glass over a big rock. Float Cabernet Sauvignon or fuller red wine of choice on top of the drink.

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Who doesn’t love a cider-based cocktail in the fall? Get Ready for National Apple Day on 10/21. This Apple Cider Bellini is the perfect place to showcase local apple cider!

Apple Cider Bellini

Ingredients:

• Bottle of Prosecco DOC, such as Santa Margherita
• 1/4 oz. Fig-infused Vodka, such as Figenza
• 3/4 cup Apple Cider
• Powdered Cinnamon and Granulated Sugar (1:1 for Rim)

Preparation: Pour a splash of the fig vodka into a shaker and add 3/4 cup of cider to the mix. Shake to combine. Set out your champagne flutes, and pour the cider mixture about 1/4 of the way into each glass. Top with Prosecco and serve. Really want to sweeten things up? Add a cinnamon-sugar rim for a festive touch.

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Mix up a chocolate cocktail for 10/28, National Chocolate Day. There are plenty of chocolate based cocktails out there but we love this one for its dynamic layers of flavor.

 

I’m in Love with the Cocoa

By Master Mixologist Rael Petit at Kokomo

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1 tbsp. Sugar
• 1/4 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Milk – any kind you like
• 1 1/2 oz. Bacardi Rum
• 1 oz. of Montepulciano Red Wine

Preparation: Make the hot cocoa – warm the milk in a saucepan on the stove and add the first 3 ingredients whisking to combine. As a shortcut, you could use your favorite ready-made hot chocolate brand from the store. Add the Bacardi rum and Montepulciano red wine and stir to combine. Serve in a tiki mug.