5 Day of the Dead Cocktails

Day of the Dead celebrations, a.k.a. Día de los Muertos, begin right after Halloween. What better way to connect with the dearly departed on Nov. 1 and 2 than with a specialty cocktail? Here are five we like for 2026, and if you missed it, here’s our Halloween drinks roundup for this year.

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Persephone

Course Drinks

Keyword blackberry syrup, dark rum, ginger beer, Ginger syrup, Grenadine, lemon

Ingredients

• 1 ½ oz. False River dark rum
• 1 oz. Lemon juice
• ¾ oz. Grenadine
• ½ oz. Blackberry Reàl syrup
• ½ oz. Ginger Reàl syrup
• Top with ginger beer

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients (except ginger beer) in a shaker tin.
• Shake until chilled.
• Strain into a mule mug with crushed ice.
• Garnish with a skewered Luxardo cherry.

Notes

The mixologists at False River created this recipe.

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Nocturne

Course Drinks

Keyword coffee liqueur, espresso, Oreo cookies, Simple syrup, vodka

Ingredients

• 2 oz. Vodka
• ¾ oz. Mr. Black coffee liqueur
• 1 oz. Espresso
• ½ oz. Homemade Oreo syrup*
• Whole cream
• Oreo cookies

Instructions

• Combine first four ingredients and shake with ice.
• Remove ice and shake again.
• Strain into coupe glass.
• In another shaker, dry shake cream.
• Add 3 drops of vanilla extract
• Pour the cream on the cocktail with the back of a spoon to layer.
• Sprinkle with Oreo cookie dust (dry biscuit only).

Notes

*For Oreo Syrup
In a pan, add 2 cups of water. Bring to simmer, then add 12 Oreo biscuits and 2 cups of sugar. Let simmer for 10 minutes, and then rest for 20 minutes. Double strain.

The mixologists at Area 31 at Kimpton EPIC Hotel in Miami created this recipe.

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The Juice Is Loose

Course Drinks

Keyword Campari, coffee liqueur, orange bitters, orange juice, sweet vermouth, whiskey

Ingredients

• ¾ oz. Whiskey
• ¾ oz. Campari
• ½ oz. Sweet vermouth
• ¼ oz. Mr. Black coffee liqueur
• 2 oz. Orange juice
• 1 dash Orange bitters

Instructions

• Fill a Collins glass with crushed ice.
• Layer ingredients in this order: Campari, orange juice, orange bitters, whiskey, Mr. Black, vermouth.
• Garnish with two skull picks.

Notes

The mixologists at Liquor Lab in Louisville, KY, created this Beetlejuice-themed recipe.

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Hallowed Be Thy Grove

Course Drinks

Keyword blanco tequila, cardamom bitters, creme de mure, lemon, lime, Maple syrup, mezcal

Ingredients

• 1 oz. Dos Hombres blanco tequila
• ½ oz. Dos Hombres mezcal
• ½ oz. Creme de mure
• ½ oz. Bourbon barrel aged maple syrup
• ½ oz. Lemon juice
• ¼ oz. Lime juice
• 2 dashes Cardamom bitters Fee Brothers

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to a shaker.
• Shake vigorously.
• Double strain into a chilled coupe glass.
• Garnish with a skewered blackberry.

Notes

The mixologists at The Edison at Disney Springs in Lake Buena Vista, FL, created this recipe.

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Ofrenda

Course Drinks

Keyword egg white, honey syrup, lemon juice, mandarin juice, reposado tequila

Ingredients

• 2 parts Milagro Reposado tequila
• 1 part Fresh Mandarin juice
• ½ part Fresh lemon juice
• ¼ part Green cardamom orange blossom honey syrup
• ½ part Egg white

Instructions

• Pour all ingredients into a Boston shaker with ice.
• Shake vigorously.
• Double strain into a chilled coupe glass.
• Garnish with an edible marigold.

Notes

The mixologists at Milagro created this recipe.