Spooky, bubbly Halloween cocktails at Columbia bars

What’s scarier than a marathon of “Halloween” movies on Halloween? Being sober on Halloween, that’s what.

Check out these three drinks from Columbia bars, especially if you need a little liquid courage before putting on that costume. Each potion is different and one brew is so bubbly it could pass as a cauldron. If that doesn’t say Halloween, nothing does.

Art Bar: Demon Pacifier

This drink sounds much scarier than it actually is. Despite its green coloring, it’s a pretty sweet cocktail and is fairly simple to make. Take a half shot of vodka, a half shot of Midori (the melon liqueur gives it the green tint), a little triple sec for orange flavor, a little lime juice and equal parts sour mix and Sprite. Top with a cherry and a lime and you’ve got yourself a Demon Pacifier.

“We had some regulars that got married and this was their specialty drink at their wedding,” bartender and manager Shawn Corley said. “They were also kind of Gothic, so a green drink called a Demon Pacifier was right up their alley.”

Corley, who has worked at the bar for 15 years, said the drink’s existence predates even him.

“As far as I know, it was one of the bartenders from way back who put it together,” he said. “It was a shot and we added stuff to make it a drink. This is the only place I’ve ever seen this drink. It’s something everybody’s going to like across the board, with a cool name. It hits on all cylinders.”

Art Bar, 1211 Park St. (803) 929-0198, www.facebook.com/abagorasc

The Capital Club: Blood and Sand

This elegant cocktail is nearly a century old and takes its name not from gruesome ingredients, but from a 1920s movie called “Blood and Sand,” starring Rudolph Valentino, according to Filip Risteski, co-owner of The Capital Club.

To make this drink, you’ll need 1 ounce of scotch, ¾ ounce Cherry Heering, ¾ ounce sweet vermouth and ¾ ounce fresh orange juice. Top with a maraschino cherry, and you have a Blood and Sand.

“Though the components may seem a little odd, they blend seamlessly,” Risteski said. “The warming scotch and sweet vermouth are a welcome nod to early fall; a Prohibition-era classic.”

The Capital Club, 1002 Gervais St. (803) 256-6464, www.capitalclubsc.com

The City Bar: The Up in Smoke

“It’s our take on a liquid marijuana,” bartender David “DJ” Johnson said. “It’s a 48-ounce drink and comes in a giant martini glass for you to share.”

The drink is a smorgasbord of ingredients like spiced rum, coconut liqueur, Midori, a banana liqueur, an in-house sweet and sour mix, ginger simple syrup and fresh squeezed pineapple juice. But what makes this drink so “Hallowrific” is the nitro mist.

“Because of that mist, it smokes and bubbles to give you a little bit of a show as you’re having your drink,” Johnson said. “It also keeps it extra cold, so if it takes you a while to finish it, it’ll be cold ’til the last drop.”

The City Bar, 700 Gervais St. (803) 764-6125, www.facebook.com/CityBarFondue

This story was originally published October 19, 2016 at 3:56 PM with the headline "Spooky, bubbly Halloween cocktails at Columbia bars."