Halloween haunts and events are popping off around Southern California, but which ones serve the best cocktails?
A typical offering at most Halloween celebrations includes a delicious drink, sometimes with a festive name like the Banana Ban-Chi or The Beetle’s Juice. Whether you’re looking for a punny drink or prefer to sip your booze from an IV bag, we’ve compiled a list of five bars and speakeasies across Southern California where you can get a taste of the most hauntingly delicious drinks this season.
Don’t fret if you can’t make it to some of these bars before October ends. We added a few with an extended last call and others year-round for Halloween lovers.
Here are five cocktail bars and speakeasies to visit. For the most up-to-date information, check the websites of each location, as some require reservations or tickets for admission.
Frankenstein’s Mad Scientist Cocktail Bar in Los Angeles is concocting sinister cocktails throughout October. (Photo courtesy of Bucket Listers)
Frankenstein’s Mad Scientist Cocktail Bar
Los Angeles’ latest Halloween pop-up bar invites guests into Victor Frankenstein’s laboratory. Is it a bar, or is it a science lab? Either way, it’s covered in cobwebs. Bartenders serve the cocktails in beakers and on metal trays. Visitors can watch as the mad mixologists cook up various concoctions. Ever tried a martini that changes colors and smokes? Admission includes a 90-minute reservation with one cocktail and lets guests take photos with the Creature and other spooky props like the light-up jack-o’-lanterns. And if you dare to look into your future, try your hand at a tarot card reading.
Information: Various times are available through Oct. 31. 6423 Yucca Street, Los Angeles. frankensteinsbar.com. Admission and reservation are required. Tickets start at $19.
The Secretary Club, a speakeasy located inside Killer Queens Social House in Riverside, serves Halloween cocktails and welcomes guests to bring their vinyl records and enjoy a spooky ambiance. (Photo by Viviana Gonzalez- Killer Queens Social House)
Secretary Club
The Secretary Club is a speakeasy found inside Killer Queens Social House in Riverside, and this Halloween, they’re bringing the spookiness with cocktails like the Blood Rag, Black Dahlia and Frankenstein. Visitors must check in at the counter of Killer Queens before being escorted to the speakeasy. Inside, the space is decorated with skulls, tombstones, and other Halloween figurines. Guests can also have a drink served in an IV bag. This speakeasy is a fun, low-key hang-out spot where guests can enjoy small bites like the Lobster Flatbread, BBQ Beef Sliders and a Shrimp Cocktail. If you’ve got the Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer” or Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” on vinyl, bring it to the Secretary Club for a spin, guests are encouraged to bring their own records.
Information: 7 p.m. Mondays. RSVP required. 3630 University Ave, Riverside. killerqueensdtr.com. (951) 538-1124.
Macabre Manor is a haunted house-themed speakeasy located inside That 80’s Bar in Montclair. (Photo by Charlie Vargas)
Macabre Manor
If you haven’t visited a haunted house this year, you don’t want to miss Macabre Manor, a speakeasy inside That 80’s Bar in Montclair. After checking in, guests are guided to the back of the bar into a hidden room that transports them into a frightful dimension. The haunted house-themed spot features cabin-like décor, candle lights, and creepy antiques. It also hosts roaming monsters that are sure to send chills down your spine at the most unexpected moments. The bar menu contains puns and flavorful cocktails like the Chai Dat Punkin Drank, Banana Ban-Chi and El Demonio.
Information: 6-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Nov. 23. 10555 Mills Ave. Montclair. experiencetheset.com. (909) 626-9091. $15 per person. 21-and-older.
The Cauldron Spirits and Brews in Buena Park is a year-round witch-themed cocktail bar. (Courtesy of The Cauldron)
The Cauldron
Located just down the street from Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park is The Cauldron, a dark and cozy 17th-century-inspired tavern. The ambiance, crafted with ornately framed vintage illustrations of witches and black cats hanging from the walls, teases Victorian architecture and design with eclectic antiques, overstuffed chairs, 17th-century rugs, stone floors, a lounge fireplace and a house cauldron. Enjoy specialty cocktails such as the Grey Witch, Devil’s Margarita and Voodoo Lemonade. The Cauldon’s menu includes French dip sliders, filet mignon steak bites, a rosemary chicken, and brie crepe. People under 21 are welcome to dine in for dinner, but after 10 p.m., it is strictly 21 and over.
Information: 4 p.m.-midnight Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 4 p.m.-2 a.m. Thursdays through Sundays. 8028 Beach Blvd., Ste b., Buena Park. thecauldronbar.com. (714) 484-2733.
Posters line Halloween-themed horror bar/restaurant Beetle House LA in Hollywood on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Beetle House LA
Sometimes, you love Halloween so much you’re not ready to say goodbye. Luckily, there is Beetle House LA in Hollywood, where it feels like the holiday all year long. The décor and space are inspired by literary and cinematic works of Washington Irving, Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Wes Craven and Tim Burton. Guests can walk in to get a sip of bloodcurdling cocktails, like the Coco Skeleton, This Is Halloween or The Beetle’s Juice. The creepy crawly establishment also serves food, from appetizers like the Human Fingerless Potatoes to more meaty entrees like the Edward Burger Hands. The dessert is also to die for with items like the Death by Chocolate Cake. Dinner reservations are required for dine-in, but the bar is open to walk-ins. You may want to stay a little while as Beetle House hosts live entertainment such as magic shows, dark wave DJs and more.
Information: 5-10 p.m. Thursdays, 4-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 5-11 p.m. Sundays. 7080 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles. beetlehousela.com. (929) 291-0337.
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