Hocus Pocus Mary Sanderson Cocktail with Whiskey & Rum
Home » COOK » Recipes » Beverages » Cocktails » Halloween Cocktails »Halloween is just around the corner, and that means it’s time to start thinking about costumes and spooky drinks!
This Mary Sanderson Cocktail is perfect for your next party or Hocus Pocus movie night.
It’s made with whiskey and rum, and it’s sure to keep everyone in a festive mood. Cheers!
And for more seasonal drinks, check out my List of 20+ Halloween Cocktails For Spooky Soirées & Parties!
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Mary Sanderson Cocktail
The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions and ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required and understand the steps and timings involved.
Conjur up some magic with this Mary Sanderson cocktail!
Perfect for Halloween and Hocus Pocus movie nights (have you watched Hocus Pocus 2 yet?!), this drink is made with whiskey, cherry vanilla rum, and cranberry juice.
You can even add some dry ice to make it bubble and smoke – just like a witch’s potion!
Ingredients Used In This Cocktail
For your convenience, I’ve linked any specialized ingredients needed for this recipe to Amazon below.
- Crown Royal Whiskey – a Canadian whiskey, but you can use any kind of whiskey you like
- Captain Morgan Cherry Vanilla Spiced Rum – if you can’t source this rum, use a cherry rum, or a spiced rum
- Cranberry Juice
- Silver Luster Dust – a food-safe powder that adds a shimmer to drinks.
- Maraschino Cherries – to garnish the cocktail along with mint sprigs.
- Dry Ice Chips – this is an optional extra to add a spooky smoke effect to your cocktails. If you’ve never used dry ice before, please read the info about it below to ensure you use it safely. In the US you may find dry ice in grocery stores like Walmart. In the UK, there are online retailers, like chillstick.com
This cocktail is shaken, but don’t worry if you don’t have a cocktail shaker, you could just use a container with a tight-fitting lid – like a mason jar or even the cup on a blender or smoothie maker.
Using Dry Ice in Cocktails
- Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide (CO2) with a surface temperature of -109°F/-78.5°C.
- Never touch dry ice directly as it can burn skin similar to frostbite.
- Do not swallow dry ice – it can burn GI tissue.
- Dry ice skips the liquid part of melting completely and instead turns to gas (the smoky effect!) immediately when placed in a cocktail (or other drink).
- Ensure that you buy food-grade dry ice.
- Food grade means that it uses the same CO2 that is used in soda fountains.
- Do not store it in the fridge or freezer.
- Do not store in a sealed container. Dry ice is CO2 which can build up and explode!
- Keep it in the container it was supplied in and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Dry ice is safe for use in cocktails and drinks.
- You only need a small piece (1″/2.5cm) to give a nice smoking effect.
- Use gloves and tongs during handling.
- Dry ice will settle at the bottom of a drink and doesn’t harm the drink in any way.
- The bubbling smoky effect will happen as soon as you add the dry ice, so get ready with your camera!
- The effect will last for around 10 minutes but will be at its best in the first 3-5 minutes.
- Once the smoke has gone, the dry ice will have evaporated.
- Always read the dry ice suppliers’ FAQs/Safety Tips when you purchase dry ice, such as this one from Dry Ice Supply UK.
More Hocus Pocus Cocktails To Make
Want to make more cocktails for your Hocus Pocus Movie Night? Here they are!
Cocktail Party Appetizers
If you want to serve some appetizers with your drinks, check out these recipes:
- Quick & Easy Pepperoni Mini Mummy Pizzas
- Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts Party Appetizer with Spicy Mustard Dip
- Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers Recipe For A Crowd
More Rum Cocktails
If your favorite liquor is rum, you may like to try these cocktails:
- How To Make Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri Cocktails
- Campfire Cocktail with Fireball, Bourbon & Rum
- Lucifer Morningstar Cocktail With Rum, Red Wine & Ginger Beer
- Black Raven Cocktail with Rum & Jägermeister for Halloween
- Rum Spiked Pumpkin Pie Punch (Pumpkin Cocktail!)
Halloween Cocktail Glasses on Amazon
Mary Sanderson Cocktail Variations
I like to try and give variations on the cocktails shared on The Purple Pumpkin Blog, like how to turn the cocktail into a mocktail so that non-drinkers (and kids if suitable) can enjoy the drink too!
Virgin Mary Sanderson Mocktail (Non-Alcoholic)
So that non-drinkers can enjoy a Mary Sanderson drink too, we simply remove the alcohol and replace it!
In a cocktail shaker, shake together:
- 1 oz Cherry Syrup
- 1 oz Vanilla Syrup
- 4 oz Cranberry Juice
- 2 tsp Silver Luster Dust
Pour into a glass with ice and top up with lemon-lime soda. Garnish with maraschino cherries and mint sprigs.
Avoid using dry ice chips in drinks for children. While dry ice is safe to use in drinks, it should not be swallowed when solid, or touch bare skin. Dry ice chips will evaporate in about 10 minutes in a drink.
I love the Monin brand of syrups as there are lots of flavors and they are a very versatile ingredient that can be used in cocktails, mocktails, coffee, cocoa, shakes, smoothies, and more.
I haven’t made the mocktail version, so I recommend adding the syrups to taste as they may add a sweetness that you may not necessarily get from alcoholic liqueurs.
For adults who would still like to enjoy the taste of alcohol in their mocktail, you could try non-alcoholic alternatives. In the UK, try Lyre’s, which is also available on Amazon in the UK and Amazon.com. There are other brands, but this one was more widely available.
- Instead of whiskey try Lyre’s American Malt
- Instead of the cherry vanilla rum, you could use syrups as above, or try the spiced rum alternative, Lyre’s Spice, or a combination of them.
Simply use the non-alcoholic alternatives instead of the alcoholic ones in the recipe card.
Frozen Mary Sanderson Cocktail
Want to turn this drink into a frozen slushie? Easy! Put all the ingredients in a blender with a generous amount of ice – then blend till smooth. Serve with a straw, and watch out for brain freeze! You could do the same with the mocktail version too.
Mary Sanderson Cocktail For a Crowd!
Want to make a big batch of this Hocus Pocus beverage for a party or gathering? It’s so easy!
As long as you use the same measuring container (glass, cup, jug, etc.,) for the “1 part”, the ratios will be correct and you can make as much as you need to.
To make a big batch of the Mary Sanderson Cocktail, mix together:
- 2 parts Crown Royal Whiskey
- 2 parts Captain Morgan Cherry Vanilla Spiced Rum
- 4 parts Cranberry Juice
- Silver luster dust – use enough to create a nice shimmer effect
Serve the large batch cocktail in drinks dispensers, or pitchers, or go really retro and serve from a punch bowl! Whichever container best suits your event (and the drink!).
Make sure you add plenty of ice to your serving container of choice to keep the cocktail chilled. And you can add some fruit garnish in there too such as maraschino cherries, and mint leaves.
Or why not skewer the fruit onto cocktail picks for guests to garnish their drink?
When setting up your bar serving area, you could include:
- Ice Bucket (filled with ice!)
- Cocktail Glasses
- Cocktail Napkins
- Cocktail Swizzle Sticks/Stirrers
- Cocktail Picks
- Cocktail Straws
This cocktail recipe is intended for adults of the legal drinking age in your country of residence.
Please drink responsibly. Do not drink and drive.
How Do I Make Mary Sanderson Cocktail?
Check out the printable recipe card below with full ingredients and instructions. Any demonstration photos do not print out to save your ink.
Mary Sanderson Cocktail
Ingredients
- 2 oz Crown Royal Whiskey
- 2 oz Captain Morgan Cherry Vanilla Spiced Rum
- 4 oz Cranberry Juice
- 2 tsp Silver luster dust
- Maraschino Cherries
- Mint Sprigs
- Dry ice chips
- Ice
Instructions
- Place the whiskey, rum, cranberry juice, and luster dust into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
- Shake for 10-15 seconds until combined.
- Place a few dry ice chips into an 8oz glass and add some regular ice on top.
- Pour your cocktail over the ice and garnish with maraschino cherries and mint.
- The dry ice will smoke for up to 10 minutes but is best in the first 3-5 minutes. Do not swallow dry ice or touch it with your bare skin.
SUGGESTED PRODUCTS
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Make It A Party!
The beverage is covered, but what about other dishes to create a full menu for a dinner party or special meal?
- Appetizer: How to Make the Ultimate Warm Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Soup: Grandma’s Pumpkin Soup
- Salad: Fig and Roasted Fennel Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
- Main Dish: Seared Strip Steak with Sautéed Mushrooms
- Side Dish: Oven-Roasted Parmesan Green Beans
- Dessert: Bat Brownies! A Super Easy Dessert Recipe for Halloween!
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy! Please feel free to check them out too.