October 09, 2026
Provided image/Cody Aldrich
A blood bag cocktail is one of several Halloween cocktails available at Craftsman Row Saloon. Similar concepts are on the menu at Uptown Beer Garden, Libertee Grounds and other Philly bars.
Autumn brings all sorts of cozy, wholesome drinks to the bar scene. Pumpkin, maple and warming spices go into lattes while warm ciders and mulled wines edge out summery spritzes. There's a bit of sweater weather in every cup, spurring us onto another hayride or "Gilmore Girls" rewatch.
But thanks to Halloween, the fall season inspires another, more gruesome trend: "bloody" drinks. We're not talking about bloody marys here, but rather the cocktails that enterprising bartenders concoct to evoke slasher flicks. With the right blending or garnishing, these drinks look like they're streaked or soaked in blood — but luckily, it's just a bit of twisted fun.
These novelties are now available at places around Philly. A few scoop shops and a Michelin-starred restaurant have also gotten in the spirit with grisly desserts on the menu for a limited time. Here's where to find the goriest drinks and treats in town. If we missed one, give us a scream:
Frankenstein's stiff posture doesn't lend itself to golf, but he's nevertheless inspired the Halloween takeover at Libertee Grounds. The mini golf bar has transformed a portion of its Francisville space into "Frankenstein's Putt Putt," a ticketed Halloween-themed course and cocktail lab. One of the drinks brewing is a "blood bag" drip of Boardroom Spirits Irvine's vodka, cranberry, pineapple, grenadine and lime, poured into mock medical gear.
900 Packer Ave.
If Libertee Ground's favorite monster is Frankenstein, then the Prime Rib's is surely Dracula. The restaurant inside Live! Casino and Hotel has vampires on the brain with its seasonal cocktail True Blood. The drink combines Cabernet, Chambord, espresso, orange bitters, simple syrup and burnt orange. A Luxardo syrup drizzle gives it a bloody finish.
112 S. 8th St.
Since holidays are the whole deal at this Center City bar, the menu comes with several ghoulish drink options, including a blood orange tequila cocktail in a syringe and a rum concoction in a blood bag. There's also a cocktail with serious teeth: the Vampire Bite. It's tequila, lime and coconut cream with a "bloody drip" around the rim and a pair of plastic fangs floating on top.
Craftsman Row Saloon has created the Vampire's Bite, center, for its Halloween takeover.
200 South St.
Haunt, a pop-up Halloween bar, returned to Bridget Foy's on Wednesday, bringing with it several spiked "potions." The themed beverages include a Creature of the Night espresso martini (with a splatter of cherry syrup) and a High-Eye Ball mocktail. True to its name, it has a fake peeper bobbing in the mix of non-alcoholic gin, ginger beer and blood orange and rosemary cordial.
A canelé is a French pastry known for its caramelized crust and spongy interior. It's usually flavored with vanilla and rum, but the one at Friday Saturday Sunday comes with an unusual extra touch: "blood" oozing over the whole thing. The Michelin-starred restaurant has brought back its gory treat for another Halloween season. Enjoy these blood and chocolate canelés in the dining room or at Lovers Bar.
900 Packer Ave.
The Prime Rib isn't the only casino restaurant with a spooky sense of whimsy. Elsewhere in Live!, this Asian fusion spot from Food Network staple Jet Tila is serving up No Witnesses, a blend of vodka, yuzu liqueur and lemon juice. The hibiscus sugar around the rim gives it a eerie vibe, but the lychee and Luxardo cherry garnish — which looks more than a little like a loose eyeball — makes it downright sinister.
No Witnesses is one of the creepy cocktails available at Luk Fu by Jet Tila inside Live! Casino & Hotel.
Various locations
Bars and restaurants aren't the only ones dabbling in fake gore. Earlier this month, Rita's reanimated its "zombie's blood" flavor, a sweet cherry option with a dark red hue. It's available as a gelati (water ice with vanilla frozen custard), blendini (custard and water ice mixed together with a topping) or misto (blended custard and water ice in drinkable form) while supplies last.
1439 East Passyunk Ave., 946 North 2nd St.
Every year when the leaves turn and the Phillies toy with our emotions, Milk Jawn rolls out its Halloween special. Thriller Night is a dark chocolate ice cream with a raspberry jam swirl dripping down the center — making it a truly bone-chilling treat (sorry).
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