Witch’s Heart

This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy here.

Cocktail History

The Witch’s Heart is a popular Halloween cocktail that was created in 2015 by Dini Kodippili, the recipe developer behind The Flavor Bender. The original recipe used a homemade shimmery blackberry liqueur that was meant to mimic the now discontinued Viniq Liqueurs. Rather than wait for an ingredient to infuse for a week, this version’s creator, Alex Sukopp, former bartender of the retired Instagram account Sips From Scripts, chose to use raspberry and blackcurrant liqueurs, and I aimed to make it a little more balanced and sophisticated by going with apple brandy in place of vodka and adding citrus.

Cocktail Ingredients

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

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

Apple Brandy: This is a type of brandy made with apples, pears, spices, sugar, and alcohol. I used Calvados.

Crème De Cassis: This is a liqueur made with blackcurrants, sugar, and alcohol. I used Maison Ferrand Mathilde Cassis Liqueur.

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

Purple Luster Dust: This is an edible decorating powder that adds sparkle. I used Nomeca Purple Edible Luster Dust.

Blackberries: This a glossy black berry formed by multiple small fruits that each contain a seed.

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.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Dark sparkly purple color

• Aroma: Mixed berries

• Taste: Candy-sweet flavor balanced with lemon

• Finish: Slightly tart apple

Kendall’s Take: “I tried the original version of the Witch’s Heart and found it to be way too candy-sweet. Even though it’s meant to be a kitschier Halloween drink, I wanted it to be more balanced and ended up loving the changes. Instead of homemade sparkly blackberry liqueur, I went with a split of berry-flavored liqueurs and also added some citrus. It’s so much better with those tweaks—so good, in fact, that I ended up giving it four stars. I would definitely make this again for friends during spooky season.”

Recipe