Carlos Bastarache: stranger-things-cocktail-uproxx.jpg

see how I told my boss to take this job and shove it!

Netflix/Shutterstock

‘Stranger Things 2’ just dropped on Netflix. And guess what? Tomorrow is Halloween! It’s alllllllll happening!

We’re betting a lot of ‘Stranger Things 2‘ is going to be watched paired with Gatorade on Wednesday morning, but that doesn’t mean you can’t stay on-theme all Halloween night. Thanks to some crafty mixologists you too can infuse your ‘Stranger Things 2’ drinking with a good dose of booze, Eggos, and… more booze.

That’s not a bad way to spend a Halloween that falls on a weekday, if you ask us.

Strange Things by Brandon Kemp for Patron Tequila

Patron Tequila

The foundation of this cocktail is Patrón’s earthy, small-batch, bourbon barrel-aged reposado tequila. The ingredient that lends it true Stranger-Things-iness is mezcal, which is kind of like tequila’s smokier friend from the Upside Down. Crafted by Atlanta-based bartender Brandon Kemp, Strange Things is finished with a cracked black pepper garnish, which should give it an extra kick to keep you on your toes.

INGREDIENTS

1 oz Roca Patrón Reposado
1 oz Mezcal
.5 oz Fresh ginger
.5 oz Orgeat
.5 oz Lime juice
.5 oz Celery root-lemongrass puree
Celery leaf & fresh cracked pepper for garnish

METHOD

1.Combine liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice to chill.
2. Strain into a large ice cube in a double old fashioned glass.
3. Garnish with a celery leaf and a twist of freshly ground black pepper.

Mama Bear Byers by FancyAsF Cocktails

FancyAsF.com

This cocktail, created by Aaron the bartender and blogger at FancyAsF, is actually one of three he crafted around the show. This one’s our favorite of the three for its originality and Halloween candy feel.

Inspired by Winona Ryder’s very-understandably-high-strung mom character in Stranger Things, the drink offers up comforting chocolate and a heavy serving of bourbon infused with that classic pick-me-up espresso — ensuring the cocktail doesn’t take too much of the edge off.

INGREDIENTS

1.5 oz Espresso Infused Bourbon
1.5 oz Chocolate Liqueur
Espresso beans
Chocolate sauce
Chocolate coverd espresso bean

METHOD

1. Stir ingredients with ice until chilled.
2. In your empty glass, draw a thin line of chocolate sauce around the rim. Take a toothpick to make menacing looking chocolate spikes down the side of the glass.
3. Strain into a glass.
4. Sprinkle a couple extra espresso beans on top.
5. Use a replacement plastic Christmas light bulbs and shove the chocolate covered espresso bean on it like a skewer.

Flippin out in the Upside Down by Elliot Clark for Apartment Bar

Instagram/Rachael Lynne

The Upside Down means a lot of different things to every viewer. For some, it’s an ashen world of monsters and the darkness of our souls. For others, it’s a Scotch-y cocktail anchored in herb-forward Fernet, creamy pecan, and bitter coffee. This drink is jolting, yet familiar. Kind of like the Upside Down. And, surely, with that mix of Scotch, bitters, and coffee you may well manifest a (hangover) monster the next day.

INGREDIENTS

1.5 oz Balvenie 12 yr. Scotch
1 oz Fernet Branca
1 oz Kona coffee pecan syrup
.75 oz heavy cream
2 dashes of Angostura
Whole egg

METHOD

1. Add ingredients to a shaker and dry shake (without ice).
2. Add ice and wet shake.
3. Strain into chilled glass strain.
4. Dust with grated nutmeg garnish.

Cafe Byers by Will + Kaitlyn Cocktails

Will + Kaitlyn Cocktails/Instagram

Will + Kaitlyn know how to make a cocktail look good. First of all, major props for dying maple syrup black for this drink. That adds that extra level of care and thought that makes a decent cocktail a great cocktail. Top that with bacon-fat infused bourbon and you’ve got the warming embrace of hearth and home around breakfast time and in one champagne flute.

INGREDIENTS

1.5oz Bacon Fat-Infused Bourbon⠀
.75 oz Maple Syrup (dyed black with activated charcoal)⠀
.50 oz Cherry Heering⠀
Coffee Liqueur-Infused Whipped Cream⠀
Dark Chocolate

METHOD

1. Layer first three ingredients in order in a champagne flute, stir.
2. Add Whipped Cream.
3. Garnish with shaved chocolate.⠀

Mind Bender by Earle’s House Cocktails

Earle

This one comes to us from Earl’s House of Cocktails and takes us back to season one when Eleven was still trapped inside the Lab and Papa was having her test her powers. It’s a great throwback to last season with a tasty take on a whiskey sour with a couple nice flourishes. And, of course, there’s a mini Eggo to honor Eleven’s obsession.

INGREDIENTS

1.5 oz Bourbon
.50 oz Amaro Montenegro
.75 oz Lemon Juice
.75 oz Homemade Cola Syrup
1 Large Egg White
2 Dash Vanilla Bitters
Toasted Mini Eggos

METHOD
1. Add first five ingredients to a shaker and dry shake (without ice).
2. Add ice and wet shake.
3. Strain into a dented Coca-Cola Can with not top.
4. Add dashed of Vanilla Bitters to the foam.
5. Garnish with toasted Eggos.

Stolichnaya and Soda Water by Murray Bauman

Netflix

Spoiler Alert. You might want to save this one for Chapter Five and beyond. “Water it down” is the great breakthrough of the chapter. See. Great revelations can come from drinking. Murray Bauman (played by Brett Gelman) likes his drinks simple. Chilled Stolichnaya vodka with some ice and a little water to make it juuuuust right.

Plus, this is easily the most doable cocktail to drink at home without forcing you to pause the show for every drink.

INGREDIENTS

1.5 oz Stolichnaya Vodka
Ice
Water

METHOD

1. Combine vodka and ice in a shaker. Shake tensely.
2. Pour into a water glass.
3. Add water to taste.