If you’re looking for fun Halloween cocktail recipes, how about serving Dead Man's Kiss, a black vodka cocktail! This cool Halloween cocktail involves making your own black vodka. But once you learn how easy it is, you’ll use homemade black vodka to make all sorts of great Halloween drinks.

I read that finding Blavod, the only commercially made black vodka, was impossible. Instead there are two ways to make black vodka for great Halloween drinks. You can use black food coloring to dye vodka black. However, dyes tend to separate and sink to the bottom of the bottle. Or black dye may make Halloween cocktail recipes taste kind of funky.

Instead, to make a Dead Man’s Kiss cocktail, you should make black vodka with black rice!

Use black rice to make black vodka for your Halloween drink recipes

Have you cooked with black rice? It’s delicious and makes such a beautiful presentation next to a piece of grilled fish or chicken. It’s not too hard to find black rice at your grocery store. I’ve even purchased Village Harvest Heirloom Chinese Black Rice at Costco!

Village Harvest Heirloom Chinese Black Rice

To make black vodka for a Dead Man’s Kiss cocktail, I used marshmallow vodka. However,  any sweetly flavored vodka should do.

1. To make black rice, place one cup of black rice in a clean quart sized Ball jar.
2. Fill the rest of the Ball jar with marshmallow vodka.
3. Store for 24 hours in a cool, shady area. Shake occasionally.
4. Drain contents of Ball jar over a fine mesh sieve into a pitcher or large quart measuring cup with a pouring spout. Toss the rice.
5. Wash out Ball jar and pour black vodka back into jar. Label jar and cap with a pouring spout.

Ball Mason Wide Mouth uart Jars with Lids and BandsCuisinart Set of 3 Fine Mesh Stainless Steel StrainersAnchor Hocking 2 Quart Ovenproof Glass Batter BowlreCAP Mason Jars POUR Wide Mouth Canning Jar Lid

You can leave the rice sitting in the vodka for a week or longer. However, a day is sufficient as the rice gives up most of its color after 24 hours.

I felt a bit guilty throwing the rice away. I did taste a few kernels, and they were soft and flavorful. At the time I was leaving town for a business trip. If I was home, I would have saved the infused black rice leftovers, and tried to make an adult rice pudding dessert. Next time!

Making a Dead Man’s Kiss Cocktail

Since the black vodka is actually a very dark purple, I didn’t want to lighten the liquid up by using cream or even a golden liqueur. Instead, I wanted to combine it with amber and dark colored libations.

I went to my local, well stocked liquor store for inspiration and settled on Sabroso Licor de Café, a Mexican coffee liqueur. I thought I’d add a touch of Frangelico, a hazelnut liqueur that I had at home. (If you are allergic to nuts, leave the Frangelico out or substitute it with a chocolate liqueur.)

But what to call this delightfully sweet fun Halloween cocktail recipe? As a tribute to one of my favorite shows, The Walking Dead, the name Dead Man’s Kiss seemed appropriate for this spooky Halloween drink – a bit dark, sweetly scary, and oh so enjoyable!

Dead Man’s Kiss Cocktail

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Recipe

Ingredients

• Red decorating sugar
• Ice cubes
• 1 ounce black vodka
• 1 ounce coffee liqueur, like Sabroso Licor de Café
• 1/4 teaspoon Frangelico liqueur

Directions

1. Place rred decorating sugar in a small dish. Turn the glass upside down and dip it into a small bowl of water. Dip the rim of glass into the sugar.
2. Carefully place ice cubes into the glass.
3. In a small measuring cup with a spout, mix the vodka, coffee liqueur and Frangelico together. Pour over ice and serve.

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Total Time: 5 Minutes

Servings: Makes 1 cocktail

• Serving size: 2 ounce drink

Originally published on October 19, 2015. Updated with new pictures