Corpse Reviver at Bar Dupont. Photo by Nathan Wilkinson.

By DCist contributor Nathan Wilkinson

As the end of October approaches, drinkers are bound to find glasses rimmed with grenadine masquerading as fake blood. There’ll be bat-shaped twists and toy spider garnishes lurking at the bottom of murky green cocktails. Sure they’re pretty, but a little hard to swallow. And let’s face it—part of the fun of Halloween is the chance to sacrifice good taste for something garish. But classic cocktail fans can rejoice that there are a few frighteningly strong and intimidatingly named classic drinks to try.

Our first stop on this tour de force is Bar Dupont (1500 New Hampshire Avenue NW), where bartender Johnathan Kuhn mixes the Corpse Reviver 2, one of the most popular drinks on the hotel bar’s happy hour menu. Made with Hendrick’s gin, Lillet Blanc, lemon juice and Cointreau, and served in a cocktail glass, this drink has an otherworldly translucence to it. It also has an invigorating sweet and sour flavor, and strong alcoholic kick for a breakfast drink.

“That’s right,” Kuhn explains, “It was intended as a hangover cure so it is supposed to be had in the morning.” Such hair-of-the-dog drinks were common in the 1930s London where Harry Craddock invented The Corpse Reviver 1 and 2 for Prohibition-dodging Americans. And because the principle behind this style of hangover cures is to dose sufferers with a little of everything they had the night before, there are almost endless variations on the same theme. “Even in our bar book it shows up as several different recipes under the same name,” says Kuhn.

Zombie at Farmers Fishers Bakers. Photo by Nathan Wilkinson.

Unsurprisingly, the wickedest classic cocktails had their roots in punches that mask their heavy rum and brandy bases with tropical juices. While Corpse Reviver punch evolved into a cocktail, the Scorpion began as a cocktail and morphed into the Scorpion Bowl punch. Tony Cheng’s, (619 H Street NW) known for its tropical drink offerings and buffet, serves up a mean Scorpion Bowl that is part beverage and part centerpiece. The flowered bowl comes furnished with citrus slices soaking in a ring of fruity punch that surrounds a flaming volcano center. Go easy with this one, though. With a strong mix of light, dark and 151-proof rum only a straw’s length away, you might regret drinking more than your share.

You can also try a vintage 1946 Scorpion cocktail at Farmers Fishers Bakers (3000 K Street NW) made with aged rum, Hennessy VSOP, lemon juice, orange juice, and house-made orgeat syrup. But why stop there? The restaurant menu boasts a library of classic tiki drinks served in glasses that represent tiki gods. Tiki, including the infamous Zombie, is an era of cocktail history that Farmers Fishers Baker’s chief mixologist Jon Arroyo calls his “dark secret.” And you can see why. Choose between a 1934 vintage Zombie featuring (in addition to three rums) absinthe, and ginger and honey syrups, and the 1964 model with cinnamon syrup and house made falernum. Or you can go all in with a friend and get a Zombie Bowl for $25. But choose wisely; Zombies are so strong that there is a two-drink limit.

Zombies are rising up all over D.C. lately, especially on Tuesday nights where bars like The Passenger (1021 7th Street NW) and Bourbon (4348 Wisconsin Avenue NW) hold Tiki Tuesday. The latter serves Zombies for $9.

If you want to try your hand at a creepy classic, here is a Trader Vic recipe that is easy and impressive. The White Witch is named after the murderous Annie Palmer, who practiced voodoo and allegedly killed all three of her husbands. Shaking the ingredients imparts an eerie whiteness to this seductively strong drink.


The White Witch (Rum Version)

1 oz. white rum
½ oz. white crème de cacao
½ oz. Cointreau
½ lime
club soda
mint sprigs dusted in powdered sugar.

Mix all ingredients except lime, club soda and mint in a shaker. Pour over fresh ice in a Collins glass. Fill with club soda and squeeze in juice of half a lime. Garnish with a wet mint sprig dusted with powdered sugar.

White Witch. Photo by Nathan Wilkinson.