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Bringing together all the spooky haunted graveyard vibes with The Grave Digger cocktail. Smoky mezcal (or tequila) mixed with a splash of orange liqueur, spiced apple cider, a touch of citrusy lemon, bitters, and spicy ginger beer. This grave digger halloween cocktail is the perfect warming October cocktail to sip on with friends and family this month. Finish this smoky libation off with smoking rosemary for an extra eerie elixir.
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Happy to be back for yet another HBH spooky Cocktail Saturday recipe! I LOVE these posts so much. And I LOVE this Grave Digger cocktail. It includes many of the ingredients I enjoy most in fall, with the addition of smoky mezcal. Not too sweet, perfectly spiced, and just a touch bit smoky.
The very quick details…
First, find your favorite bottle of smoky mezcal. Or if you don’t enjoy mezcal, use your favorite silver tequila. But know that the mezcal is what gives this drink its smokiness.
Now, add a splash of orange liqueur, spiced cider, a little lemon, and a dash of bitters. Shake, and strain into glasses, then top off with ginger beer.
Simple…but so spookily good.
To make this extra eerie, garnish with a sprig of rosemary and light it on fire. It’s a nifty little trick that adds to the ambiance of this mysterious drink and infuses it with a touch of rosemary too.
Have a graveyard smash of a Saturday and enjoy!
Looking for other spooky cocktail recipes? Here are a few ideas:
“I put a Spell on You” Poison Apple Martini
Lastly, if you make the Grave Digger, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
The Grave Digger
Ingredients
- 2 ounces mezcal or tequila, (1/4 cup)
- 2 ounces spiced apple cider, (1/4 cup)
- 1/2 ounce lemon juice, (about 1/2 lemon)
- 1/2 ounce Cointreau, (orange liquor)
- 2 dashes rosemary or orange bitters, (optional)
- ginger beer, for topping
- rosemary, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Fill a cocktail glass with ice.2. Combine the mezcal, apple cider, lemon juice, Cointreau, and bitters in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake until combined, about 1 minute. Strain into your prepared glass. Top with ginger beer and a rosemary sprig.3. If desired light the rosemary on fire for a smoky effect.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
I’ve made this cocktail for my family 2 weeks in a row now!!! Delicious, festive, & just the right amount of sweetness from the spiced cider. Make this!!
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have a wonderful week! xTieghan
Loved this cocktail! I tried it with different ratios of ginger beer and we all liked it best with a lot of ginger beer… Definitely a keeper! Don’t skip the fresh rosemary!
Hi Alice! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xTieghan
yummmm was so good!!
Love this drink – I also ordered the spiced apple cider from amazon. Yummy and a little spicy to warm up on a cold day. 🙂 Thank you!
Hi there! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! xTieghan
How many cocktails does this make? I want to make a large batch (for 8 people ) and not sure how I should increase the quantities
It makes one. So if you want to make it for 8 people to possibly have 2 glasses each you’ll need to do probably 32 oz of the tequila and cider.
Dont listen to Anne. going to try this tonight Mezcal can be agrssive. I like it though. we tried out you poiso apple cocktail and it as delish! Ignore Anne and her rude nonconstructive comments you are the best!!!!
My husband is picky af and we both LOVED these cocktails!! I omitted the bitters just because we didn’t have it and did 1/2 the cider for him to take down the sweetness. We kept the party going into Sunday with these & truffle pumpkin seeds! DELISH.
I loved this, didn’t think I would since I bought the cheapest bottle of Mezcal I could find and used orange bitters instead.
Some drinks aren’t for everyone. Instead of being explosively rude in the comments try one TGs other drinks….her garden cherry bourbon smash is wonderful! And it would be a great Halloween drink. I didn’t really like ginger beer or mules but I tried a couple of recipes and now I am hooked.
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK !
Hi there! Thank you so much for your comment, I really appreciate your kindness and support! xTieghan
Girl, please stick to the food… these were NOT good last night. Please keep doin what you do best, your food is amazing:)
Anne, I bet you don’t like mezcal, it’s not for everyone.
I have several types of bitters, but no rosemary! What do you think would be the best sub? Angostura, Peychaud’s, orange…? I also have one called Corazon that’s coffee, chocolate, chile, and oregano.
I was wondering if I should skip the bitters or use another variety as well
Hi there! I would choose whichever one you prefer, but maybe the orange? Whatever you like best! 🙂 xTieghan
Yum! Yum! Yum! Light and approachable. We are surprised that is did not have sweetener but it did not need it.
Hi Danielle! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe! I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed 🙂 xTieghan
Making these immediately! You know we want the glasses too, right? ?
https://www.potterybarn.com/products/skeleton-stemless-wine-glass/?clickid=2ha2OwUbJxyLWUhwUx0Mo36bUkBXpPVT0RGDUQ0&irgwc=1&cm_cat=116548&cm_ven=afshoppromo&bnrid=3317500&cm_ite=&cm_pla=ir&irpid=116548. Hi there! Here is that link 🙂 xTieghan
Where do you get the cool Halloween hand cocktail glasses?
I saw them on Pottery Barn. Skeleton Hand wine glasses.
Hi. They look exactly like the plastic ones at the big box & party supply stores. Much cheaper than the PB glass ones.
Hi there! They are from pottery barn 🙂 xTieghan
Can’t wait to try it! Where did you purchase the spooktacular tumbler?
Where do you get the cool Halloween hand cocktail glasses?
Hi there! Here is the link for that tumbler 🙂
https://www.potterybarn.com/products/skeleton-stemless-wine-glass/?clickid=2ha2OwUbJxyLWUhwUx0Mo36bUkBXpPVT0RGDUQ0&irgwc=1&cm_cat=116548&cm_ven=afshoppromo&bnrid=3317500&cm_ite=&cm_pla=ir&irpid=116548
Oh my those glasses….,,please share where I can find them? I cannot wait to try this cocktail!
https://www.potterybarn.com/products/skeleton-stemless-wine-glass/?clickid=2ha2OwUbJxyLWUhwUx0Mo36bUkBXpPVT0RGDUQ0&irgwc=1&cm_cat=116548&cm_ven=afshoppromo&bnrid=3317500&cm_ite=&cm_pla=ir&irpid=116548
Hi there! Here is the link! 🙂 xTieghan