September 30, 2022 – Spooky season is upon us! Celebrate Halloween (Monday, October 31) at home while handing out candy and watching horror films a host of ghoulishly good cocktail recipes to whip up from Coopers’ Craft Bourbon and Art in the Age, or opt for fun-filled activities and happenings to experience in Philly the week leading up to (and on) All Hallows Eve including Assembly Rooftop Lounge, East Passyunk Avenue, Philly Cheese School, and SNACKTIME.
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Assembly Rooftop Lounge, Center City’s swanky rooftop lounge with panoramic views of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, City Hall, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, is slated to transition into yet another fabulously fun and seasonal pop-up dubbed Haunted Heights at Assembly. This Halloween-themed pop-up will operate from Sunday, October 24 through Tuesday, November 1, and will feature spirited décor, scary movies on TVs throughout the venue, themed cocktails including one devilish Bloody Frosé garnished with candy corn, Halloween-focused fare, and more – plus a DJ spinning spooky tunes and classics on Friday and Saturday.
Hours of operation: Tuesday through Saturday from 4 pm with last seating at 10:30 pm
1840 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy | 215.783.4171 | www.assemblyrooftop.com
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Forsythia, Old City’s contemporary French restaurant and bar helmed by Chef Christopher Kearse, has an explosive Halloween edition of the buzzed about Industry Night series planned for Monday, October 31 from 7 – 11pm. Restaurant industry folk can revel in a pizza party collaboration and hex-tra special sippers courtesy of Southwark Restaurant, in addition to a DJ on-site spinning vinyl. Walk ins are welcome, and guests are encouraged to dress in costume.
Hours of operation: Wednesday through Sunday, 5pm – 10pm, and weekend brunch served Saturday and Sunday, 10:30am – 2pm
233 Chestnut St | 215.644.9395 | www.forsythiaphilly.com/
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East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District (EPABID), home to more than 160 independently-owned businesses in South Philadelphia, is celebrating the fall season and holiday with Witch CRAFT Beer Crawl on Wednesday, October 26 from 5:30 – 9:30pm. Locals and visitors alike can join in on the ghoul-tastic bar crawl along East Passyunk Avenue, hitting hot spots such as Garage, Cartesian Brewing, Barcelona Wine Bar, The Bottler Shop, Pistolas Del Sur, Stogie Joe’s Tavern, Flannel, and more. Participating restaurants will offer $5 beer specials, and folks attending the bar crawl will be provided witch hats and a witch craft stamp card to be used per bar.
1904 East Passyunk Avenue | www.visiteastpassyunk.com
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Philly Cheese School, a LGBTQ+ and woman-owned business offering fun and informative classes on how to serve, pair, and enjoy all the heady and delicious nuances of cheese, is hosting Trick or Cheese: Halloween Candy & Cheese Pairing Class ($60/person) on Monday, October 31 from 5 – 6pm. Attendees are encouraged to dress in costume, while partaking in this one-of-a-kind cheese and Halloween candy pairing class, which will provide guests with tips and tricks on pairing sweet treats and classic candies with cheese.
701 South 9th Street | www.phillycheeseschool.com
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SNACKTIME, Philadelphia’s revered brass-heavy band with funk, punk, jazz, pop and R&B influences and recently awarded Best Band 2022 by Philadelphia Magazine, has one extravagant dance party planned on Monday, October 31 from 7 – 11pm, titled Spooky Sexy Halloween Party, held at Concourse Dance Bar with additional performances by DJ Xtina. Tickets are $20 ADV and $25 DOS, and will be available for purchase starting on Saturday, October 1 at 2pm.
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SPOOK-TACULAR COCKTAILS FOR HALLOWEEN FESTIVITIES:
Vampire Hex
Courtesy of Lee Noble, mixologist at Art in the Age
Ingredients:
- 2½ oz. Powderhorn Rye Vodka
- ½ oz. Dry Dolin Vermouth
- ¾ oz. olive brine
- Dash of Addition Garlic Cocktail Spice
Instructions: Combine vodka, vermouth, and olive brine with a dash of Addition Garlic Cocktail Spice.
Glassware: Coupe
Garnish: Garnish with stuffed olive “eyeballs.”
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Sage Advice — serves 4
Courtesy of Fitz Bailey, Coopers’ Craft Mixologist
Ingredients:
- 6 oz. Coopers’ Craft Bourbon
- 3 oz. Ginger-Lime-Sage Simple Syrup **
- Top with Carbonated Apple Cider
Glassware: Highball
Garnish: Smoking Sage Leaf
Instructions: Cocktail: Shake with ice, strain, garnish and serve over ice. Top with apple cider
**Ginger-Lime-Sage Simple Syrup — Combine 8 oz sugar, 6 oz lime juice and 2 oz ginger juice with 4-5 sage leaves. Heat skillet and stir until dissolved, about 2 mins. Cook an additional 2 mins while stirring, then remove from heat. Allow to cool and enjoy.
Inspiration/description from Fitz Bailey: “Fall, there’s a slight chill in the air, the blazing heat of summer is wearing off, and the flavors of autumn have returned. I have a problem with fall flavors I want to use them all! I’m calmed down a bit this year and made a drink that is perfect for your next gathering. Coopers’ Craft is known for its wonderful apple flavor. To enhance and shape that, I added a little sparkling apple cider and ginger syrup. Playing around a bit more, I found that lime and sage perfectly complimented and moved this drink into the next dimension.”
-Nicole Schofield