If you’re looking for a bubbly, refreshing citrus-based drink for your Halloween party, look no further than this blood moon cocktail! It’s a rum and blood orange cocktail with a spooky orange or red color that’s perfect for werewolves and other creatures of the night.
What is a Blood Moon Cocktail?
A blood moon cocktail is a visually striking drink often associated with the mystical or Halloween-themed beverages due to its color, which can range from orange to red, depending on the specific ingredients used.
The cocktail’s hue is reminiscent of a blood moon, a lunar eclipse where the moon takes on a reddish tint. Due to the moon reference, the drink is also often associated with werewolves as a theme.
This mixed drink features ingredients that provide a fruity flavor and bold appearance, such as blood orange juice or pomegranate juice, which is mixed with a base spirit like vodka, rum, or bourbon (I use rum).
The cocktail can be garnished with fruit slices or other thematic elements to enhance its appearance and evoke the imagery of a blood moon. It’s a popular choice for events or gatherings with a spooky or supernatural theme!
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Blood Moon Cocktail Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz rum
- ½ oz Campari
- 2-3 oz blood orange ginger beer (depending on glass size and desired strength)
- ½ oz grenadine (optional; can adjust to taste)
Ingredient Tips and Substitutions
- While rum is a classic choice for this cocktail, you can also sub tequila or vodka if preferred
- Note that Campari is very bitter – it’s an aperitif, so if it’s too bitter for you, you can also use Cointreau, triple sec, or another orange liqueur (but you’ll need to add alternative coloring, since Campari is the red component)
- Instead of the blood orange ginger beer, you can also use regular ginger beer (or ginger ale for a sweeter version) with 1 ounce of blood orange syrup or about 2 ounces of blood orange juice (depending what you can find)
- The drink is naturally going to be a reddish color from the Campari. If you want it a deeper red, you’ll need to add 1-2 drops of red food coloring or a splash of grenadine (½ – 1 ounce of grenadine can help offset the Campari bitterness as well)
- You can also use raspberry or pomegranate juice instead of blood orange (or instead of Campari) for a natural red color option!
How to Make a Blood Moon Cocktail
- Add the rum, grenadine, and Campari to a lowball rocks glass and stir to combine. If you’re using a syrup or juice, or food coloring, add it here as well
- Fill the glass with ice (crushed or cubes)
- Top with blood orange ginger beer (or regular ginger beer if you used a syrup instead)
- Garnish with a slice of dried blood orange if desired, and enjoy!
More Halloween Cocktails
Recipe FAQs
Why Is The Blood Moon Cocktail Popular For Halloween?
The blood moon cocktail is popular for Halloween due to its red or orange color, which is reminiscent of the blood moon, making it a perfect fit for the spooky and eerie theme of the holiday.
It fits the theme of werewolves well, and is also fruity and fizzy, making it a fun party drink.
Can You Customize A Blood Moon Cocktail?
Yes, you can customize a blood moon cocktail by swapping rum for vodka or tequila, or by adding different fruit juices, such as pomegranate or raspberry for a deep red color.
Add garnishes like a blood orange slice, or edible glitter for added visual appeal.
Is A Blood Moon Cocktail Difficult To Make?
No, a blood moon cocktail is easy to make and doesn’t require complicated techniques or tools.
This makes it a great option for home bartenders looking to impress guests during Halloween parties.
Recipe Tips For the Best Blood Moon Cocktail
- If you’re not familiar with Campari or Aperol, I highly recommend having some grenadine or simple syrup on hand to help balance the sweetness of the drink, since it will be very bitter (unless you want a trick instead of a treat)!
Storage and Serving Tips For a Blood Moon
- Due to the ice and carbonated element, a blood moon cocktail is best enjoyed fresh. However, you could combine the alcohols and any juices ahead of time. Store in a pitcher in the refrigerator, then add ice and ginger beer just before serving
- Garnishes are optional, but can include a blood orange wheel (dried works as well, since fresh blood oranges are not in season around Halloween), sage leaves, plastic fangs, or other fun Halloween accents
More Blood Orange Cocktails
- Cranberry Blood Orange Mojito
Final Thoughts
This blood moon cocktail is the perfect spooky sip for your Halloween celebration! However, with its fizzy ginger and bitter orange flavor profile, it’s equally nice for fall, Thanksgiving, and the holiday season as well (with some differently themed garnishes).
It’s a simple mixed drink that requires no fancy equipment or techniques to put together, which is my favorite type for entertaining. While I use rum as the base, you can feel free to change it up and customize it to your liking – it’s a very versatile recipe!
Katie’s tip
If you love the flavor of these vibrant, beautiful oranges, check out my entire collection of Blood Orange Cocktails for more recipe inspiration good through all the seasons!
Blood Moon Cocktail (With Rum)
Equipment
- Whiskey glass (or similar lowball glass)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ ounces rum
- ½ ounce Campari
- 2-3 ounces blood orange ginger beer (depending on glass size and desired strength)
- ½ ounce grenadine (or adjust to taste)
- Ice (cubes or crushed)
Instructions
- Add the rum, Campari, and grenadine to a lowball glass and stir to combine. If you’re using a syrup or juice, or food coloring, add it here as well1 ½ ounces rum, ½ ounce Campari, ½ ounce grenadine
- Fill the glass with ice (crushed or cubes)Ice
- Top with blood orange ginger beer (or regular ginger beer if you used a syrup instead)2-3 ounces blood orange ginger beer
- Garnish with a slice of dried blood orange if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
- While rum is a classic choice for this cocktail, you can also sub tequila or vodka
- Note that Campari is very bitter – it’s an aperitif, so if it’s too bitter for you, you can also use Cointreau, triple sec, or another orange liqueur (but you’ll need to add alternative coloring, since Campari is the red component)
- Instead of the blood orange ginger beer, you can also use regular ginger beer (or ginger ale for a sweeter version) with 1 ounce of blood orange syrup or about 2 ounces of blood orange juice (depending what you can find)
- The drink is naturally going to be a reddish color from the Campari. If you want it a deeper red, you’ll need to add 1-2 drops of red food coloring or grenadine (½ – 1 ounce of grenadine helps offset the Campari bitterness as well)
- You can also use raspberry or pomegranate juice instead of blood orange (or instead of Campari) for a natural red color option!
- Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand and flavor of ingredients, any garnishes added, and actual quantity consumed, so please consider this a guideline only
Nutrition
