Vampire’s Kiss

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Cocktail History

The Vampire’s Kiss is a modern cocktail of unknown origin. Around the blogosphere, drinks of the same name call for a neutral grain spirit and a mix of berry flavors, so for this more sophisticated take on the popular Halloween recipe, bartender Alex Sukopp formerly of Sips From Scripts leaned on those traits and landed on this brightly hued version. It’s made with citrus vodka, raspberry and cranberry liqueurs, lemon, pomegranate syrup, cherry and baking spice-flavored bitters, and a dash of food coloring just for fun.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Lemon Vodka: This is a type of vodka made with lemon, grains, vegetables or fruits, and alcohol. I used Absolut Citron Lemon-Flavored Vodka.

Raspberry Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with raspberries, sugar, and alcohol. I used Chambord Liqueur.

Cranberry Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with cranberries, sugar, and alcohol. I used Tattersall Distilling Cranberry Liqueur.

Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. I used freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Grenadine: This is a sweetener made with pomegranate juice and white sugar. I made mine using this stovetop recipe.

Cherry, Clove, & Cinnamon Bitters: This is a food product made with cherry, cloves, cinnamon, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. I used Crude Bitters & Sodas “Attawanhood” Cherry, Clove, & Cinnamon Bitters.

Red Food Coloring: This is a dye that adds color to foods or drinks. I used Watkins Assorted Food Coloring.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

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Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Bright red color

• Aroma: Mixed berries

• Taste: Dry, tart flavor that features citrus and sweet berries

• Finish: Slightly spicy alcohol burn with tart cranberry and citrus notes

Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Kendall’s Take: “When I first added this cocktail to my calendar, it didn’t hit me that this is very similar to a Cosmopolitan. It wasn’t until my first sip that I had the realization, and it was at that point that my former partner suggested some bitters be added for more complexity. I’m glad I did because the cherry and baking spices added a lot more depth to an otherwise simple drink. I did end up having to use a drop of red food coloring to get the hue just right, which I don’t love doing, but I’ll make an exception for holiday drinks sometimes. Try it with or without because it’s a solid drink either way!”

Recipe

Vampire’s Kiss

The Vampire’s Kiss is a modern cocktail of unknown origin. Around the blogosphere, drinks of the same name call for a neutral grain spirit and a mix of berry flavors, so for our more sophisticated take on the popular Halloween recipe, we leaned on those traits and landed on this brightly hued version. It’s made with citrus vodka, raspberry and cranberry liqueurs, lemon, pomegranate syrup, cherry and baking spice-flavored bitters, and a dash of food coloring just for fun.

Origin: Novel Nightcaps Method: Shaken Base Spirit: Vodka

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Prep Time 3 mins Assembly Time 2 mins Total Time 5 mins Difficulty: Intermediate Servings: 1 Calories: 325 Best Season: Halloween

Ingredients

Servings

• 2 fl oz Lemon Vodka

• 1 fl oz Raspberry Liqueur

• 0.5 fl oz Cranberry Liqueur

• 0.5 fl oz Lemon Juice

• 0.25 fl oz Grenadine (Click for Recipe)

• 2 dashes Cherry, Clove, & Cinnamon Bitters

• 2 drops Red Food Coloring

• Vampire Teeth (Optional)

Method

1. Add vodka, raspberry liqueur, cranberry liqueur, lemon juice, grenadine, bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.

2. Shake for 10-20 seconds.

3. Strain into a cocktail glass.

4. Drop in food coloring, then stir gently for 2-3 seconds.

5. (Optional) Garnish with vampire teeth.

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