With Halloween falling on a Saturday and the witching hour set to cast its spell on partygoers, why not fire up fright night with some crafty cocktails and wicked wines...

:: DISARONNO DAY OF THE DEAD SOUR

With a measure of trickery and intrigue, try mixing Disaronno Amaretto Liqueur (£15, 50cl, www.sainsburys.co.uk) with a smooth tequila such as Tequila La Tilica, Blanco (£48.95, 70cl, www31dover.com) which offers unadulterated agave flavours. And the striking skull-shaped bottle will bring some extra skulduggery to the party.

30ml Disaronno, 20ml tequila, 5ml agave, 25ml lime juice, grenadine, 3 red chillies

Muddle one red chilli at the bottom of the glass, then add in the Disaronno, tequila, agave, grenadine and lime juice. Lace with grenadine and garnish the side of the glass with the two remaining chillies (so they look like devil's horns).

Kidderminster Shuttle:

:: PUMPKIN SPICE MARTINI

Carving out pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns can be thirsty work and this cheeky cocktail combines Monin's new syrup, Monin Pumpkin Spice Syrup (£9.90, 1 litre, www.amazon.co.uk) to capture the flavours of fresh pumpkin.

50ml orange flavoured vodka, 15ml Monin Pumpkin Spice Syrup, 5ml Monin Cinnamon Syrup, 25ml mango juice, 20ml lemon juice

Half-fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the ingredients, shake vigorously and double strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick wrapped in a spiral of orange peel.

:: SINGAPORE VAN HEL-SLING

You might need a witch's cauldron to create this next potion whose magical properties include Whitley Neill Handcrafted Dry Gin (£28, 70cl, Oddbins) and a combination of other flavours such as Bittermens Hellfire Habanero Shrub Bitters (£20.15, 14.6cl, www.amathusdrinks.com), but it promises to be spellbindingly good.

40ml Whitley Neill Gin, 15ml cherry brandy, 7.5ml Cointreau, 7.5ml Benedictine, 100ml pineapple juice, 20ml passion fruit juice, 10ml grenadine, 15ml fresh lime juice, 3 dashes Angostura bitters, 3 dashes Hellfire bitters

Pour the gin, brandy, Cointreau, Benedictine, passion fruit juice, grenadine, lime juice and bitters into a tankard half filled with ice. Stir well and top with pineapple juice. Garnish with passion fruit, mint, cherries and flames (optional!).

:: GHOST VODKA GOLD

If you're short on time, something as simple as a vodka and tonic suddenly takes on a spooky identity with a bottle of Ghost Vodka Gold (£29.95, www.31dover.com) sitting on the bar. Distilled at a haunted salt depot in Cambridge, it's made with sugar beet instead of wheat or potatoes. Smooth and fruity with complex aromas and a hint of vanilla on the creamy finish, it's good enough to sip neat.

Kidderminster Shuttle:

:: GHOULISH GRAPES

:: The Co-operative Truly Irresistible Greco 2014, Italy (£6.99, The Co-operative) - kitted out for Halloween in a cartoon 'Grecula' label, this fun white from the Campania region in south-west Italy displays lovely aromatics with delicate apricot and pear flavours, a textured mouthfeel and fresh acidity. Perfect with all your party dips and crisps.

:: The haughty flamenco dancer on the front of Wine Atlas Bobal, Spain (£4.37 from £4.97, now until December 28, Asda) will chime with anything spicy such as a big bowl chili con carne. A warm-fruited red with spiced dark fruits and smooth tannins, it's a terrific glugger for the price.

:: Wines That Rock - Grateful Dead Steal Your Face, California, USA (£12.99, www.31dover.com) - inspired by the band's music, this mischievous blend of syrah, petite sirah, zinfandel and grenache reveals itself to be surprisingly good. Expressive with wild berry aromas and waves of blackberry, black cherry fruit, plum, pepper and clove, the label lends extra interest for thrill-seekers.

:: BEST BUY

It's a gin thing... If you love a complex gin with floral aromas and a peppery finish, celebrating International Gin & Tonic Day (October 19) with Silent Pool Gin (£37.49, 70cl, Amazon.co.uk) could be just the tonic. Made in the Surrey Hills, Silent Pool contains 24 botanicals including juniper, kaffir, lime, chamomile, local honey and lavender. The secret to discovering the others could be woven into the floral design on the arty bottle.

LIQUID NEWS

Artesian king of the cocktails... London's Artesian retained its number one position at the World's 50 Best Bars Awards and was voted the World's Number One bar for the fourth year running.

Located at The Langham Hotel, Artesian is headed up by Alex Kratena and Simone Caporale, who recently launched their show-stopping 'Surrealism' menu for 2015.

"We chose Surrealism as it allowed and encouraged us to break down the boundaries and perceived norms when creating cocktails," says Kratena. "We wanted to really challenge ourselves and our guests by creating and developing completely new drinking experiences playing with flavour, texture and glassware as our three fundamental variables."

The menu includes creations such as the 'Spring Into Summer': poured into a molten dish, the serve is inspired by the concept of 'landscape' in surrealism that reveals itself to the drinker. The herbaceous concoction contains an intricate flavour combination of Ketel One Vodka, shochu, artichoke, coffee, yuzu, p assion and coriander.

For more info visit www.worlds50bestbars.com