The Sarah Sanderson- A Yellow Bird Cocktail

This hocus pocus cocktail themed recipe is inspired by Sarah Sanderson, one of the three witches in this classic Halloween movie we all know and love. Celebrate the season with the perfect drink and this cult classic movie!

Whether you love the movie Hocus Pocus, are looking for a fun Halloween cocktail recipe, or just simply want to imbibe on this Tiki inspired drink, you came to the right place.

While I was inspired to make this rum based cocktail based off of the character Sarah Sanderson, it’s truly a refreshing drink to make anytime of the year (not just for your next Halloween party).

I love Tiki cocktails because the flavors are layered so beautifully with different types of rum, fresh juices, and often times unique herbal flavors you don’t find in basic cocktails. I have a few other Tiki drinks like the Zombie, this Navy grog, and even this popular Jungle Bird cocktail you should check out too.

Grab the full recipe for the Yellow Bird cocktail below and read through so you can make this sexy and alluring drink, Sarah Sanderson style! Ready to get started? Just jump to the recipe below and get to mixing.

“School” Supplies:

• Cocktail Shaker
• Jigger
• Strainer
• Martini Glass or Coupe Glass

“Class” Notes:

Use the helpful culinary notes below to answer commonly asked questions and to help guide you through this recipe. Please enjoy and drink responsibly!

What is Galliano L’autentico Liqueur:

You cannot make a truly delicious yellow bird cocktail unless you utilize this herbaceous liqueur. Galliano is a slightly sweet, herb like, and anise and vanilla flavored liqueur. It truly adds a unique flavor to this drink and should not be omitted!

If you do not have Galliano liqueur on hand, you can try and swap it for other liqueurs like Ouzo or Pernod. While it won’t be quite the same, that prominent anise flavor will still come through.

Cocktail Ingredients:

• Fresh Orange Juice: I prefer fresh squeezed for the best flavor and color to this cocktail.
• Fresh Lime Juice: Use 1/2 of a lime, freshly squeezed. You can sub with lemon juice in a pinch!
• Demerara Syrup: Demerara is a deeper flavored syrup than traditional simple syrup. You can also make a brown sugar syrup too as a sub or try my Keto Simple Syrup recipe as well for a sugar free option.
• Light Rum: There are numerous light rums on the market. You can use a white rum you have on hand. I actually opted for a Puerto Rican Rum called the Havana Club.
• Dark Rum: Dark rums also vary in flavor and style. I prefer the funkier rums for this like Smith and Cross or try a Gosling’s rum too.
• Galliano L’autentico Liqueur: Like I mentioned above, this liqueur goes a long way in tying all the ingredients together in this cocktail. You get notes of citrus, herb, vanilla, and of course anise.
• Ice: For shaking!

How to shake up the perfect drink:

This cocktail recipe is quite simple and just requires a sturdy cocktail shaker to get to mixing. Start by adding your freshly squeeze orange juice and lime juice to your shaker tin.

After the juices, add your demerara syrup and your two rums. Finish it off with the Galliano L’autentico Liqueur. Pour the mixture over your ice and shake for 10 seconds or so, until fully chilled.

Use a cocktail strainer and strain the drink into a martini glass or coupe glass. I made a garnish rose out of a lime peel and added some pineapple leaves for a cool effect.

While I made my cocktail spooky enough to be a fun Halloween drink, traditionally you would see this served with some fresh mint and these real maraschino cherries.

Pair this tropical and Halloween festive drink with either this Halloween Sugar Scull Pizza, these Hot Honey Hawaiian Wings or even just some simple BBQ snack mix that’s a perfect compliment to the flavors in this drink.