5 haunting cocktails crafted from popular urban legends

Do you remember telling scary stories around the campfire at night, hearing stories about the creepiest creatures and ghouls? Chances are you've heard multiple urban legends growing up, spanning from the mysterious sightings of Bigfoot or chanting Bloody Mary 3 times in a mirror. This list consists of mostly cryptids that everyone knows or has at least heard of.

Now that we're all grown up we know that urban legends are just fun stories to tell around the fire while drinking a beer. Well instead of beer we can replace that with some fun cocktails that are inspired by the most popular urban legends.

Bloody Mary

Of course, we have to start off this list with one of the most popular urban legends ever. The story of Bloody Mary is one I remember well and made me scared of mirrors for the entirety of my elementary years.

The game is to go into the bathroom shut off all the lights and stare into the mirror while you chant her name 3 times. Legend says that she will appear in the mirror behind you and she will claw out your eyes. The legends can vary but the image of her is consistent, she usually looks like an old lady covered in blood. So naturally a Bloody Mary is inspired by her ghoulish tale.

Recipe:

• 2 oz vodka
• 4 oz tomato juice
• 2 dashes Tabasco
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp horseradish
• 1 lemon wedge
• 1 lime wedge
• Pinch of celery salt
• garnish with green olives to look like eyes!

Bigfoot- maple old fashioned

Another extremely popular urban legend is the mystery behind the mountain monster, Bigfoot. The story behind Bigfoot goes way back, even as far as the 1700's with the sightings of giant hairy creatures. Bigfoot is known to appear human-like but much taller and of course a lot hairier.

There are multiple beers named after Bigfoot but I want to be a little more creative than that. The best drink that reminds me the most of Bigfoot is something that includes maple for an earthier vibe and a lot of whiskey to put some hair on your back.

Recipe:

• 2 oz bourbon 
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 tsp pure maple syrup
• ¼ tsp water
• garnish with rosemary sprig to represent the forest Bigfoot roams!

Mothman- midnight lime martini

This list also couldn't exist without mentioning the infamous Mothman. Mothman is another cryptid, like Bigfoot, that has had multiple sightings throughout history. Mothman has been seen mostly in West Virginia, only appears at night, and is reportedly 10 feet tall.

The best drink for Mothman is something on the dark side that looks like the night sky. I think a midnight lime martini is best suited for this creature of the night.

Recipe: 

• 2.5 oz black vodka
• ¾ oz freshly squeezed lime juice
• ¾ oz simple syrup
• pinch of edible pearl dust for a little sparkle like the night sky
• garnish with maraschino cherries to look like Mothman's glowing red eyes!

Loch Ness Monster- blue lagoon

The most popular aquatic urban legend goes to the Loch Ness Monster who terrorizes the lakes in Scotland. Nessie is a nickname for the monster and has been sighted multiple times, most famously in 2017 with the most sightings on record.

Nessie is a long-necked monster with one large hump that gives it the appearance of a dinosaur. Some people speculate that Nessie is a plesiosaur, a large aquatic dinosaur. The best drink choice for the Loch Ness Monster is a blue lagoon, something straight out of the water and fitting to the legend.

Recipe:

• 1 oz vodka
• 1 oz Blue Curacao
• 8 oz lemonade
• garnish with maraschino cherries and a gummy dinosaur to look like Nessie!

Chupacabra- bloody rum

A chupacabra is still a widely known cryptid that is spotted mostly in Mexico. A chupacabra is a dog-like creature that translates to "goat sucker" in Spanish. These little creatures have been spotted quite often and blamed for the deaths of some livestock.

The chupacabras are known to suck the blood of other animals. They are similar to vampires in the way they hunt and kill animals. A bloody-looking cocktail matches the horrors that chupacabras wreak on livestock.

Recipe:

• 2 oz white rum
• 3 oz black cherry juice
• ½ oz Grenadine
• ⅓ oz peach schnapps
• garnish with maraschino cherries and some fake vampire teeth to hint at chupacabra's tendencies to suck blood.

Halloween is coming up and the scary stories are starting to circulate once again. Join in on the fun and make an urban legend cocktail! These inspired drinks would be a hit at any Halloween party or maybe just to sit around a campfire and tell a story or two (wink wink).

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