Pairing Classic Horror Movies with Retro Cocktails from A to Z

 

Memorial Day starts the unofficial summer drink season. But why limit your libations to a season? Here are 26 alcohol-laden drink suggestions, complete with cocktail recipes and their perfectly paired horror films, both from A to Z. Don’t agree? Leave your own pairing in the comments below.

 

A is for An American Werewolf in London. John Landis set the bar for all lycanthropic films to follow. What better drink to serve than a “hair of the dog” cocktail for the next morning when you wake up naked in the wolf enclosure at the zoo? In this case, that drink would be an Amber Moon. For two people, served in a highball glass:

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
6 ounces of whiskey	Break egg into glass, keeping yolk in tact
2 raw eggs	Tip glass and gently pour whiskey on side
Tabasco sauce	Splash tobacco to taste

 

B is the Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds. A nice Brandy Alexander goes quite well with the feathered apocalypse. It is served in a cocktail glass. Here is a recipe for two:

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
3 ounces Brandy	Shake liquid ingredients to mix
3 ounces crème de cacao	Pour over ice
3 ounces of heavy cream	Garnish with cinnamon or nutmeg
Cinnamon or nutmeg

 

C is the letter for the eighties anthology Creepshow. It’s a sophisticated soirée so you’ll need a classy Cosmopolitan. For two, serve in a cocktail glass:

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
3 ounces Vodka	Chill cocktail glasses in freezer for at least an hour
2 ounces Cointreau	Shake liquid ingredients with ice
1 ounce lime juice, save wedges for garnish	Strain into glasses
1 ounce cranberry juice	Garnish with lime wedge twists

 

D is for the Hammer’s 1958 version of Dracula (called Horror of Dracula in the U.S.). A dark and foreboding film that deserves an equally Dark ‘N’ Stormy cocktail. Served in highball glasses, here is a recipe for two bloodsuckers:

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
4 ounces of dark rum	Pour rum over ice in glasses
6 ounces of ginger beer	Add ginger beer and lime juice, stirring briskly
1 ounce of lime juice, save wedges for garnish	Garnish with lime wedge twists

 

E is for Sam Raimi’s original Evil Dead film. Ancient demons inhabit the living in this visceral movie, so what better drink to serve with it than an El Diablo (meaning “the Devil” in Spanish). Served in highball glasses for two:

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
3 ounces of tequila	Except for ginger beer, shake liquid ingredients
1 ounce of raspberry liqueur	Pour over ice
2 ounces of pomegranate juice	Add ginger beer
1 ounce of grenadine	Drop blackberries on top
1 ounce of lime juice, save wedges for garnish	Garnish with lime wedge twists
6 to 8 Fresh blackberries
6 ounces of ginger beer

 

F stands for the original Friday the 13^th. Hapless teens pair off and pay the ultimate price. For this film, since the teens tend to “bare it all” prior to graphic death, a Fuzzy Navel seems apropos. Served in highball glasses for two:

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
2 ounces peach schnapps	Pour ingredients over ice
2 ounces orange juice	Garnish with lemon wedges
2 ounces lemonade, lemon wedges for garnish

 

G is for the seventies Svengoolie fodder flick Gargoyles featuring amazing eye-candy effects from a young Stan Winston (Jurassic Park, Aliens, Terminator 2). These ghoulish green gargoyles need a drink equivalent. Enter the Grasshopper. Here is a recipe for two, served in Martini glasses:

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
½ cup of dark chocolate chips	Melt chocolate chips in shallow microwave safe dish
2 ounces cream	Dunk rims of Martini glasses in chocolate and allow to cool completely
6 ounces crème de menthe liqueur	Shake liquids to combine
	Pour into glasses over crushed ice

 

H is for Halloween, the original John Carpenter classic. There is an autumnal chill in the air as Michael Myers hacks away at his victims. What better pair is there than something that will warm those bones than a Hot Buttered Rum drink served in a coffee mug?

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
4 ounces light or dark rum	Heat sugar and water in microwave until very hot
3 tablespoons sugar in 1 cup of water	Melt butter in microwave
3 ounces butter	Pour rum, butter, and water in mugs
Cinnamon or nutmeg	Garnish with sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg

 

I is for the 1978 remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. In that film, you’re toast if you fall asleep. Better have something to keep you awake. How about a traditional Irish Coffee served in a couple mugs?

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
4 ounces Irish whiskey	Pour steaming hot coffee into mugs
4 ounces coffee	Add whiskey and stir
½ cup whipped cream	Place dollop of whipped cream into mugs but do not stir (drink coffee through cream)
Cinnamon or nutmeg	Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg

 

J stands for Steven Spielberg’s classic horror film Jaws. Get everyone out of the water and onto the beach with a summer cocktail fashioned after the beloved candy – the Jolly Rancher. This serves two in highball glasses:

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
2 ounces Midori	Mix liquids in shaker
2 ounces vodka	Pour over ice in highball glasses
2 ounces peach schnapps	Add orange wedge twists for garnish
1 ounce orange juice, save wedges for garnish

 

K is for the original King Kong. For a film of such gargantuan proportions, you don’t want to monkey around with the cocktail. Head straight for the Kamikaze. Serves two in Martini glasses:

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
2 ounces Cointreau	Mix in shaker
2 ounces vodka	Pour over crushed ice
2 ounces lime juice, save wedges for garnish	Garnish with lime wedge twists

 

L is for Tobe Hooper’s space vampire epic Lifeforce featuring a pre-Star Trek Patrick Stewart in an electrifying lip-lock. Just as powerful is the Long Island Iced Tea. Served in highball glasses for two:

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
1 ounce vodka	Shake all ingredients to combine
1 ounce rum
1 ounce gin	Pour over ice in highball glasses
1 ounce tequila
1 ounce Cointreau	Garnish with lemon wedge twists
2 ounces soda pop
1 ounce lemon juice, save wedges for garnish

 

M stands for the movie Motel Hell where meat’s meat and man’s gotta eat. And drink, too. How about a monstrous Margarita for two?

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
4 ounces of tequila	Shake liquid ingredients together
2 ounces of Cointreau	Pour over crushed ice
2 ounces lime juice, saving wedges for garnish	Rim margarita glasses with salt
Kosher salt	Garnish with lime wedge twists

 

N is for the zombie movie that started it all,George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (1968). When the lights are out, a forgotten classic sipping drink is best. Try a Negroni in an old-fashioned glass.

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
2 ounces gin	Stir liquid ingredients together
2 ounces sweet vermouth	Pour over ice cubes in old-fashioned glasses
2 ounces Campari or Aperol	Squeeze orange over top
Orange, saving wedge twists for garnish	Garnish with orange wedge twists

 

O is for the 1976 version of The Omen. In the morning, there may be Hell to pay for tonight you can have a devil may care attitude.  Use a couple old-fashioned glasses for their namesake, Old-Fashioned.

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
4 ounces whiskey	Dissolve sugar in water by stirring rapidly
2 ounces water	Combine whiskey with sugar-water
2 tablespoons sugar	Pour over a single large ice cube in old-fashioned glasses
Angostura bitters	Add a couple generous dashes of the bitters to each glass
Lemon, saving wedge twists for garnish	Squeeze lemon over top and garnish with wedge twists

 

P is for Don Coscarelli’s Phantasm because “Densely Compacted Diminutive Grave Robbers from Outer Space” sounded a bit to fifties to be scary. Plan your escape from the silver balls with a Piña Colada, served in hurricane glasses for two.

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
2 cups frozen pineapple slices, saving two for garnish	Mix frozen pineapple, 2 cups of ice, rum, and coconut milk together in blender
4 ounces rum	Pour into hurricane glasses
2 ounces coconut milk	Garnish with pineapple slice and add cherry on top
Maraschino cherries

 

Q is for, strangely enough, Q. Quetzalcoatl may be forgotten but it ain’t dead, merely hiding in plain sight masked by sunlight. For the dragon god, a beer cocktail is in order. All hail the Queen Mary, served in pint pub glasses for two.

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
1 can of amber ale	Pour half of the ale can into each glass
1 can of light lager	Pour half the lager can into each glass
2 tablespoons grenadine	Add a tablespoon of grenadine to each glass
Maraschino cherries	Garnish with a cherry

 

R is for The Return of the Living Dead. Yes, they are back from the grave and ready to party. Better serve them drinks – just one Rum Runner will put them right back in the ground. Serves two in hurricane glasses:

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
2 ounces light rum	Shake all liquid ingredients together
2 ounces dark rum	Pour over crushed ice in hurricane glasses
2 ounces banana liqueur
2 ounces blackberry brandy	Add a dash or two of grenadine to taste
2 ounces pineapple juice
Grenadine	Garnish with a slice of strawberry, banana, and cherry
Strawberry, banana, and Maraschino cherries for garnish

 

S is for Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. For those intolerable long winter nights that just drive you crazy, you need a simple Scotch and Soda. Serves two in highball glasses:

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
4 ounces Scotch whiskey	Pour over ice cubes in highball glasses, stirring gently
12 ounces club soda or can of sparkling water	Garnish? There’s no garnish. Are you out of your f***ing mind?!

 

T is for John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982). Set in the Antarctic during a blizzard, the last thing you would expect to find is the sunrise. As such, you had better make your own with the tasty Tequila Sunrise. Use two highball glasses and the following:

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
4 ounces tequila	Pour tequila and orange juice into glasses over ice cubes
8 ounces orange juice, saving wedges for garnish	Add grenadine until a small pool at bottom of glass
Grenadine	Stir gently to create “sunrise” effect
Maraschino cherries	Garnish with orange wedge and cherry

 

U stands for the 1980 film The Unseen. Beautiful Barbara Bach stars in this creepy classic where there is something lurking in the basement of an old house. Up To Date, a dark pre-prohibition cocktail, suits the dark atmosphere of the house perfectly. Serves two in cocktail glasses:

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
3 ounces rye whiskey	Chill cocktail glasses in freezer for an hour
3 ounces sherry wine	Stir rye, sherry, and Cointreau together
1 ounce Cointreau	Pour into glasses
Angostura bitters	Add two dashes of bitters to each glass

 

V is for Amicus’ 1973 sequel to Tales from the Crypt called The Vault of Horror. This anthology film has five delightful little delicacies to devour. One of them features a restaurant full of bloodsuckers (and one hapless victim). In homage to them, I present the Vampire’s Kiss, served in two highball glasses.

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
3 ounces Midori	Shake Midori, vodka, pineapple juice, and cream to combine
2 ounces vodka
4 ounces pineapple juice	Pour over ice cubes into highball glasses
1 ounce heavy cream	Drizzle grenadine over the top so that the “blood” flows through the concoction
Grenadine

 

W is for Christopher Lee’s wicked little masterpiece from 1973 called The Wicker Man. It’s a movie about pagan sacrifice, so how about a virginal White Lady for it. Serves two in cocktail glasses:

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
4 ounces gin	Shake all ingredients to combine
3 ounces Triple Sec	Pour over crushed ice in cocktail glasses
2 ounces lemon juice, saving wedges for garnish	Garnish with lemon wedges

 

X stands for Roger Corman’s visionary (pun intended) feature X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes, featuring Ray Milland. And to drink? Well, it’s fairly obvious that if you can see through things you need to be drinking the X-ray. Serve in a couple highball glasses:

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
4 ounces vodka	Stir all ingredients to combine
1 can of soda pop	Pour into highball glasses over ice cubes
Two dashes of vanilla extract

 

Y is for Mel Brooks’ comedic horror film Young Frankenstein. Filled with quotable lines and stylized with Universal Horror-esque cinematics, this film is a perianal favorite around Halloween. The gloomy atmospheric romp is juxtaposed by the vibrant and cheerful Yellow Bird. Serves two in Martini glasses:

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
4 ounces rum	Shake run, banana liqueur, brandy, pineapple juice, and lime juice to combine
2 ounce banana liqueur
1 ounce apricot brandy	Put ice cubes in Martini glasses
4 ounces pineapple juice
1 ounce lime juice, saving wedges for garnish	Place a couple sugar cubes on top of ice
Vanilla extract	Gently pour mix into glass to the side so as not to disturb sugar cubes, allowing them to slowly dissolve
4 sugar cubes	Garnish with lime wedges

 

Z, of course, is for the film Zombi 2 (alternatively just “Zombie”). This unofficial pseudo-sequel to Dawn of the Dead features a hypnotic soundtrack by Fabio Frizzi that is just perfect for the tropical atmosphere of the island locale. Also perfect would be a tropical drink aptly named a zombie. For two, serve in tiki glasses with a paper umbrellas:

INGREDIENTS	PREPARATION
2 ounces light rum	Shake all liquids except for bitters to combine
2 ounces dark rum
2 ounces Cointreau	Pour over crushed ice in tiki glasses
3 ounces orange juice
1 ounce lemon juice	Add a couple dashes of the bitters to each glass
1 ounce lime juice
½ ounce grenadine	Add pineapple slice, cherry, and mint spring to a long skewer and top it all with the umbrella as the garnish
4 dashes Angostura bitters
Pineapple slices, for garnish
Maraschino cherries
Mint sprigs

 

If you have tried any of these, I would love to hear about it. Even better, send me a picture and I will add it to this post. Send to brianjameslane@writeme.com.