I think that many Halloween cocktails err on the side of too sweet and too kitschy. Sometimes, you just need a twist on a good, classic cocktail to get the effect that you want. I’m hosting a space themed Halloween party this year and needed some ‘spacey’ cocktail ideas. When I started created this berry cocktail I tried it with a different liquor. One taste of the drink made me realize that I was way off base and that I needed to stick with a classic.

This post is in partnership with Oregon Berries. All opinions are my own. See my other collaborations with Oregon Berries: Triple Berry Smoothie with Miso & Marionberry Champagne Cocktail. 

This cocktail is a twist on a Tequila Sunrise. A traditional Tequila Sunrise consists of orange juice, grenadine, and tequila. So, I guess I’d say that this drink is a loose interpretation of the classic, but I like it even more. 😉 My big twist on this cocktail is that I use a berry syrup instead of grenadine and just a squeeze of fresh orange for orange juice. The ratio is certainly different, but the berries are brightened by the orange juice and the gold tequila really tastes great with the sweet and tart berries.

Triple Berry Simple Syrup

This triple berry simple syrup can be made to mix with cocktails or non-alcoholic drinks. I love this syrup in Italian Creme Sodas or mixed with lemonade. YUM.

Use the below portions to create a batch of syrup in any amount that you need:

• 1 part each type of berry
• 2 part water
• 2  part granulated sugar

Or, to make approximately 2.5 cups of syrup:

• 1 cup black raspberries
• 1 cup raspberries
• 1 cup Marion blackberries
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups sugar

Directions:

1. Put the frozen berries and water in a saucepan and cook over medium heat (stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick) until the berries soften. Approximately 5 minutes.
2. Add the sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Approximately 5 minutes.
3. Strain the liquid from the berries. Squish the berries as you go to get all the lovely juices.
4. Refrigerate the berry syrup for up to two weeks

This drink doesn’t look like it so much in the photos… but, it looks like a real sunset. A friend was over testing out the drinks and as I was throwing out names she nailed it with a Martian Sunrise. Mars is quite a bit colder that here on Earth. This drink sort of touches on that fact with the shaved ice base. To shave the ice I simply threw ice cubes into my blender and blended away. I filled the rocks glass to the brim with the shaved ice.

Martian Sunrise Cocktail

Ingredients:

• Shaved Ice
• 1 quarter medium size orange plus a slice of orange for garnish
• 2 oz gold tequila
• 1 oz of berry syrup

Directions:

1. Fill rocks glass to brim with shaved ice
2. Add tequila
3. Add the squeezed orange juice
4. Add the berry syrup slowly
5. Garnish with an orange slice