Mixologist Wisdom

Scary good drinks: The best Halloween cocktails — and how to make them for yourparty

Pirate's Punch at III Forks
Courtesy Photo
Kiran's Pumpkin Martini
Photo by Todd Gregory
Dracula's Kiss at Sullivan's Steakhouse
Photo courtesy of Sullivan's Steakhouse
Honey + Venom at Phil's Wine Lounge
Photo by Karl Heim/KH Studio
Sullivan's Candy Apple Martini
Photo courtesy of Sullivan's Steakhouse
Reserve 101's Bloody Hatchet
Courtesy Photo

Get into the Halloween spirit with some spooky sips. These frighteningly delicious libations are more treat than trick, and are sure to summon your spirits.

Devilishly delicious, the Honey & Venom cocktail at Phil’s Wine Lounge (the rebranded, revamped first floor at Philippe Restaurant + Lounge) is a festive potion comprised of rosemary-infused gin, Riesling liqueur, lemon juice, and a splash of orange blossom water. Come in with a costume on Halloween night from 5 to 11 p.m. and get a free Honey & Venom.

Honey & Venom
Combine and shake the following in a martini shaker:
• 1 oz. rosemary-infused gin
• 1 oz. Riesling Liqueur*
• ½ oz. lemon juice
Strain over fresh ice and add a splash of orange blossom water. Garnish with rosemary sprig.
*To make the Riesling Liqueur simply reduce one bottle of German Riesling over low flame and combine with 1/2 cup brandy.

Sullivan’s Steakhouse's drink menu features several sinister beverages in honor of All Hallows Eve. Satisfy your thirst for blood with Dracula’s Kiss, a wicked libation made with Grenadine, Effen Black Cherry Vodka and Coke.

Forego the candy for the sweet Candy Apple Martini. It's a mix of Skyy Vodka, sour apple schnapps, butterscotch schnapps and cranberry juice.

Candy Apple Martini
• 1 oz. Skyy Vodka
• 1 oz. sour apple schnapps
• 1 oz. butterscotch schnapps
• 1 oz. cranberry juice
Shake all the ingredients in a Boston shaker and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a cherry or apple slice.

Dracula’s Kiss
• ½ oz. grenadine
• 1.5 oz. Effen Black Cherry Vodka
• Fill with Coke
In a highball glass add grenadine then ice, vodka and coke in that order to create a distinct red layer at the bottom of the glass

Ghoulishly good, Reserve 101's Bloody Hatchet packs a bite. It's a combination of Buried Hatchet Stout and Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix. Reserve 101 serves it with a bacon salt rim. This haunting drink is normally priced at $10, but you can order one up during happy hour for only six bucks.

Halloween is a real treat at III Forks. The Pirate's Punch cocktail is a potent concoction. Make by simply pouring Blue Curacao and pineapple juice over an island of Blueberry Boba and then topping off with Kraken Spiced Rum. You'll be hooked.

This month's signature ingredient, pumpkin, is front and center in Kiran’s Pumpkin Martini. A brew of Stoli Vanilla, pumpkin butter, cinnamon simple syrup, fresh orange juice and fresh apple juice, it's sure to cast a spell.

Pumpkin Martini
• 3 oz. Stoli Vanilla
• 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin butter
• 1/2 oz. cinnamon simple syrup
• 1/2 oz. fresh orange juice
• 1/2 oz. fresh apple juice
Fill a mixing glass with ice. Combine ingredients, shake and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with nutmeg.

Also pumpkin flavored and jack-o'-lantern orange is Branch Water Tavern’s elixir, the Pumpkin Flip. Chef Grossman's recipe combines an egg with pumpkin spice infused syrup, cream, allspice dram, Old Monk rum infused with dehydrated pumpkin, and Angostura bitters. Careful not to have too many or your frightful night will turn into an equally frightful morning.

Pumpkin Flip
Combine and serve in martini glass:
• One whole egg
• 2 oz. cream
•.75 oz. pumpkin spice infused syrup
•.25 oz. allspice dram
• 2 oz. Old Monk rum infused with dehydrated pumpkin Misto with angostura

Cheers and Happy Halloween from CultureMap!

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Coming soon to Fredericksburg

Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria

Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

“[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

“I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

"We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

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