Halloween cocktail recipe: How to make a Hellfire Highball

"It does exactly what you want those espresso martinis to do."

The Hellfire Highball, while similar to the espresso martini, has a hint of spice.

October 31, 2022

If you’re a fan of the espresso martini, you may want to sip on the non-traditional Hellfire Highball for Halloween. Master of ceremonies at Ghost Tequila Alex Carregal, together with host Jackson Cannon, recently walked us through how to make the cocktail, a rich and decadent treat.

“It should have a nice froth to it,” Carregal said. “You give it a nice shake, and it should look like it’s cascading, almost. Once it settles, it should have a nice head.”

Cannon said that the Hellfire Highball has many dimensions to it and that spiciness is only one of them.

“It does exactly what you want those espresso martinis to do, after a moment,” Cannon said. “They just kind of stretch and give you that crema.” He added that there’s a focus on spice as a sensation — what we think of as heat — but it’s truly a savory one. “It’s turning to coffee to chocolate to bell pepper,” Cannon said. “There’s hints of the tasting notes, red wine with chocolate, kind of all together. It’s really complex, really rewarding.”