Don’t say his name three times, but get ready to whip up this easy and delicious Beetlejuice cocktail! It’s a perfect blend of fruity flavors in a refreshing mixed drink that’s ready for Halloween, or watching your favorite Beetlejuice movies.
What is a Beetlejuice Cocktail?
A Beetlejuice cocktail is a fun, Halloween-inspired drink that draws its name and aesthetic from the 1988 cult classic film Beetlejuice directed by Tim Burton.
The drink is known for its vibrant green color to mimic the movie’s quirky, eerie vibe, with accents of black and white stripes to pay homage to the main character’s iconic striped suit.
One of my favorite things about this drink is that you can make it with a huge variety of base liquors to suit your tastes. I’m using vodka, but it works equally well with rum, tequila, and gin, depending on your preferences.
Then, it’s just a matter of making it green, which also gives it sweet and fruity vibes, despite the spooky appearance. Don’t forget the gummy worms and other spooky decorations to add the perfect finishing touches!
This fruity Beetlejuice cocktail is especially popular around Halloween, but it can also be a perfect drink for themed parties and events related to the Beetlejuice movie or character. You can also enjoy my Beetlejuice Shot for a layered party shooter option!
Quick + Easy Recipes
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Beetlejuice Cocktail Ingredients
- 1 oz vodka (or sub white rum, tequila, or gin)
- 1 oz Midori (or another melon liqueur, or green liqueur, like sour apple schnapps)
- ½ oz blue curacao (or another blue liqueur such as Hpnotiq)
- ½ oz fresh lime juice (or lemon, or sour mix)
- 3 oz pineapple juice
- Ice cubes
For the Rim:
- Wedge fresh lemon or lime
- Black lava salt or sanding sugar (I use salt to balance the sweetness)
Ingredient Tips and Substitutions
- Instead of the pineapple juice, you can also use orange or apple juice, or a blend with any tropical flavors (like mango, banana, passionfruit, or similar). Note that it may change the green hue slightly between different juices
- Feel free to add a ½ ounce float of black raspberry juice or liqueur (such as Chambord) to the top if you want to make a creepy “bloody” version
- Great garnishes can include gummy worms, iconic black and white straws, and any spooky Halloween-themed items you like!
How to Make a Beetlejuice Cocktail
- Rim your glasses by running a wedge of lemon or lime around the rim, then dip into a shallow bowl or plate with the black salt or sugar until coated. Then, fill the glasses with ice (I like crushed, but cubes are fine too)
- In a cocktail shaker (or similar), combine the vodka, Midori, pineapple juice, lime juice, and blue curacao along with a couple ice cubes
- Shake until well chilled and lightly frothy, about 20-30 seconds, then strain into your rimmed glasses. If the color isn’t to your liking, you can adjust it here with by adding more Midori for green, more pineapple juice for yellow, or more blue curacao for blue tones
- Finish with a black and white straw, and other garnishes if desired. Enjoy!
What to Serve With a Beetlejuice Cocktail
- Black bean hummus
- Guacamole
- Shrimp cocktail
- Dark chocolate
- Dirt pudding
- Charcuterie
- Halloween themed treats
There are lots of fun things to serve with a Beetlejuice cocktail, depending on the occasion. Think dark-colored foods, with black or purple hues, or green, like the guacamole, to coordinate with the drink.
Shrimp cocktail is the most iconic choice from the movie itself, but you can also serve up other spooky treats like a Snake Calzone (use food coloring to add black stripes for a sandworm!), a Skull Caprese Salad, or even some Spiderweb Pretzels to add to your dinner party.
Recipe FAQs
What Ingredients Are Typically Used In A Beetlejuice Cocktail?
The Beetlejuice cocktail is often made with a mix of your favorite base liquor, blue curaçao, pineapple juice, and a green liquor like Midori.
Some variations may include other fruit juices or flavored liqueurs. Try apple juice, orange juice, or other tropical juices, and sour apple schnapps (green), or Hpnotiq (blue) for other options.
Why Is It Called A Beetlejuice Cocktail?
The drink is named after the 1988 cult classic movie “Beetlejuice” directed by Tim Burton.
The cocktail’s vivid color is inspired by the quirky and spooky nature of the film’s main character, Beetlejuice.
What Does A Beetlejuice Cocktail Taste Like?
A Beetlejuice cocktail typically has a sweet and fruity flavor profile, which can be adjusted with various liquor and juice choices.
The combination of fruit juices makes it a refreshing and tropical drink.
Can The Beetlejuice Cocktail Be Made As A Mocktail?
Yes, you can easily make a non-alcoholic version by substituting your base liquor with a dark, non-alcoholic spirit or by simply increasing the amount of fruit juice.
To replace the blue curacao and Midori, use a blue and green beverage of choice, like Powerade, Kool-Aid, or similar. You can also just use a few drops of food coloring in the pineapple juice, and add soda for a fun fizzy finish!
Is The Beetlejuice Cocktail Only For Halloween Parties?
While the Beetlejuice cocktail is popular at Halloween parties due to its spooky name and vibrant appearance, it can be enjoyed year-round, especially as a themed drink at events or movie nights.
Without the black salt or sugar rim, you could also use the recipe for St. Patrick’s Day, due to its vibrant green color!
What Variations Of The Beetlejuice Cocktail Are Popular?
Some variations of the Beetlejuice cocktail include adding cranberry juice for more tartness, using coconut rum for a tropical twist, or incorporating blackberry liqueur for a deeper color and richer flavor.
You can add the blackberry or a raspberry liqueur as a float on top, to give the cocktail an even creepier appearance.
Tips For the Best Beetlejuice Cocktail
- To adjust the sweetness, you can add more lime juice to cut sweetness, or use less lime juice and/or add more pineapple juice for a sweeter drink. As written, I find this drink fairly well balanced and not overly sweet
- This drink is low to medium strength as written. For a stronger drink, add more of your base liquor (vodka in my case)
Serving Tips For the Beetlejuice Cocktail
- You can use nearly any glassware for this cocktail. I’m using lowball whiskey style glasses, but it goes equally well in highball, martini, or margarita glasses, or even goblets!
- This recipe scales well for parties. Feel free to mix all of the ingredients (except ice) together ahead of time and store in a pitcher in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Stir, then pour into individual rimmed glasses with ice for serving
- Garnishes are optional, but can help add to the theme! Try Halloween-inspired decorations like gummy worms, spooky cocktail picks, or a rim dipped in black colored sugar or black lava salt. Of course, a black and white striped straw really helps to finish the drink, as it reinforces the character’s iconic suit!
More Halloween Cocktails
Final Thoughts
The Beetlejuice cocktail is an easy, fruity cocktail that’s perfect for Halloween or for the fans watching the Beetlejuice movies!
A vibrant green color gives it those ghostly vibes, while the black and white accents tie everything together for that classic striped suit look.
Serve this tropical cocktail at your Halloween party alongside some shrimp cocktail (classic for the movie), or some other Halloween inspired finger foods, and you’ll definitely be the ghost host with the most, sure to impress your guests!
Just remember not to say Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice to keep the party crashers away!
Katie’s tip
If you’re interested in more party drink ideas, then you’ll love my collection of spooky Vodka Halloween Cocktails!
Easy Beetlejuice Cocktail (With Vodka)
Equipment
- Shaker (or similar)
- Rocks glass (or similar)
Ingredients
- 1 ounce vodka (or sub white rum, tequila, or gin)
- 1 ounce Midori melon liqueur (or another green liqueur, like sour apple schnapps)
- ½ ounce blue curacao (or another blue liqueur such as Hpnotiq)
- ½ ounce fresh lime juice (sub lemon juice or sour mix)
- 3 ounces pineapple juice
- Ice cubes
For the Rim
- 1 wedge fresh lemon or lime
- 1 Tbsp black salt or black sanding sugar (I use salt)
Instructions
- Rim your glasses by running a wedge of lemon or lime around the rim, then dip into a shallow bowl or plate with the black salt or sugar until coated. Then, fill the glasses with ice (I like crushed, but cubes are fine too)1 wedge fresh lemon or lime, 1 Tbsp black salt or black sanding sugar
- In a cocktail shaker (or similar), combine the vodka, Midori, pineapple juice, lime juice, and blue curacao along with a couple ice cubes1 ounce vodka, 1 ounce Midori melon liqueur, ½ ounce blue curacao, ½ ounce fresh lime juice, 3 ounces pineapple juice, Ice cubes
- Shake until well chilled and lightly frothy, about 20-30 seconds, then strain into your rimmed glasses. If the color isn’t to your liking, you can adjust it here with by adding more Midori for green, more pineapple juice for yellow, or more blue curacao for blue tones
- Finish with a black and white straw, and other garnishes if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Instead of the pineapple juice, you can also use orange or apple juice, or a blend with any tropical flavors (like mango, banana, passionfruit, or similar). Note that it may change the green hue slightly between different juices
- Feel free to add a ½ ounce float of raspberry liqueur (such as Chambord) to the top if you want to make a creepy “bloody” version
- Great garnishes can include gummy worms, iconic black and white straws, and any spooky Halloween-themed items you like!
- To adjust the sweetness, you can add more lime juice to cut sweetness, or use less lime juice and/or add more pineapple juice for a sweeter drink. As written, I find this drink fairly well balanced and not overly sweet
- This drink is low to medium strength as written. For a stronger drink, add more of your base liquor (vodka in my case)
- Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand and flavor of ingredients, any garnishes or sides added (rim not included in nutrition facts), and quantity consumed, so please consider this a guideline only
Nutrition
