Halloween costumes and decadent, sinful treats aren’t just for the kiddos. With these ideas and tips from T&S, throw a spooky soiree so fun, your friends will be dying for an invitation!
[treats]
>> Have the bar stocked to keep the cocktails flowing. Offer a Blood & Sand (scotch, Cherry Heering, vermouth and orange juice), a Corpse Reviver No. 2 (gin, lemon juice, Cointreau, Lillet and absinthe), or a Dark & Stormy (rum and ginger beer).
>> Instead of a seated dinner, serve up a variety of tapas: roasted pumpkin seeds; deviled eggs; cheddar olive balls; gourmet charcuterie (blood sausage would be especially appropriate); devils on horseback (dates stuffed with mango chutney, wrapped in bacon); white bean dip with crudités; oysters on the half shell; and mini bowls of squid-ink risotto or shrimp fra diavolo.
[tricks]
>>Open the evening with a murder mystery game. Kits are available to download or purchase online, or you can hire a group to come run the show! The team behind Jest Mysteries (jestmurdermystery.com) has played at The Lemp Mansion, Pere Marquette and other venues.
>> Hire a fortune teller, even better if he or she comes with a crystal ball!
>> Even the most grown-up Halloween party is incomplete without a costume contest. Have guests vote for their favorites in a few wacky categories.
[decor]
>> Just because it’s Halloween doesn’t mean you have to go garish with bright orange and black. Decorate with a sophisticated, macabre palette of dark grays, bone whites and deep blues and purples. Instead of orange, use pops of gold—spray-paint mini pumpkins and gourds, or use a gold chandelier as a centerpiece.
>> To set the mood, keep the lights low, scatter plenty of candles and play a loop of horror flicks (silently) on TVs in the party area. Create body outlines with tape on the floor and, for a really unforgettable night, rent a fog machine.
[extra enhancement]
>>Think outside the box when planning a Halloween soiree playlist. Ditch cheesy standards like ‘The Purple People Eater’ and instead choose some classy tunes like ‘I Put a Spell on You’ by Nina Simone, ‘Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’ by Ella Fitzgerald, and ‘Witchcraft’ by Frank Sinatra.
>> Send guests home with Merb’s bionic caramel apples and miniature bottles of bourbon.