As do many others, I love decorating for Halloween with skeletons! I have jointed boardstock paper ones in two sizes for the front door and side windows. I use the ceramic skull as a table centerpiece. And small, plastic skulls get scattered around the other Halloween decorations throughout the house. So when searching for a cocktail to make for the spooky & scary holiday of the year, the libation with skeleton in its name drew my immediate attention.

There are a number of old fashioned keys in our home. Some have been collected because they are cool and some fit the cabinets and drawers of furniture that has been handed down from Eric’s ancestors. Among the collection are some skeleton keys. A skeleton key is one that has been paired down to its essential parts in order to open multiple locks. Like its namesake, this cocktail does not include overly fussy ingredients or unnecessary embellishments.

Created by a bartender working in a Detroit restaurant, it contains the four basics of a great cocktail with a spirit, citrus, bitters, and sweetness. (We experimented with a variety of bitters when sampling this cocktail. While the regular bitters work well, we are partial to cardamom bitters in this case.) With bubbly, floral, and bittersweet notes all at once, and a touch of spicy eeriness, this cocktail is perfect for Halloween!

Skeleton Key Cocktail

Skeleton Key Cocktail (adapted from thespruceeats.com)  Total Time Required: 5 minutes

Makes: 1 drink

Ingredients:

• 1-1/4 ounces bourbon whiskey
• 3/4 ounce St Germaine Elderflower Liqueur
• 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 to 5 ounces ginger beer
• 6 – 8 dashes bitters

Directions:

Using a highball or rocks glass, start to build the cocktail by adding the bourbon to the glass. Add in the elderflower liqueur, and then the lemon juice.

Add the bourbon, elderflower liqueur and lemon juice to the glass.

Top the cocktail off with ginger beer and mix lightly. Add ice to the glass.

Add the ginger beer to the glass.

Garnish with bitters, letting them seep down into the drink and stir only a bit. Serve.

Add the bitters and ice and serve!

Cheers for a Spooktacular Halloween!  ~Linda

Skeleton Key Cocktail (adapted from thespruceeats.com) Total Time Required: 5 minutes, Makes: 1 drink

Ingredients:

• 1-1/4 ounces bourbon whiskey
• 3/4 ounce St Germaine Elderflower Liqueur
• 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 to 5 ounces ginger beer
• 8 dashes bitters

Directions:

Using a highball or rocks glass, build the cocktail by adding the bourbon to the glass. Add in the elderflower liqueur, and then the lemon juice. Top the cocktail off with ginger beer and mix lightly. Add ice to the glass. Garnish with bitters, letting them seep down into the drink and stir only a bit. Serve.