The Strongest Cocktail Recipe Ever? Here’s How To Make The Graveyard Drink
Learn what goes into one of the world’s strongest drinks. Try making one for yourself, but beware of the strength of this cocktail.
It was only a matter of time before human beings tried putting nine different alcohols in one drink.
Perhaps the bartender who created this cocktail wanted to see what would happen. Maybe the creator had a horrific day. Whatever the case, the aptly named graveyard cocktail is a lethally strong mix. We recommend only drinking one.
Before showing you how to make a graveyard cocktail, let’s run through what’s in one. It’s a drink that combines all the main liquors usually kept on a bar: vodka, tequila, gin, rum, bourbon, and scotch. Then, there’s triple sec which gives the drink a hint of sweetness. And, that’s not all. This harrowing cocktail is topped off with two more alcoholic drinks: light and stout beer.
We’ll be straight with you: This cocktail intends to get you drunk fast. It’s more than a novelty cocktail than it is something you’d dare to serve at a party. Please don’t serve this cocktail at a party unless your guests promise to drink just one (for their sake). It does make a great Halloween cocktail, though.
Speaking of sipping, you may be wondering how this drink tastes. Brave taste testers report that it tastes exactly like you’d think: The graveyard cocktail tastes like a morbidly strong concoction of bitter liqueurs and hops, with the tiniest hint of sweet triple sec. And let’s just say it’s not the most appetizing cocktail. Thanks to the dark liquors and stout beer, the resulting color of this drink is dark brown, kind of like cola.
If your interest is somehow piqued and you must try a graveyard cocktail for yourself, read on to learn how to make it.
Preparation time: 3 minutes
Cooking time: None
Total time: 3 minutes
Servings: 1
Ingredients
½ ounce triple sec
½ ounce rum (some recipes even recommend overproof rum like Bacardi 151)
½ ounce vodka
½ ounce gin
½ ounce tequila
½ ounce bourbon whiskey
½ ounce scotch
Light beer
Stout
Glassware
Pint glass or beer mug
Preparation instructions
Add the triple sec, rum, vodka, gin, tequila, bourbon, and scotch to a pint glass and stir to combine.
Top up with equal parts of light beer and stout. We’d say “enjoy,” but “be careful” feels more appropriate here.
Bartender’s tip: When making strong drinks, measure. If you have a jigger on your home bar, you can use that, but a tablespoon will do if you don’t.
Know your tools, too. Most jiggers measure 1 ½ ounces of liquor, but some are larger, so check the packaging before mixing your first drink. Japanese jiggers, for example, have a 2-ounce measure on one side and a 1-ounce measure on the other. You have to do some guesswork when measuring in a recipe like this one because you only need ½ ounce of each liquor. Air on the side of caution.
If you’re using the measuring spoon method, one-half ounce is equal to exactly one tablespoon. Our advice? Even if you have a jigger, use a tablespoon for measuring out the ingredients so that you don’t overdo it.
Recipe adapted from Bevvy
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Other dark liquor drinks
If you prefer to skip the hangover a graveyard drink will cause but you like dark liquors, try one of these coffee cocktails.
Long Island iced tea
If you like strong cocktails, you’re probably very familiar with the Long Island iced tea. Mix one-half ounce of tequila, rum, vodka, and gin with some simple syrup and lime juice. Top with cola.
Old fashioned
Muddle or vigorously stir one-half teaspoon sugar with 3 dashes of angostura bitters, and 1 teaspoon of water at the bottom of a rocks glass until the sugar has dissolved. Add in a large ice cube and pour in 2 ounces of bourbon. Stir the drink gently to combine the flavors and garnish with an orange peel. That sounds like a much more refined Friday night drink than one that contains nine types of alcohol.
Dark and stormy
Pour 2 ounces of dark rum over ice in a highball glass and top up with ginger beer. Add in a few dashes of bitters and stir gently to combine the ingredients. Garnish the cocktail with a lime wedge and enjoy. This is a far more refreshing cocktail for your Saturday afternoon barbeque than a graveyard drink would be.
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Other beer mixed drinks
Just because beer doesn’t shine when mixed with seven hard liquors doesn’t mean that it isn’t the perfect ingredient for topping up other cocktails. Check out the following delicious beer cocktails.
Michelada
This popular Mexican drink is similar to a Bloody Mary but it’s made with beer instead of vodka. I’s touted as a hangover cure, so if you’re planning to make the graveyard recipe, you might need one of these in the morning.
To make, add one bottle of light beer to a pint glass and top up with Clamato juice, V-8, or another tomato-flavored drink. Then, get creative with your mix-ins. Traditional preparations include dashes of hot sauce, big squeezes of fresh lime juice, and droplets of salty condiments like Worchestire or Maggi. Garnish with fresh tropical fruits like pineapple.
Lemon shandy
While traditional shandies contain ginger ale and beer, this refreshing fizzy beverage is equal parts lemonade and lager. Pour the beer into a pint glass and top up lemonade. Stir the drink gently with a straw to combine the flavors. Garnish with a lemon wheel and sip up.
Pink panty dropper
If you’re looking for something more colorful or party-appropriate, try making a punch bowl of pinky panty droppers. Mix vodka, beer, and pink lemonade concentrate in a large bowl and leave your guests to serve themselves for a pink lemonade fizz.
If you’re planning to experiment with the graveyard cocktail this week, then it’s time to restock your bar. Pick up all seven liquors, some beer, and ingredients for a hangover-helping michelada from Gopuff. You can order everything you need in seconds and have it at your door in a matter of minutes.
