It’s October, and that means it’s Halloween month! To celebrate, we’re running Halloween-inspired cocktail recipes each week. This one’s a coffee lover’s drink: vodka and coffee liqueur shaken until frothy, then poured into a glass rimmed with melted chocolate and desiccated coconut. Add a plastic spider perched on the rim and you’ve got a drink that looks far more sinister than it tastes.

Prep time: 10 minutes | Servings: 2

Ingredients

For the cocktail

• 100 ml vodka
• 75 ml coffee liqueur
• 50 ml freshly brewed espresso, cooled
• Ice, for shaking

For the rim and garnish

• 30 g chocolate syrup or melted dark chocolate
• 30 g desiccated coconut
• 2 small plastic spiders, for decoration

Method

1. Pour the chocolate syrup onto a small flat plate and the desiccated coconut onto another.
2. Dip the rim of each martini glass into the chocolate first, turning it to coat evenly, then straight into the coconut so it sticks to the chocolate.
3. Set the glasses aside to firm up while you make the cocktail.
4. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the vodka, coffee liqueur, and cooled espresso.
5. Shake hard for about 20 seconds, until a thick foam forms on top and the shaker feels ice cold.
6. Strain into the prepared glasses, pouring slowly so the foam settles on top without disturbing the rim.
7. Perch a spider on the rim of each glass, or let it dangle over the edge.
8. Serve immediately while the foam is still sitting proud on top.