DIY / DRINKS // Spooky Zombie Merlot Halloween Cocktail (October 2012) This Halloween cocktail post features a dark, blood-red merlot-based drink styled for a spooky, cinematic presentation, with DIY skeleton arms reaching up from the glass made from black licorice. The effect creates a playful “rising from the blood” illusion, blending humor and horror in a visually dramatic way. The deep red wine base and eerie garnishes give the drink a moody, gothic Halloween aesthetic designed for party entertaining and seasonal styling impact. Originally published: October 18, 2016 // Last updated: May 27, 2026
I’m just a little bit OBSESSED with these Zombie Wine Cocktails…
Though if I’m being honest, they’re not really, technically – cocktails, but a simple upgrade to the already delicious Ecco Domani Merlot, complete with a reaching zombie arm for all the Halloween goodness. They’re PERFECT for Halloween parties because they’re super quick and easy to make but are so fun, everyone will be talking about them.
Here’s What You’ll Need…
- Ecco Domani Wine ~ Merlot
- Black Licorice
- Little skeletons… I used arms from my skeleton garland
- Maraschino cherries
- Scissors
How-to Make Zombie Arm Drink Stirs…
The zombie arms are a stir that can also be eaten, of course!
1. Cut an inch off of both ends of your black licorice to create a straw
2. Cut the arms off of your skeletons
3. Slide your skeleton arms into one side of your licorice
4. Pop em in your glasses
NOTE: I began with my licorice long enough to stick far out of my wine glasses… as the licorice dissolves in the wine, the arms get shorter and shorter and the look at the end is the perfect zombie arm reaching from the wine. You can cut your licorice any size you want to.
Maraschino Merlot Mixer…
The best thing about these Merlot cocktails is that after pouring your Ecco Domani Wine into each glass, you simply drop in 3-5 Maraschino cherries, and add a bit of the cherry juice as well for a little extra punch. Ecco Domani Merlot wine is medium-bodied with ripe cherry aromas and plush blackberry flavors so the additional Maraschino cherries really boost the already delicious taste.
I chose to keep my cherries whole, but if you want to really make your cocktails look extra spooky for Halloween, muddle your cherries before adding them to your Merlot to look like actual zombie guts!
Stir your cocktails with your licorice zombie arms…
And… Enjoy!
Cheers!
Happy Halloween!
* Find all my Halloween posts here
* Find all my Ecco Domani Style Society posts here
* This post was created for Ecco Domani Wine for Ecco Style Society.
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