Who's ready for Halloween parties?! The weekend of the un-dead is here, and it's time to celebrate with creepy, disgusting food and drinks! Yay!

If you're hosting a ghoulish get-together or just looking for a festive bevvie to enjoy this weekend, we've got some quick and easy tips for making Halloween cocktails that are sure to be the hit of the party, without stressing you out. This is all about big impact with little effort, so you can focus on the important things in life... like frantically finishing your DIY costumes. 

Happy Halloween!!

1. Use 100% pure unsweetened cranberry juice as your main mixer. We're talking about the kind from the health food store, not the more-common cranberry juice cocktail from a grocery store. The 100% pure stuff has a deep red color that will give your drinks a bloody hue, while cranberry juice cocktail will make your drinks pink. Also, 100% pure cranberry juice has an intense tart flavor that stands up well to the sweetness of many liquors, resulting in an overall more sophisticated flavor profile in your drink! (Scroll down for our favorite cocktail recipe featuring 100% pure cranberry juice, The Crafty Vampire!)

2. Serve your drinks in beakers and flasks for that mad scientist look. You can get this glassware at Michael's right now! And you know it's 50% off -- because Michael's. 

3. Garnish with fleshy fruits that evoke blood and gore. Red grapefruit slices, blood orange slices, beady blackberries, pomegranates -- anything with a reddish, fleshy texture will make your drinks look extra creepy! 

4. Put a spider ring on it. Look, *we* know those plastic spider rings came from the dollar store, but trust us, your guests will think you're a very impressive host if you serve them a little spider that they can later wear as a ring. It's a cheap trick but it works. (Also: paper straws. They're not a novelty anymore, but they add a ton of cuteness!)

5. DON'T add a black sugar rim to your drinking glasses. It sounds like it would be real cute, and maybe you've seen it done on Pinterest -- but we tried it and we're gonna call this one a fail. The black sugar starts to run as soon as it makes contact with the moisture of the drink, sending dark brown rivulets streaming down the sides of the glass and leaving stains on your hands and clothes. It's a total party fail. Just. Don't. 

Recipe: The Crafty Vampire Cocktail

• 100% Unsweetened Cranberry Juice (usually found in health food stores)
• Vodka
• Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur
• Ice
• Fleshy fruit for garnish

Combine two parts vodka, one part Domaine de Canton, and three parts cranberry juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously then pour into a glass with rocks. Garnish with the fleshy fruits of your choice!

Note: if making a single cocktail, each "part" mentioned above should be one ounce. If making a large batch for a party, a "part" can be a cup or any large portion. If making a large batch, skip the shaking and stir vigorously in a pitcher instead. 

Happy spooky sipping! 

If you make this drink, we'd love to know how it turns out! Share your pics and tag us @brooklyncraftcompany and #brooklyncraftcompany so we can see!