Ghost-tini Cocktail

Ghostini recipe

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 4 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 4 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

There are a number of specialty Halloween cocktails that are sweet and candy-like, but the ghost-tini truly takes the cake. Behind its creamy caramel and vanilla flavor, you'll also find a hint of pumpkin, so it can even take care of any craving you have for pumpkin cocktails.

The drink begins like many dessert-worthy cocktails with a luscious Irish cream. In this case, that's a caramel-infused version of Baileys. Add some vanilla vodka and a pumpkin liqueur and you have a drink that will grab anyone's attention.

To finish off the pumpkin pie-like experience, the glass is adorned with an Oreo cookie rim. The gummy worm garnish is an extra bonus that turns this into an adult treat with a hint of childhood memories.

Ingredients

  • 1 finely crushed sandwich cookie, for rimming

  • 2 ounces vanilla vodka

  • 1 1/2 ounces pumpkin spice liqueur

  • 1 ounce caramel Irish cream liqueur

  • 3 gummy worms, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for a ghostini
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  2. Rim a chilled cocktail glass with crushed cookies. Use a shallow dish of either the Irish cream or pumpkin liqueur to dip and wet the rim before rolling it in the cookies.

    Rim a cocktail glass
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  3. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour the vanilla vodka, pumpkin liqueur, and Irish cream. Shake well.

    Pour in cocktail shaker
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  4. Strain into the prepared glass and garnish with a few gummy worms. Serve and enjoy.

    Strain and serve
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Tips

  • Pumpkin liqueurs can be somewhat elusive and many brands don't stick around from one year to the next. Explore your local liquor store's offerings and pick up whatever you find. They typically start making an appearance in September and Bols and Hiram Walker tend to be reliable brands. You can also pour Pinnacle Pumpkin Pie Vodka.
  • The key to the cookie rim is to crush them as finely as possible. A blender or food processor will make quick work of it. You can also place them in a plastic zipper bag and roll over them with a rolling pin or smash the cookies with a muddler or hammer.

Recipe Variations

  • If you can't find a bottle of Baileys Caramel, pour regular Irish cream instead. You can bring back that caramel flavor with a squirt of caramel syrup (either a coffee syrup or the type used as an ice cream topping).
  • As an alternative to the liqueur, use a pumpkin spice syrup instead. These are often the secret to quickly flavoring pumpkin spice lattes. You can typically find the syrup within the coffee sweeteners at grocery stores during the autumn season.

How Strong Is a Ghost-tini?

This martini may taste all sweet and innocent but it packs a big punch. A good indication of that is the fact that it's made entirely of liquor. Though it can vary depending on which spirits you pour, this cocktail averages out to 29 percent ABV (58 proof), nearly the same strength as the original vodka martini.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
846 Calories
3g Fat
142g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 846
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 3%
Saturated Fat 1g 4%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 96mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 142g 52%
Dietary Fiber 0g 2%
Total Sugars 95g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 6mg 0%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 60mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)