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The Black Widow Cocktail is a sleek and sinister Halloween beverage with a sharp bite. The smooth blackcurrant liqueur mixed with the vodka and coffee-flavored Kahlua makes an unforgettable and deliciously sweet cocktail.
Plan a perfect spooky evening with these Halloween treats Halloween Bark Recipe and Soft Pumpkin Cookies.
A note on the video: the cocktails in the video don’t look perfectly black, however, if you use the recommended amount of activated charcoal in this recipe it will be completely black.
Black Widow Cocktail
I’ve never been one to dress up for Halloween in my adult years, however, I still take every opportunity to prepare delicious treats and decorate for this fun day.
Years after moving to Charleston we have an annual tradition to spend Halloween evening with the same dear friends. They always host and have the most wonderful spread of food and each year there’s a new cocktail to sip before heading out to trick-or-treat with our children.
This year I’ve been testing my own drinks and this simple vodka Halloween cocktail is as delicious as it is beautiful.
The rich color comes from using activated charcoal, which creates a deep black Halloween cocktail that also detoxifies. I can’t exactly confirm or deny, but I think the activated charcoal makes this a better cocktail option than most.
If you’d like to try a black cocktail without the activated charcoal then try the simple, but delicious Black Russian. If you love the color of the activated charcoal then try this Full Moon Cocktail next or browse more black cocktails.
Ingredients in Black Widow Cocktail
This easy Halloween cocktail is composed of a unique mix and simply shaken in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and then strained into a glass.
- Vodka: I always prefer to use high-quality vodka. Simple dirty martinis are my favorite cocktail so I always have some on hand.
- Creme de Cassis: A sweet, dark red liqueur made from blackcurrants. Most widely used in making the french Kir Royale and can be found in most liquor stores.
- Kahlua: A slightly sweet coffee liqueur used in making White Russians (one of my other favorites), but also perfect for fall drinks.
- Activated Charcoal: A fine odorless and tasteless powder made from selected natural hardwood trees that have been exposed to very high temperatures in an airless environment. It is pure carbon specially processed to make it highly absorbent of particles and gases in the body’s digestive system. Basically, it gives the cocktail the deep black color as well as helps you detoxify.
- Ginger Beer: Just a splash of this soda gives the cocktail a tiny sparkle and an extra sweet taste.
How to Make a Black Widow Halloween Cocktail
There are only two steps to making this devilishly delicious black Halloween cocktail.
- Shake: Pour the vodka, cream de cassis, activated charcoal, and Kahlua into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for 1 minute and strain into a martini glass.
- Garnish: Splash the top of the cocktail with ginger beer and garnish with blackberries.
FAQ’s about Making the Black Widow Cocktail
Absolutely! This will make your beverage slightly sweeter, but the two are interchangeable in this recipe.
Not at all! The activated charcoal is actually tasteless, but not necessary for making this drink. I used it solely to achieve a dark color.
Nope, and in fact, it will actually whiten them! There’s an entire market now for dental products containing activated charcoal.
Tips for Making the Best Black Halloween Cocktail
- When shaking the ingredients in your cocktail shaker, make sure you have plenty of ice (it should more than cover the liquid), and shake vigorously for 1 minute. If your arms get tired when shaking you’re doing it correctly.
- I always recommend using high-quality ingredients. Using a good brand of ginger beer is key for those perfect bubbles.
More Devilish Halloween Cocktails
If you love Halloween cocktails then try some of these other treats. I promise there’s no trick!
More Halloween Cocktails
Black Widow Cocktail
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Vodka
- 3 ounces Cream de Cassis
- 1 ounce Kahlua
- 1/2 teaspoon Activated Charcoal optional
- 1 ounce Ginger Beer
- 2 Blackberries
Instructions
- Pour the vodka, cream de cassis, activated charcoal, and Kahlua into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a martini glass.
- Splash the top of the cocktail with the ginger beer and garnish with blackberries.
Such an interesting and deep color! And I love the blackberries.
Hi Alina, I’m so glad you like the blackberries! Thanks for stopping by!
I’m loving this combination of flavors and can’t wait to serve it at my Halloween Happy Hour this year! So spooky!
Gwynn, thanks for sharing! Halloween Happy Hour will be extra spooky this year!
What a delicious and fun drink! Love anything with Kahlua. Thanks for the great cocktail!
So glad you enjoyed this! Kahlua is delicious, right?!
Wow this is a great idea for the grown folks. I love the black color that this cocktail has. Will be making this for halloween!
Very excited you will be making this cocktail for Halloween. It really is delicious!
I stumbled across this recipe, not looking for Halloween things, but I’m inspired! We did a test run last night and we loved it! I’ll be adding this to my usual Halloween recipes. Thank you!
Kristine, so thrilled you were inspired and now you are all ready for Halloween!
Will the charcoal stain your teeth?
Hello Cornelia, no the charcoal won’t stain your teeth and in fact, it actually whitens your teeth believe it or not!
this cocktail is delicious! i subbed creme de cassis with chambord and it worked really nicely
Oh, that sounds like a delicious substitution! I’m so glad you liked it.
Please consider putting a disclaimer regarding activated charcoal. It is not ok to use it on certain medications and supplements, as well as it can cause dehydration, you’ll need to drink more water while using AC.
Sounds so good…my grown children will love this! Did I miss where in the process you add the activated charcoal? Please clarify…I’m sort of new to mixing my own drinks…!
Hi, Traci! I accidentally left that information out but have updated the recipe now. You add Greg activated charcoal directly to the cocktail shaker when shaking the drink. Sorry about that!
Love how dark and spooky this cocktail is!
Great recipe, and so fun with the charcoal to make it so dark.
Oh wow, this is such a perfect drink to serve for Halloween. It’s scary looking and yet elegant and sophisticated at the same time. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Thanks, Anita!
OMG! These Cocktails look so amazing for Halloween! I love that there’s ginger beer and blackberries in it! Sounds delish!
Thanks, Shanika! Those are two of my favorites as well.
Oooh this looks equal parts scary and delicious!! Love the idea of using activated charcoal – does this mean I won’t get hungover 😉
Wouldn’t that be dreamy! I think it’s worth a try.
This will definitely make an impression of guests for a Halloween party. Love the idea of using the activated charcoal for color and the blackberry garnishes.
Thanks, Stephanie! It was really fun to make.
Totally in love with the photography. Great cocktail recipe to try this weekend!
Thank you, Kushigalu!