Melted Marshmallow Webs Are Key For Dramatic Halloween Cocktails

One of the best parts of making your own Halloween-themed cocktails is finding the perfect way to decorate the glasses. Dry ice, gummy worms, and spider picks to hold olives and cherries all fit the bill, but they've also been done time and time again. TikTok user @thespritzeffect posted a brief video showing her followers something more unexpected and kept things spooky by using marshmallows for creepy spiderweb cocktails.

When marshmallows are melted and pulled apart with your fingertips, a web-like effect is created that perfectly sticks to glassware just as much as real spiderwebs can cling to your face when you unintentionally walk into them. All you need to do is briefly nuke some marshmallows in the microwave until they're good and melty. Then, when it's cool enough to handle, apply some to your fingers and gently stretch the confection over a cocktail glass until you get your desired amount of "spiderweb" draped over the rim. 

You can then pour your cocktail right through the gaps. When you take a sip, you'll get the lovely, sweet taste of marshmallow, plus a bonus spine-chilling feeling as it sticks to your lips.

You've probably seen a similar effect on baked goods like cakes that have been draped with pulled, melted marshmallow. Bakers also may use pulled sugar or cotton candy to get a similar look, but if you tried to use these elements in a cocktail, they'd immediately dissolve once they touched the liquid. If you don't want to deal with messy, melted marshmallows, but still want a spider web decoration, consider using tempered chocolate.

Place your tempered chocolate (white or dark) in a squeeze bottle or a decorating bag with a very thin tip and then pipe out some spider web designs on a piece of parchment paper large enough to balance over the rim of your cocktail glass. Chill the paper until the webs on top are firm. Then, right before serving your drinks, rest one of these chocolate spider webs over the top of the glass. Guests will need to remove the web before they drink, but they'll still have a tasty chocolate nibble to go with it.

You can use the spider web decoration on any cocktail you love, including sweeter drinks or sour cocktails, like a bourbon sour; the contrast of the sweet and tart would be delicious. Black-colored vodka or electric green liquors like midori and absinthe willmalso give your drinks extra Halloween vibes.