Halloween is creeping up on us and while the kids may be excited about the candy and the costumes, most of us adults are less excited about the boos and more thrilled for the booze. To celebrate this All Hallows Eve, here’s a six-pack of boozy events sure to thrill you.
HOUSE OF TORMENT
One of Austin’s most popular haunted house attractions is stepping up their game this year and featuring an on-site bar dubbed “The Torment Tavern.” The tavern will offer food, signature cocktails and their very own House of Torment Pumpkin Ale. House of Torment features three new attractions this year: the Blackthorne Penitentiary, Darkest Dreams and Trick or Treat which may require a little bit of liquid courage to get you through.
NIGHTLY SPIRITS
If you’d rather spend your nights in an actual haunted place, national ghost tour company Nightly Spirits is currently offering guided tours through four of Austin’s allegedly haunted bars. Each tour features a haunted history at each stop as well as some spooky themed cocktails. The tours start at 8:30 p.m. at Buffalo Billiards every Friday and Saturday, 201 E. 6th St., and promise to give visitors a new way to explore the phenomenal features of downtown Austin.
BAD WOLF GHOST TOURS
Another walking ghost tour, the Haunted Pub Crawl, features stops at Austin’s oldest bars with a free cover and drink specials at each. Starting at one of the city’s most famous haunted spots, The Driskell Hotel, 604 Brazos St., this tour is sure to send chills down your spine as the tour guide gives a detailed narration of each location and its haunted history.
“HALLOWEEN” AT ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE
Nothing says Halloween quite like, well, “Halloween.” The legendary John Carpenter movie from 1970 will be airing at Alamo Drafthouse locations across the U.S. on Oct. 14. Partner that with some of Alamo’s limited time Halloween themed food and drink specials and it’s sure to be a night full of thrills and chills.
CRAFTSMAN’S HAUNTED POP-UP BAR
The popular Cesar Chavez street bar is getting a monster of a makeover for two weeks and is even bringing out some Halloween themed drinks in honor of the holiday. Some of the creepy cocktails include the “Graveyard Smash,” a mix of Grand Marnier, smoked orange, mint and lemon as well as the “Billy Butcherson,” a Jagermeister drink paying tribute to the cult classic “Hocus Pocus.”
Photo by Magnus Manske
BAT CRUISE
While not necessarily a Halloween specific event, the nightly viewings of over a million bats taking flight can certainly add a little bit of “spooky” to your evening. Every year, the Mexican free-tailed bats, which reside under the Congress Street bridge, take flight at dusk for their nightly feedings. But don’t worry, these cousins of Dracula aren’t on the hunt for blood, but feed on bugs and insects. To see the bats, we recommend jumping on one of Austin’s boat tours, most of which are BYOB.