If, like me, you pull out all the stops for Halloween, you have to be up to date on all the best beverages for your Halloween Party.  Here are my picks for a party so fun it’s scary!

WINE

Bogle Phantom Proprietary Red Blend 2007 $18.99 – Like Brigadoon, this Autumnal favorite is visible only once a year and it is like nothing you’ve ever tasted! A blend of Petit Sirah, Old Vine Zinfandel, and Old Vine Mourvedre, Phantom is ripe and luscious with loads of blackberry, coffee and chocolate notes. As it says right on the bottle this wine is mysterious and naughtily seductive.

Ghost Pines Merlot 2007 $19.99 – Named by the Martini family in 1964 for the ethereal gray pines that grow along the coastal valleys of California, this Merlot is elegant and well balanced.  My recommendation for a “go to” crowd pleaser, the Ghost Pines Merlot has cherry and ripe berry flavors with a long finish of baking spices.

Ghost Pines Chardonnay 2007 $19.99 – Floral and fruity on the nose this Chardonnay is creamy with citrusy, lemon curd flavors. A perfect pairing for sweet jumbo sea scallops or a baked brie tart.

Cline Viognier 2009 $10.99 – Parties are always a great opportunity to introduce your guest to something new.  Viognier is a perfumed and peachy white wine that Cline does a tremendous job with!  I picked this particular bottle for the approachable, fruity, food friendly quality, and the black and orange label.

Leelanau Cellars Witches Brew $6.99 – Support Michigan’s economy by buying this fun spiced wine from Leelanau. Flavors of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg add bewitching flavor to this fruity red.  Warmed up Witches Brew is perfect for adult trick or treaters coming in from the cold!

SPIRITS

Hard Luck Candy Flavored Vodka Root Beer Barrel and Red Fish $20.96 –

If Halloween is about anything other than being scared, it’s about CANDY!  And the team over at Hard Luck Candy in Detroit has perfected turning the classic candies Root Beer Barrel and Swedish Fish into 70 proof flavored vodkas. Enjoy them as shooters or have an adult root beer float by pouring the Root Beer Barrel over ice cream!  Go to their website for more recipes! www.hardluckvodkamichigan.com

Crystal Head Vodka $49.99 –

Created by Ghostbusters actor Dan Ackroyd, this striking package holds very excellent vodka.  Quadruple distilled and then triple filtered through Herkimer Diamonds – thought to have energizing powers – this is a good vodka for sipping. The vodka is smooth, clean and slightly sweet on the finish. Be sure to pick up the limited gift set with two skull shaped shot glasses! www.crystalheadvodka.com

Lucid Absinthe $59.99 –

That’s right! Absinthe, it is legal again! Lucid is slightly sweet and packs a wallop of anis flavor.  When appropriately blended with sugar and water the green liquid turns milky white. The perfect conversation starter! www.drinklucid.com

BEER

Sam Adams Oktoberfest $8.99 – Although most of our Oktoberfest beers are gone, we have a limited supply of this medium bodied, very drinkable beer.  Spicy and rich but not too heavy this beer is a party pleaser.

Magner’s Hard Cider $11.99 – Light and refreshing, this hard cider is not as sweet as some other ciders which makes it more drinkable. It has just a hint of apple with a crisp finish.

North Peak Diabolical IPA $10.49 – This India Pale Ale made in Traverse City is perfect for the Hop Heads in your life. Spicy and floral, the Diabolical is a tasty alternative to Oktoberfest or Pumpkin Ales.

Cheers to Halloween and having a ghoulish good time!

– Jennifer Laurie