Party Tip 1: Focus on what makes an awesome Halloween party 

Think about your favorite Halloween memories, whether from adolescence or adulthood and think about the people on your guest list. What are your favorite parts of Halloween? 

Is it all about the crazy costumes and one-upping each other with a perfectly timed jump scare? Or do you like to settle in with your favorite classic horror franchise? Do you love handing out candy every year, or would you rather hoard it all for yourself?   

Whatever you love about Halloween, that’s what’s going to make an awesome Halloween party. Don’t try to reinvent the holiday just because you’ve decided to host a spirits-themed bash. Combine the two for an event everyone will love (and they’ll beg you to host again next year!). 

Party Tip 2: Mix up a batch of Halloween-themed cocktails  

While we love a classic cocktail any day of the week and any season of the year, for Halloween, why not mix your spirits spookily? Halloween-themed cocktails can add an extra dash of fun to your night.  

Create a Bourbon Pumpkin Smash cocktail by mixing bourbon (we like Ezra Brooks 99) with a few dashes of orange bitters and a few tablespoons of pumpkin pie-flavored simple syrup (made by mixing your standard simple syrup with pumpkin puree, vanilla, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice). Garnish your concoction with a cinnamon stick. 

You can also upgrade your traditional and favorite rye-based Manhattan using Ezra Brooks 99 Rye Whiskey (or Old Ezra 7-Year Straight Rye Whiskey), dark chocolate bitters, and dry ice for a head-turning cocktail that looks great and tastes reminiscent of your favorite chocolate candy. 

Is Harry Potter your absolute favorite Halloween flick (even if it’s not technically a Halloween movie)? Mix up some butterbeer using equal parts Rebel 100 bourbon and butterscotch schnapps, then top it off with ginger beer and dry ice.   

Party Tip 3: Pair your Halloween treats with the right spirit samples 

Prefer your whiskey straight? Try building a tasting board and pair fun Halloween-favorite foods and candies with bourbon and whiskeys. 

For example, you could pair Daviess County Bourbon’s French Oak Barrel Finished Bourbon with peanut butter cups; Rebel 100 Rye with caramel apple slices; Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey with your favorite miniature candy bars (think Twix, Kit Kat, and Snickers); and all the M&Ms you can eat with Daviess County’s Cabernet Sauvignon Finished Bourbon. 

Amp up the fun by adding less-expected Halloween treats to your spread and seeing what your friends think of the pairings. You might be surprised how well candies like Hot Tamales, Twizzlers, Sweetarts, or Sugar Babies pair with some of your favorite spirits and cocktails.  

Party Tip 4: Stock up! 

What’s the worst thing that could possibly happen at your Halloween spirits-tasting party? Running out of boo’s … er, booze. Make sure to stock up on all your favorite Lux Row products beforehand by checking out what’s available at your nearest spirits store today. 

And remember to have a fun, safe, and whiskey-filled Halloween!