It’s no secret that the best way to get the most out of Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) is to stay near the screams at a Universal Orlando hotel. This year, that’s truer than ever as you can enjoy scary-good cocktails in seasonally themed bars across the resort! Here’s what you need to know:
- Guests of select Universal Orlando hotels can enjoy late-night bites and seasonal cocktails at themed bars, like the Universal Monsters Laguna Lounge in Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Jake’s American Bar.
- Several Universal Orlando hotels, like Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, have themed lobby displays available for photo ops before or after your night at HHN.
- All Universal hotel guests can take advantage of priority entrance to HHN with a hotel room key card and event ticket from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Once at the event, hotel guests can enjoy the exclusive Keyholder Bar, and count on easy, complimentary transportation back to their hotel at the end of the night.
Want a shriek sneak peek into what awaits you at the Universal hotels this Halloween season? Read on!
Jake’s American Bar at Loews Royal Pacific Resort
The Universal Monsters Laguna Lounge awaits you in Jake’s American Bar, and to say it’s a monster fan’s dream come true would be quite the understatement. You’ll be greeted out front by The Creature from the Black Lagoon dressed to the nines — be sure to snap a pic!
Once inside this mid-century modern tiki bar, you’ll spy my favorite monster of the bunch, the Invisible Man, shaking up cocktails alongside The Mummy. Here’s what’s on the menu:
- Black Sand Margarita: tequila, orange liqueur, fresh lime juice, agave syrup, black sugar rim and dehydrated blood orange
- Spiced Island Spirit Mule: vodka, fresh lime juice, ginger beer, pumpkin spice, real syrup, dehydrated lime and cinnamon stick
- Blood Moon Spritzer: Prosecco, syringe with bitter liqueur and dehydrated blood orange
Further back in the bar, you can spot another photo op featuring The Bride of Frankenstein, Frankenstein’s Monster, and the Wolf Man onstage, accompanied by the silhouette of a surprise guest. The only thing scarier than missing their set? Freeform jazz.
Jake’s American Bar also offers some limited-time bites for the HHN season:
- The Devil’s Volcano Eggs with jalapenos and pimento filling
- Haunted Hideaway Buffalo Dip with smoked cheddar, green onion, and blue cheese crema, served with tortilla chips
- Phantom Polynesian Linguine with pesto cream sauce, confit cherry tomatoes, asparagus tips, and char-grilled chicken breast
- Cursed Luau Burger with muenster cheese, strawberry barbecue sauce, crispy onion straws and a black sesame bun
Nova Bar at Universal Stella Nova Resort
Dark matter is, perhaps, the most mysterious substance in the known universe. But at Nova Bar at Universal Stella Nova Resort, the only mystery is which themed cocktail you’re going to sip amidst the hazmat cleaning operation currently taking place. Don’t let the names of these drinks intimidate you — they’re all worth assimilating into a hive mind:
- Containment Breach: tequila, orange liqueur, fresh lime juice, cherry puree, agave nectar and a crackling red energy rim
- Parasite Host: vodka, almond liqueur, vanilla syrup, coconut cream, almond milk, blackberry puree and green apple popping boba
- Hive Mind Protocol: bourbon, plum gin liqueur, honey syrup, lemon juice, egg white and black walnut bitters
- Bio-Core Transmissions (non-alcoholic): raspberry puree, cranberry juice, fresh lemon juice, vanilla syrup, soda water, chia seeds and silver dust.
Luna Bar at Universal Terra Luna Resort
Often I ask myself: Why can’t we all just get along? No such luck at Luna Bar at Universal Terra Luna Resort, where two rival alien factions are duking it out for the right to claim this contested territory as their own. Your best course of action? Sit back and act casual while you sip one of these themed cocktails — and snap a pic, of course.
- Blood Moon: mezcal, hibiscus, fresh lime, orange liqueur, black sea salt and a smoke presentation
- The Reactor: gin, herbal liqueur, melon-flavored liqueur, cucumber, mint and shimmering gold accents
- Nightshade Elixir: color-changing lemon vodka, butterfly pea flower, fresh lemon juice
- Nebula Bloom: pineapple, passionfruit, coconut, butterfly pea tea, boba pearls
Velvet Bar at Hard Rock Hotel
Returning to Velvet Bar at Hard Rock Hotel, Night of the Living Shred is cranking it up to 11 with more zombie roadies, more frightfully cool photo ops, and more room to take it all in. This year, you can experience the rock apocalypse outside on the Veranda Bar, the perfect spot to get your pre-HHN liquid courage in the form of these bevvies:
- Vampire Scorner: vodka, cranberry juice, black cherry juice, splash of grenadine and garnish of cherries
- Poison Apple: apple-flavored whiskey, sour apple liqueur and splash of lemon-lime soda
- Cemetery Sunrise: tequila, orange juice, splash of grenadine, raspberry liqueur and an orange slice garnish
barVentura at Universal Aventura Hotel
Do the aliens atop barVentura at Universal Aventura Hotel come in peace? It’s hard to say. But they definitely come with a frightfully good array of themed cocktails — all of which you can find at Bar 17 Bistro, too! Once you’vesnapped some pics in the lobby, head up to the rooftop bar for the best view of the night sky at Universal Orlando Resort.
- Alien Abduction: vodka, orange liqueur, raspberry liqueur, prosecco and soda
- Wormhole Margarita: tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, agave and charcoal powder
- The Caffeinated Coven: vodka, coffee liqueur and pumpkin foam topped with cinnamon
Swizzle Lounge at Universal Cabana Bay Beach Resort
For fans of classic Halloween vibes, Swizzle Lounge at Universal Cabana Bay Beach Resort is a must-do! The Pumpkin Lord has taken over the hotel’s lobby with a pumpkin patch that’s prime for your photo-taking needs, with more jack-o’-lanterns than you can shake a swizzle stick at. When you’re done exploring, sit back in one of the comfy chairs and sip on one of these themed drinks:
- Bloody Sour: whiskey, lemon juice, simple syrup, pinot noir float and lemon peel garnish
- Hallow-rita: tequila, bitter orange liqueur, lime juice, agave nectar, orange juice and an orange wheel garnish
- Harvest After Dark: vanilla vodka, coffee liqueur, Irish cream liqueur and pumpkin spice syrup garnished with espresso beans
- Diablo Maria: spicy tequila, chile liqueur, lemon juice, hot sauce, sriracha sauce, bloody mary mix and a half-rim with Tajin seasoning and two olives on a bamboo stick
- Witching-Hour Whiskey Sour: bourbon, bitter orange liqueur, lemon juice, lime juice, mango puree and a garnish with lemon
- Spicy Jack-O-Rita: tequila, chile liqueur, lime juice, pumpkin puree, bitters and a half-rim with tajin seasoning
PRO TIP: See if you can spot the familiar pumpkin hiding amongst all of the jack-o’-lanterns!
PRO TIP: You can find even more seasonal cocktails at Galaxy Bowl — and you can enjoy a game of pre-HHN bowling while you’re at it!
The Thirsty Fish at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel
Another returning favorite, The Thirsty Fish at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel has transformed into an eerie fishing vessel rendered frozen by an ice storm. The ship’s mast, dripping with icicles, hangs over the bar, and eerie blue lighting sets a vibe worthy of a mournful sea shanty.
There’s nothing to mourn about the selection of themed cocktails at The Thirsty Fish, which happens to be the longest menu of any of the hotel bars:
- Into the Fog: bourbon, almond liqueur, peach puree, lemon juice, aquafaba, pinot noir float and flavor blaster smoke
- Haunted Harvest: sake, pumpkin puree, brown sugar simple syrup, aquafaba and pumpkin spice
- Blood Orange Killer: rum, blood orange sour, pineapple juice, cream of coconut, grenadine, mint sprig and ground nutmeg
- Cursed Cauldron Spritz: gin, elderflower liqueur, lavender honey simple syrup, lemon juice, prosecco and flavor blasterbubble
- Witches Cold Brew: tequila, espresso liqueur, caramel syrup, espresso mix, whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles
- What Lies Below: vodka, strawberry puree, lemon juice, blue energy drink and gummy skulls on a pick
- Mutiny Cocktail (non-alcoholic): Italian orange liquor, vanilla syrup, orange soda, lemon-lime soda and a dehydrated orange wheel
- The Siren’s Shot: lemon vodka and blood curacao in an ice shot glass
The Thirsty Fish is also home to a few exclusive bites to take your mind off the biting cold (or at least the icy vibes):
- Dead Man’s Double: double-smashed cheeseburger downed in bloody nonno sauce, served with hand-cut fries
- Sunken Sailor’s Spread: sage derby, cranberry goat cheese, truffle gouda, cheddar, assorted meats, seasonal fruit, olives and almonds
- Kraken Calamari: drizzled squid ink, lemon aioli, jalapenos and sweet peppers
- Cursed Captain’s Wings: Calabrian sweet chili chicken wings served with ranch or blue cheese
- Last Reach from the Deep: shrimp cocktail served with citrus cocktail sauce, lemon and tabasco
- Barnacle Bites: Wisconsin golden cheddar curds served with spicy ranch
Lobby Bar at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort
If you’re looking to live your Gothic novel dreams out in real life, the lobby of Loews Sapphire Falls Resort should be at the top of your agenda. The wilting flowers, candelabras, and sinister sculptures are perfectly themed to make you feel like you’re creeping through a haunted manor. You can grab a themed cocktail at the satellite bar in the lobby, or head inside the nearby Strong Water Tavern to partake:
- Witch Doctor Old Fashioned: rum, cherry syrup, spiced cherry bitters and chocolate bitters
- Pumpkin Plunder: pumpkin vodka, cocoa cream, pumpkin syrup, orange juice, spice liqueur and an overpour rum float
- The Haunted Jungle Bird: white rum, bitter liqueur, lime juice, pine-charred syrup and grenadine
Sunset Lounge at Universal Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites
What spirits lurk beneath the waves? At Universal Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites, you can uncover the answer amidst the driftwood sculptures decorating Sunset Lounge. Plus, you can enjoy — you guessed it! — two themed cocktails exclusive to the Halloween season:
- Pier of Lost Souls: vodka, coconut rum, pineapple juice and citrus sour
- Ink of the Abyss: gin, spiced liqueur, almond syrup, lemon juice and passionfruit syrup
PRO TIP: If you’re staying at Surfside Inn and Suites, the seasonal drinks (and vibes) at Dockside are just a short walk away!
Which Universal hotel lobby bar are you going to check out first? Comment and let us know!