How to have the perfect Halloween party

When it comes to Halloween, people can sometimes get as inventive with their drinks as they do their costumes. Whether it’s cocktails getting a spooky twist, a good old fashioned Bloody Mary or a bowl of punch at a house party, alcohol often plays a part when people get together to celebrate All Hallows’ Eve.

If you choose to drink over the Halloween weekend, keep in mind the governent’s daily unit guidelines, which for women are to not regularly drink more than 2-3 units (equivalent to a 175ml glass of 13% wine) and for men to not regularly drink more than 3-4 units (equivalent to a pint and a half of 4% beer). And if homemade Halloween cocktails or punch are the order of the day you need to keep tabs on how much alcohol is going in them.

Here are some simple ways you can keep your unit count for the night within the guidelines while still enjoying the party. You’ll also wake up without that axe in the head feeling (ahem) that comes with drinking too much.

Don’t get knocked out by the punch

Your unit consumption depends on the strength of the alcohol (ABV) you are drinking and the amount of it you drink.

This makes it difficult to calculate your unit intake if you are drinking punch at a party because you can’t be sure of the strength of the alcohol it contains, and the amount that’s been poured in.

To be on the safe side, it’s probably best to avoid drinking potentially potent punch or limiting yourself to one glass and moving on to something low in alcohol that you know the strength of.

If you are making a punch bowl for yourself, remember that it doesn’t have to be loaded with alcohol and can just contain a minimum amount, if any at all. In fact pouring in too much alcohol into a punch can ruin the flavour – why go to the effort of buying and preparing all that fruit to then off balance it with too much alcohol?!

Cocktails don’t have to be scarily strong    

The average cocktail, Halloween themed or not, contains between 2 to 3 units of alcohol. The main reason for this is that most cocktail recipes contain a double measure (50ml) of alcohol. So if you choose to drink cocktails when you are out you can stick within the guidelines while still enjoying a couple of drinks by simply asking the bar person for a single measure (25ml) in your cocktail.

If you’re drinking cocktails at home or a house party over the Halloween weekend, a basic measuring cup used for cooking will come in handy, just measure out 25ml or less using the markers up the side.

A cocktail doesn’t even have to contain alcohol. Check out our recipe videos for non-alcoholic mocktails. They’re delicious!

Pace yourself

Make your units go the extra mile by drinking soft drinks or a glass of water between alcoholic drinks. If you’re at a party take a break from the booze and get involved in the apple bobbing or whatever activities have been laid on. You’ll be more likely to win if you haven’t been drinking a lot!  

Stay safe this Halloween

Getting home safely after a Halloween party doesn’t stop at keeping tabs on how much you’re drinking throughout the night. You need to make sure that you don’t leave the party without your mates or if you do have a taxi organised to take you home. It’s always good to have a couple of cab numbers stored in your phone. Don’t forget that we’re nearly in November too so wear a warm coat out to cover up that costume – it’s going to be ‘bloody’ freezing!

Whatever you get up to, have a great Halloween!

Page last updated by

Unknown, 10 May 2012.

Page checked on

26 Oct 2010