There’s a real buzz about raising the bar on Halloween, especially when you’re deciding which wicked party drinks to serve.

After all, carving out jack-o-lanterns makes for thirsty work, not to mention all the thought and energy that goes into decorating your spooky space.

From wicked wines to killer cocktails and colourful beers to prop up your broomstick, delve into the dark side with these spooktacular serves…

1. Blood of the Mariner Red Lager, from £2.15 per can, Beavertown

Buckets of ice cold beer are a must – and what could be more fitting for Halloween than a blood red brew? Beavertown have you backed with their limited edition happy haunting cans, available in 12 and 24 packs. In characteristically crisp, refreshing style, it’s brewed with the addition of hibiscus for its colour and said to have a cranberry-like dryness to complement Halloween snacks.

2. Longbottom & Co Bloody Mary, case of 12 x 250ml cans, £32, Longbottom & Co

When you want to dress, drink and not have to think about fixing a tomato juice cocktail yourself, these eye-catching cans will hold the vodka fort – and power up regency gothic costume themes. Perfectly spiced with just the right peppery kick on its tail, enjoy its chilling charm straight from the can.

3. T-Bone Malbec 2021, San Juan, Argentina, £9.99, Laithwaite’s

A red-hot food wine to mop up meaty dishes. Beyond the bone-chilling label, black plum, savoury spice aromas lead to a forest floor of red and black fruits with a hauntingly dry finish.

4. Limited Edition Glow in the Dark Halloween Bacardi Spiced, £19, 1 litre, Mix Lab

A versatile vixen to have on your bar, this limited edition glow-in-the-dark bottle features Bacardi’s iconic bat logo with a colony in hot pursuit. Enjoy the rich, spicy taste in a shot glass with a beer chaser on the side, as well as all those classic rum cocktails propped among the cobwebs.

5. Haysmith’s Blood Orange Gin, 70cl, £15.99, Aldi

You can’t beat the refreshing, zesty flavours of blood orange-flavoured gin to capture the colours of autumn. Simply top with tonic and garnish with two chillies so they look like devil’s horns.

6. Bathtub Blackberry Fizz

A fright night drink to cast its spell with refreshing blackberry-led flavours, Bathtub Gin (£36.95, 70cl, Master of Malt) with its black wax seal, string and brown paper will look brilliant on the bar alongside a bundle of hawthorn berries. Here’s the recipe for your scary shindig…

Ingredients: 50ml Bathtub Gin, five blackberries, 200ml of premium tonic, orange slice and more blackberries to garnish.

Method: Muddle five blackberries at the bottom of a highball glass, add the gin and half the tonic water and stir. Fill the glass with ice, top with more tonic water, garnish with blackberries and an orange slice.

7. Axia Bramble

Another seasonal concoction to bewitch your friends, this one’s made with an intriguing Greek liqueur, Axia Extra Dry Mastiha (£31.45, 70cl, The Whisky Exchange. Aromatic with citrus and vegetal notes, the serpent on the bottle lends itself to a measure of trickery and intrigue.

Ingredients: 45ml Axia Mastiha, 30ml lemon juice, 12.5ml sugar syrup, 12.5ml blackberry liqueur, one blackberry to garnish.

Method: Half fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add ingredients, shake vigorously, strain and pour over ice. Garnish with a lemon twist and blackberry.

8. Tia Maria Matcha-Tini

Spellbindingly delicious and simple to rustle together, Tia Maria Matcha Cream Liqueur (£16, 1 litre, Sainsbury’s) is a creamy, pale green liqueur which hints at flavours of Japanese green tea – and lends itself beautifully to this demon of a drink.

Ingredients: 60ml Tia Maria Matcha, 30ml vodka. Matcha powder for garnish on rim of glass.

Method: Half fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the Tia Maria Matcha and vodka. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled coupe glass half rimmed with matcha.

To make the matcha rim, mix two teaspoons of sugar and one teaspoon of matcha powder in a dish. Chill glass for 10 minutes and dip rim into the mix.