Class date: Thursday, October 29, 2026. Free tasting at our RV resort clubhouse.
Welcome to Spirited Snowbirds!
This is a free cocktail tasting. Tonight we’re going to try several Halloween cocktails, talk a little about what goes into them, and give you the recipes so you can make the ones you like at home.
These are tasting portions, not full drinks. Each full cocktail is divided among four people. Even so, if you taste everything tonight, it can add up to the equivalent of roughly three standard drinks, depending on the spirits used and how much of each sample you finish.
So please pace yourself, drink some water, have something to eat, and feel perfectly free to skip anything you don’t want. And please don’t drive afterward, including a golf cart. Walk, totter, stagger with dignity, or arrange a ride back to your trailer.
There is absolutely no charge for Spirited Snowbirds. Please do not give us money, tips, donations, or bottles of alcohol for the tastings. We need to keep the tasting completely separate from the bar and protect the resort’s liquor license. If you like one of tonight’s drinks and want a full-size cocktail, you can order one from the bar.
If you would like to contribute something to a future Spirited Snowbirds, bring a snack to share. Snacks are always welcome. Alcohol is not.
Some of these drinks contain dairy, coconut, citrus, caffeine, or other ingredients you may need to avoid, so please ask before tasting if you have an allergy or dietary concern.
The idea here is to try things you might never order for yourself, learn a little, compare recipes, and have some fun. Now, on to the important research.
Tonight’s menu
| Drink | Base | What it teaches | Contains |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glittery Black Russian | Vodka | The creamy pattern | Dairy, caffeine |
| Black Lemon Drop Martini | Citron vodka | The classic sour | Citrus |
| Black Cherry Lemon Drop | Citron vodka | Swapping liqueur for syrup | Citrus |
| Witch’s Heart | Vodka | Turning a sour into a fizz | Citrus |
| Little Green Monster | Vodka | Balancing two liqueurs | Citrus |
| Haunted Blue Moon | Coconut rum | Sinking a syrup | Coconut, citrus |
| Blackout Ghost | Black coconut rum | Floating a layer | Coconut |
Shopping list
Amounts below make one full cocktail of each drink, which serves four tasters. Multiply by the number of tables or rounds.
Spirits and liqueurs
- Vodka, 4 1/2 oz
- Citron vodka, 4 oz
- Coffee liqueur, 1 oz
- Orange liqueur, 1/2 oz
- Chambord, 1 3/4 oz (or black cherry syrup for the Lemon Drop)
- Blackberry liqueur, 1 oz
- Melon liqueur, 1 oz
- Limoncello, 1 oz
- Coconut rum, 1 1/2 oz
- Blue curaçao, 1 oz
- Malibu Black rum, 2 oz
Mixers and garnishes
- Lemons, about 3 (2 1/4 oz juice plus garnish)
- Limes, about 2 (1 1/2 oz juice)
- Simple syrup, 1 1/2 oz
- Cream or half and half, 1 oz
- Coconut cream, 2 oz
- Apple juice, pineapple juice, grenadine, blackberry syrup
- Club soda and lemon-lime soda
- Edible glitter in black, silver, and green; black sugar
- Canned lychees, blueberries, blackberries
- Lots of ice, including crushed ice
Setup notes
- Squeeze the citrus and rim the Lemon Drop glasses before guests arrive.
- Use small tasting cups and a card for each drink listing its ingredients and allergens.
- Put a water pitcher and snacks on every table.
- Consider tasting lighter, fruitier drinks first and saving the creamy ones for last. Rich drinks tend to dull the palate for what follows.
What we learned
We will fill this in after the class: which drinks were the favorites, what we would change, and tips for anyone hosting their own.