The Witch’s Brew is a glowing green Halloween cocktail that casts its spell with Japanese Midori, vodka, and fresh lime juice. Why should the kids have all the fun on Halloween? This one is built for grown-up ghosts and goblins, with a shard of dry ice as a dramatic but purely optional finishing touch.
The Midori here isn’t left to stand alone and overwhelm the glass. It’s brought to flavorful balance with the tartness of fresh lime juice, the clean flame of vodka, and a layering of citrus flavor from a splash of Cointreau, so the melon sweetness reads as bright and complex rather than syrupy. The dry ice is completely optional: the drink stands on its own without it, delivering that same balanced, ghoulish-green flavor whether or not you add the smoke. If you do want the classic horror-film vibe, a shard of dry ice gives the glass a churning fog, but it’s a garnish, not a requirement.
What Makes This Halloween Cocktail Green?
Japanese Midori gives this Halloween cocktail its ghoulish green. It’s a bright green liqueur with a sweet, melon flavor, primarily made from Japanese melons like Yubari. It was first introduced in 1964 and has since become popular in cocktails due to its vibrant color and distinctive taste. Its eye-catching color and refreshing flavor make it a fun addition to many beverage recipes, including this Halloween cocktail!
Why You’ll Love The Witch’s Brew
It’s easy. Four ingredients go in a shaker, and you’re pouring in under a minute. It’s balanced. Lime and Cointreau keep the Midori’s sweetness in check, so it drinks like a real sour, not a novelty shot. It’s dramatic, if you want it to be. The optional dry ice turns a simple shaken cocktail into a smoking, cauldron-worthy centerpiece, but the drink is every bit as good without the theatrics. And it’s a fun mixology project. Celebrating Halloween doesn’t have to be just for kids — measuring, shaking, and (if you choose) handling dry ice is a good excuse to get friends into the kitchen together.
Ingredient Notes: Midori, Cointreau, and the Melon Behind the Green
Midori. Suntory launched this melon liqueur in Japan in 1964, originally under the name Hermes Melon Liqueur, made from Yubari melons and muskmelon. It was rebranded Midori (Japanese for “green”) for its 1978 U.S. debut at a Studio 54 party for the cast of Saturday Night Fever, and its neon color has been a fixture of the cocktail world ever since.
Cointreau. Adolphe and Édouard-Jean Cointreau, two confectioners, founded their distillery in Angers, France, in 1849. Édouard-Jean’s son Édouard later created the clear orange liqueur, blending sweet and bitter orange peels. Here, just a quarter ounce layers in a citrus note that keeps the Midori from tasting one-dimensional.
Fresh lime juice. The tartness of fresh lime is what keeps this cocktail from being cloying, cutting straight through the Midori’s sweetness so the drink finishes clean rather than sugary.
Tips for Making The Witch’s Brew
Shake it cold. Add all the ingredients to a shaker tin with ice and shake until ice cold, around 15 seconds, then strain into your favorite stemmed glass.
Skip the dry ice, or don’t. This cocktail is fully finished the moment it’s strained into the glass. If you want the smoking cauldron effect, add a small shard of food-grade dry ice; if you’d rather keep things simple, leave it out entirely. Either way, you get the same balanced, glowing-green sour.
If you use dry ice, handle it safely. Use only food-grade dry ice, and handle it with gloves or tongs, never bare hands, since it can cause frostbite on contact. Do not start sipping until the dry ice has fully evaporated and never let anyone swallow a piece. Serve in a well-ventilated room.
Cackle like a witch and enjoy. Just as our recipe instructions indicate…this one will make you smile.
Keep Halloween Going!
Halloween isn’t over until you say it is! Keep the magic alive by heading to the kitchen and trying our recipes for Halloween Coffee Cake, Halloween Espresso Brownies, and Monster Rice Krispie Treats for Halloween.
Looking for more spooky drinks? See TABLE’s full roundup of Halloween Cocktails Perfect for Spooky Season, and browse our Cocktails and Fall recipes.
Print
The Witch’s Brew, A Halloween Cocktail
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 Cocktail 1x
Description
Midori, vodka, Cointreau, and fresh lime shaken until ice cold and strained into a stemmed glass. Add a shard of dry ice for a smoking effect, or leave it out — the drink stands on its own either way.
Ingredients
- 1.75 oz Midori
- 1 oz vodka
- .25 oz Cointreau (or other orange liqueur)
- .75 oz fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a shaker tin.
- Add ice.
- Shake until ice cold (around 15 seconds).
- Strain into your favorite stemmed glass.
- Add a bit of dry ice for a fully ghoulish effect. Do not start sipping until the dry ice has evaporated.
- Cackle like a witch and enjoy.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Cocktail, drink
- Method: Shaken
- Cuisine: American, Japanese-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cocktail
- Calories: 240
The Witch’s Brew FAQs
Do I have to use dry ice in this cocktail?
No. The dry ice is completely optional. The Witch’s Brew is balanced and finished the moment it’s shaken and strained, so it stands on its own without the smoke effect.
Is Midori too sweet on its own?
Midori is a sweet, bright green melon liqueur, but here it’s brought into balance with the tartness of fresh lime juice, the clean flame of vodka, and a layering of citrus flavor from Cointreau, so the finished drink is bright and balanced rather than syrupy.
Is dry ice safe to drink with?
Yes, when handled correctly. Use only food-grade dry ice, handle it with gloves or tongs, and never let anyone swallow a piece or start sipping before it has fully evaporated. Serve in a well-ventilated room.
What does Midori taste like?
Midori has a sweet, melon flavor, primarily from Japanese Yubari melon, with a vibrant green color that makes it a natural fit for a Halloween cocktail.
Can I make this cocktail without vodka?
You could make an NA version with an NA vodka like Little Saints.
About the Recipe Author
Zack Durkin is an experienced bartender and cocktail recipe developer for TABLE Magazine, known for pop-culture-inspired drinks tied to movies, TV shows, and current events, including cocktails built around The Last of Us, Anora, Mean Girls, and Pantone’s Color of the Year. Read more of his work at TABLE.
About the Stylist
Anna Franklin is TABLE Magazine’s food stylist and recipe developer. A Pittsburgh native and graduate of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Academy of Culinary Arts, she spent many years cooking in restaurant kitchens and photo studios before moving into food styling. Anna tests, plates, and styles the recipes and restaurant features in TABLE’s print and digital editions, working alongside photographers Dave Bryce and Laura Petrilla. Read more of her work at TABLE.
About the Photographer
Dave Bryce is TABLE Magazine’s contributing architecture, interiors, and food photographer, based in Pittsburgh. He photographed Fallingwater: Living with and In Art (Rizzoli, 2025) and regularly shoots for Pittsburgh Magazine and American Farmhouse Style, working with architects, interior designers, and hospitality brands. See more at davebrycephotography.com.
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