PARCHED | DIE DIE MUST TRY

Whether you’re staying in for a horror movie marathon or hosting the next big frightacular rave, these six Singapore bartenders have created Cointreau Halloween cocktails inspired by their favourite spine-chilling movies for you to replicate. Why do Highball when you can do horror? (Warning: Some of these recipes are scarily tricky to make).

What Dreams Are Made Of by Mohd Irwan, Summerlong

WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF_irwan summerlong

Movie Inspiration: Stephen King’s IT

Seven pre-teen outcasts fight a shapeshifting demon who poses as a clown, preys on young children and is known as “the eater of worlds and children”. Thirty years later, they reunite to stop the demon once and for all.

Recipe: 40 ml Cointreau Noir + 30ml Honey + 1 3⁄4 Cups Yogurt Ice Cream + 200ml Milk + 2 Teaspoon Basil Seeds + 15ml Grenadine Syrup + 6ml Aperol + 1 cup of Ice + Lemon Zest + Whipped Cream

1. Soak Basil seeds in Grenadine Syrup and Water
2. Pour honey, yogurt ice cream, milk, Cointreau Noir and ice into a separate container 3. Blend Cointreau Noir mixture until liquid is runny.
4. Add in lemon zest
5. Pour into glass
6. Add 1 teaspoon of Basil seed mixture in glass and stir well
7. Top it up with whipped cream and serve

Tasting notes: Savoury, sour, bittersweet, honey-like texture – a milkshake for adults!

“I was dazzled by how IT changed the perception of clowns. Clowns are loved by children because of their balloon tricks and humour. When Stephen King’s IT came out in 1990, it transformed clowns into subjects of fear. Kids are now more afraid of clowns than before. Clowns turned from being harmless entertainers to murderous demons. Inspired by the movie, my cocktail represents this transition – the childish nature of milkshakes with a bittersweet twist of horror.”

[ Read about Summerlong here ]

Oh Well by Pan Zheng, KUVO

OH WELL cocktail Kuvo Halloween

Movie Inspiration: The Ring

After four teenagers die in an unusual way, Asakawa, a reporter, sets out to investigate their deaths. She discovers that Sadako, a vengeful spirit, has been responsible for the killings – ending her victims’ lives in 7 days after they watch a cursed videotape.

Recipe: 50 ml Cointreau Noir + 1⁄2 Tablespoon Cheese Spread + 1⁄2 Tablespoon of Salted Butter 1 Egg + 1⁄2 Tablespoon Condensed Milk + 60ml Expresso + 1 Rosemary Leaf

1. Separate the egg yolk and discard the egg white
2. Place the yolk, cheese spread, salted butter and condensed milk in a small deep bowl and whisk vigorously until your mixture resembles a frothy, fluffy foam.
3. Add ice, expresso and Cointreau Noir in a glass and top it up with the foam mixture 4. Garnish with Rosemary Leaves and serve

Tasting notes: Creamy and cheesy, with sweetness from the Cointreau Noir and a delicious coffee aroma

“The Ring is a Japanese horror movie that became an instant classic in 1991, with Hollywood even remaking it in 2002. The movie left a deep impression on everyone, with the scene of Sadako coming out of a well being the most remembered and the most terrifying. It is this iconic scene that inspired me to create this specific cocktail. The flavour of my cocktail comes from Vietnamese egg coffee, which I find delicious and fascinating, while the design is inspired by the movie itself”

Dolly The Doll by Symphony Loo, Neon Pigeon

DOLLY THE DOLL_cocktail Symphony Neon Pigeon

Movie Inspiration: Annabelle

A perfect gift from a husband, to his expectant wife, turns into a nightmare when devil worshippers invade their home – turning the former object of beauty into something of pure evil.

Recipe: 500ml Cointreau Blood Orange + 1ltr The Botanist Gin + 2 Jasmine teabags + 10 Star Anise + 8 Lemons + 8 Limes + 300g Sugar + 600ml Water + 450ml Ginger Beer + 50ml Grenadine Syrup+ Shiso Leaves

Add The Botanist Islay Dry Gin and Jasmine Tea in a container and leave it overnight to let it infuse.

Peel the Lemons, Oranges And Limes; keep the peels

Squeeze the juices from the Lemons, Oranges And Limes into a container

Bring water to boil and add sugar

Stir boiling water until sugar is dissolved

Add Star Anise, Orange, Lime and Lemon juices and peels into the boiling water

Stir slowly on high heat until the mixture becomes thick

Strain mixture to form homemade spice syrup

For each serving, add 40 ml Infused The Botanist Islay Dry Gin, 40ml Cointreau Blood Orange, 50 ml of spice syrup and ice into cocktail shaker.

Shake and Strain into a glass with ice and top up with Ginger Beer

Add 5ml of Grenadine Syrup and garnish with Shiso Leaf

Tasting Notes: Sweet and a little acidic; refreshing.

“As the latest sequel of the movie was just released, I chose Annabelle as the inspiration for my cocktail. It was Annabelle that revived the fear of dolls that we had as children. With Annabelle in mind, I created my cocktail to have refreshing, childish flavours reminiscent of lollipops and candy yet still have that acidic touch.”

[ Read about Neon Pigeon here ]

Blood of Kramer by Darren Lim, Lucky Bar

BLOODY KRAMER_Darren Lim Lucky Bar

Movie Inspiration: Saw

Two individuals, a photographer and an oncologist, are chained to pipes at opposite ends of a filthy bathroom. The two men realize they’ve been trapped by a sadistic serial killer nicknamed “Jigsaw” and must complete his perverse challenges in order to survive.

Recipe: 30ml Cointreau Blood Orange + 60ml Cranberry Juice + 45ml Coconut Water + 45ml Sprite (or 7-up) + 1 teaspoon of Basil Seeds + Severed fingers gummy candy

Pour Cointreau Blood Orange, Cranberry Juice, Coconut Water, Basil seeds and Sprite (or 7- Up) into glass and mix

Top up glass with ice and serve with severed fingers gummy candy.

Tasting Notes: Sweet, sour, fruity

“Saw is basically all horror movies combined into one – its storyline is sprinkled with tons of gore and suspense. While its concept is simple, Saw’s surprising twist ending captivates the audience. Just like Saw, my cocktail is a classic mixed with surprising elements giving it that unexpected twist at the end.”

Slash by Silvio Daniele, Gibson

SLASH_gibson cocktail

Movie Inspiration: Scream

An unknown killer stalks and taunts his victims before slaughtering them in a bloody manner. A group of friends are targeted by the same killer only to find out that it was one of them behind the mask all along.

Recipe: 120ml Cointreau Blood Orange + 300ml Red Apple Juice + 120ml Pink Grapefruit Juice + 60ml Beetroot Juice + Lemon Zest

Pour the Cointreau Blood Orange, red apple juice, pink grapefruit juice and beetroot juice into a container and mix

Refrigerate the mixture overnight

Pour into glass and add the lemon zest. Serve cold without ice.

Tasting Notes: Sweet and fruity with a sour finish and a hint of earthy aftertaste

“What I like about Scream is how the most unexpected person is revealed to be the serial killer. With the movie as inspiration, we transformed a detox concoction for hangover into an alcoholic drink, perfect for Halloween. This goes to show that even the healthiest drink can still turn out to be a real killer.”

[ Read about Gibson Here ]

Third Eye by Riccardo Nardone, AURA

THIRD EYE_cocktail Aura

Movie Inspiration: Child’s Play

A single mother gives her son the popular Chucky doll as his birthday present, only to find out that it has been possessed by the soul of a notorious serial killer – channeling his urge to kill through the doll.

Recipe: 60ml Cointreau Noir + 40ml Fresh Orange Juice + 20ml Orange Syrup + 20ml Lime Juice + 30ml Lychee Juice + 1 Lychee Fruit (canned) + 1 Green Grape + 1 Blueberry

To create Chucky’s eye:

1. Cut a small hole at the top of the green grape and insert the blueberry 2. Place the green grape inside the lychee to complete Chucky’s eye

To create the Third Eye:

Pour Cointreau Noir, fresh orange juice, lime and lychee juice along with the orange syrup into a glass. Top up the drink with ice, garnish with the eye to serve.

Tasting Notes: Perfect balance of sweet and tangy; fresh and fruity

“Child’s Play is the cult horror film that introduced Chucky to the world and has become a classic for the horror film genre. The wooden knife stirrer is a reference to Chucky’s weapon of choice. Using Chucky as inspiration, we also recreated his distinctive orange hair, and greenish blue eyes in our cocktail. The lychee eye is also inspired by the Chinese belief of being able to see ghosts and unnatural beings with a third eye.”

Like this? This is The Story of Cointreau

Like this? Why Booze bottle Are Shaped The Way They Are