Easy Black Cocktail Recipe for Halloween (Black Tequila Cocktail)
If you’re looking for an easy Black Cocktail Recipe this one with tequila is grown-up and ghoulish! Ready in just minutes the addition of fresh pineapple juice and activated charcoal powder make for a fruity, spooky black cocktail drink perfect for your Halloween celebrations.
The black cocktail recipe and a bottle of Blanco Tequila were provided by Don Julio. Cocktail recipe credit: DIAGEO NA.
You’ll love this Black Cocktail for Halloween
This black drink is made with no artificial colorings or flavorings and is a pineapple twist on a margarita. (You KNOW I love margaritas).
You’re going to love the simplicity of this dark and spooky Halloween Tequila Cocktail made with Tequila Don Julio Blanco.
I love themed cocktails for Halloween, and while drinks like my fruity Halloween Margarita have their place, sometimes I’m after something a little more sophisticated. That’s where this black Halloween cocktail comes in.
Related: 13 Easy Halloween Cocktails
Made with fresh lime, pineapple juice, and some really, really good Don Juilo tequila, it’s easy to drink and fun to share with friends.
This recipe is easily turned into a black Halloween cocktail thanks to a little activated charcoal, which is my favorite way to turn drinks a ghoulish black color.
This recipe makes just one black drink, but it is also easily scaled up for a party! And if you don’t want to add the charcoal, this tequila cocktail is still delicious without it!
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this easy Halloween Tequila Drink:
- Tequila Don Julio Blanco
- pineapple juice, chilled
- fresh lime juice
- agave nectar
- activated charcoal powder
I really would recommend using fresh lime juice in this drink as it helps add some of the freshness that makes it perfect served over ice, but if you only have Rose’s Lime to hand reduce the amount of agave as it has its own sugar.
Keep in mind, the different brands of pineapple juice have a slightly different taste. I think I prefer Dole over Trader Joe’s.
The agave can also be substituted for simple syrup in a pinch.
The activated charcoal powder is what helps create a spooky black drink, but if you can’t find any and you still want this drink to look ghoulish a little green food coloring will help up the spook!
Also, you’ll want to buy activated charcoal powder and not capsules as they don’t easily just pop open. You have to cut them to access the powder and it’s a real mess. Ask me how I know…
Once you have some you can also use it to make my Creepy Halloween Punch, Halloween Mule or Black Velvet Cake if you’re feeling fancy!
I like to use Don Julio Blanco for this recipe, but you can see my other favorite tequilas or use something you already have. You can also use reposado if you prefer.
See the printable recipe card for quantities and full recipe.
How to make a black cocktail with tequila
Step 1
Add the tequila, pineapple juice, lime juice, and agave syrup to a cocktail shaker.
Step 2
Add the activated charcoal powder to the shaker.
Step 3
Add ice and shake well.
Serve
Strain into a double rocks glass over fresh ice.
You can garnish with something as simple as a lime wedge or something perfect for Halloween like a gummy eyeball like I’ve done here.
HOW FUN IS THAT GUMMY EYEBALL?! These are the exact candies that I used. They look great and are actually pretty tasty.
Tips
- Make sure you are using food-grade activated charcoal.
- Start with 1/2 – 1 tsp of activated charcoal and add more to get the desired color you want.
- The charcoal doesn’t fully dissolve so the end of the drink may be grainy.
- Use a clear glass to really showcase the color of the cocktail. I used charcoal to make a black Moscow Mule, but you could barely tell because you could only see the top of the drink due to the copper mug.
- While activated charcoal is considered a supplement, you’ll want to use your own best judgment as to whether you should consume it. It may interact with medications, etc.
Variations
- Make it spicy – muddle a few slices of fresh jalapeño with the ingredients in the bottom of the cocktail shaker before adding the ice and straining to give this spooky Halloween tequila cocktail a bit of a kick!
- Reduce the sweetness – go back to the margarita’s roots and sub out the agave nectar for orange liquor.
- No charcoal – Skip the charcoal and serve it as is. The color will be a beigey-yellow thanks to the pineapple juice.
- Dry ice – Amp up the spooky factor with a little dry ice! Just be sure to learn how to safely serve dry ice in drinks before you do it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course! While this isn’t a full-on margarita, you can serve this tequila drink with a salted rim. I like to use black salt, especially if you aren’t adding charcoal to the recipe.
There are a variety of ways to make a drink black without using activated charcoal. Use a mix of food coloring (start with blue, add a little red and a dash of green). Grab a Halloween mix of edible glitter and use the black option for a shiny black look. Or use something like black vodka to give the drink its color. You can also use natural items like blackberries, etc. but you can’t always get a true black color that way.
If you’re a fan of tequila, you’ll like the blanco from Don Julio. It smells a bit strong, like it’s going to burn on sip. But the taste is actually crisp and smooth. There is a slight citrus note and sweetness that makes it great for sipping on its own or using in cocktails.
Learn more about Don Julio.
When Don Julio sent over this cocktail recipe they called it “Don Muerte”. If you are hosting a Halloween party, you can use that or make up your own!
All of these gorgeous images were shot by Jackie Culmer Photography. She’s a friend and neighbor and I’m grateful to have had her help with these images.
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More easy Halloween recipes
- Halloween Blackberry Mule Recipe with Ginger Beer
- Easy Bloody Halloween Bark Recipe
- Popular Leftover Halloween Candy Dump Cake Recipe
- Pumpkin Rum Moscow Mule Recipe
- This Pie Cake looks like Bloody Guts
Black Cocktail for Halloween
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Tequila Don Julio Blanco
- 0.75 oz pineapple juice chilled
- 0.75 oz fresh lime juice
- 0.25 oz agave nectar
- 2-3 tsp activated charcoal powder
Instructions
- Combine the tequila, pineapple juice, lime juice, agave and activated charcoal powder in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well.
- Strain into a double rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with a lime wheel, edible marigold flower or gummy eye ball.
Notes
- Make sure you are using food-grade activated charcoal.
- Start with 1/2 – 1 tsp of activated charcoal and add more to get the desired color you want.
- The charcoal doesn’t fully dissolve so the end of the drink may be grainy.
- Use a clear glass to really showcase the color of the cocktail.
- While activated charcoal is considered a supplement, you’ll want to use your own best judgment as to whether you should consume it. It may interact with medications, etc.
