Move over espresso martini! The Black Magic Cocktail is back just in time for spooky season. This sweet three-ingredient treat from the 1969 Old Mr. Boston DeLuxe Official Bartender’s Guide is perfect for Halloween. It gets it’s moody color from coffee liqueur, but doesn’t have all that extra caffeine like the espresso martini. Instead, it’s paired with an  ingredient that having a trendy moment in coffee: lemon.

Where are all my klutzes? 

The Black Magic cocktail is served in a classic Old Fashioned glass. No dainty martini glasses necessary for this one. The Black Magic cocktail assumes that you are that witch. You likely have a fidgety tailed cat that likes to knock over your drink, or you gesture haphazardly with your wand while sipping cocktails. You need a glass that is sturdy and won’t topple easily. I fully support this. I am that witch. 

So now that we’ve settled on the glassware let’s talk about the ingredients: vodka, coffee liqueur, and a dash of lemon juice. Old Mr. Boston also suggests you garnish with a curl of lemon zest. I really enjoyed this addition. The fragrance of the lemon rind is lovely with most drinks. Frankly I always thought the coffee lemonade or the Italian tradition of a lemon wedge with espresso  would not be for me, but I really liked this flavor/scent combination. Give it a try!

I love to find random vintage glassware at antique and thrift shops, but for this drink I’m using some adorable cocktail glasses that my husband found on Etsy. Here’s the link: Link to my retro cocktail glasses (Etsy Affiliate Link)