Skeletons in Your Closet Cocktail

This Skeletons in Your Closet Cocktail tastes like a spooky margarita and would be perfect for a fun Halloween party or to serve at a horror movie marathon!

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About Skeletons in Your Closet Cocktail

It’s easy to have fun during the holiday season, but I think we can all agree that Halloween gets the extra edge.

Because really, when you get to serve drinks like this Skeletons in Your Closet Cocktail, there’s no competition. Between the fun name, the thousands of fun skeleton props, and the fruity margarita taste, it’s a guaranteed to be a good (and creepy!) time.

What is a “Skeletons in Your Closet” cocktail?

From an ingredient standpoint, this drink is a tropical margarita, due to the combination of fruit juices and tequila.

What makes this drink fun (and Halloween-friendly) is blue island tropical schnapps, which creates the eerie green-ish hue once combined with the fruit juices.

Where did this cocktail come from?

You’d think a drink with such a specific name would have a fun backstory, but alas, my internet searching couldn’t come up with anything concrete.

Margaritas weren’t officially invented until the late 1930’s, so if we assume that someone adapted a margarita to make this cocktail, then it was “sometime” within the last 100 years (so helpful, I know).

But no matter the time or the place or the person, I think it’s safe to say that someone clearly felt this cocktail had some secrets to tell…  or maybe drinking it will help you uncover some secrets.

I can’t find tropical schnapps! What can I use instead?

If you’re having trouble locating tropical schnapps (traditional recipes for this cocktail specifically call for DeKuyper Island Blue Pucker Schnapps Liqueur), I can totally relate. I had trouble tracking it down myself. I think I only stuck with the search because I had plans to share the recipe here, and I found it somewhere local at a mom and pop.

As far as substitutes go, you’re as limited as you are free to choose. Confusing enough? Let me explain:

You could probably substitute the tropical schnapps for any sweet liqueur that you like. It’s just that blue drinks tend to be rare.

Whenever I find myself looking for a blue liquor substitute (it happens more often than you’d link) I almost always reach for blue curacao. It has a great flavor on it’s own and goes very well with all the fruit juices I’ve tried it with.

Can you make a big batch of this cocktail?

Yes! There are no special “effects” with this drink (such as layering, gradients, etc) so it’s perfectly safe to mix this drink and serve it in a big batch.

And in order to make a big batch, all you need to do is measure this drink in parts.

Recipes that measure in parts usually mean it’s written so that you can adjust the size of the drink to whatever you want. The measurements they give you (1 part, 1/2 part, etc) are so you can keep the ratio of the ingredients correct.

For example, let’s say you wanted to make one drink – this typically means you’re using 1 standard shot glass for measuring. So then when the recipe says “1 part” you would interpret that amount as “1 standard shot glass” full. If the recipe says “1/2 part” you’d fill the shot glass halfway so that it’s “1/2 standard shot glass.” OR, let’s say you wanted to make enough drinks for a few friends. When making the drink you could interpret “1 part” as “1 cup” (or “1/2 part” to “1/2 cup.”)

Given the above, to measure a skeletons in your closet cocktail in parts, you would need:

• 1 part pineapple juice, plus more for rim (optional)
• 1 part mango juice, plus more for rim (optional)
• 1 1/2 part tequila
• 1 part tropical schnapps, or blue curacao
• salt, for rim (optional)

Notes & tips for this Skeletons in Your Closet recipe

• Like the glass used in the photos? I actually picked it up at Home Goods! Their Halloween selections change each year, but I’ve seen this glass a few times.
• If you can’t find a fun Halloween glass, just serve it in a traditional martini glass. It would even taste good margarita-style with a salted rim.

More fun Halloween recipes

How to make a Skeletons in Your Closet Cocktail

This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.

Step 1 – In a glass (or a cocktail shaker) filled with ice, add the pineapple juice.

Step 2 – Next, add the mango juice.

Step 3 – Then add the tequila.

Step 4 – Finish it off with the tropical schnapps.

Step 5 – Stir well.

Step 6 – Serve and enjoy!