These Des Moines Halloween-themed pop-up bars are now open with blood cocktails and more
Swap your jacket for cape and sip on some O-negative, or at least a cocktail that looks frighteningly similar. These Des Moines Halloween-themed pop-up bars are inviting guests to get in the spirit with hair-raising atmospheres, chilling drinks and plenty of things to do all month.
Nightmare on Ingersoll
Something horrendous awaits inside The Station on Ingersoll’s separate bar space Dugan’s Hideaway, which transformed into the Nightmare on Ingersoll, where cobwebs, bats and skeletons are there to keep any daring guests company. Indulge in the vodka cranberry drink that’s red as blood and comes in a blood bag or try a Frankenstein’s Monster, a shot of melon and grape liqueur and lemon. There's also the poison appletini, infused with wood chip and smoke and topped with a smoke bubble that shrouds your drink in a fog when popped. Guests looking for nonalcoholic drinks can enjoy the unpoised appletini or the ube, vanilla and cream drink called Fogless Fizz. Enjoy these spooky cocktails during one of Nightmare on Ingersoll’s events, which include “Hocus Pocus” and Halloween movie trivia nights on Oct. 10 and Oct. 24, respectively, and live music with rockers Other Brothers on Friday the 13th and cover band Bad Friends on Oct. 28.
Location: 3124 Ingersoll Ave. in Des Moines
Hours: Open Sundays through Thursdays from 5 p.m. to midnight and Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. through Nov. 4.
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Disturb
Experience the atmospheric pop-up Disturb, stylized as a film noir, that is taking over the cocktail bar Good News, Darling, behind Hello, Marjorie. Enjoy the flavors of fall with the gin drink the "Twilight Zone," which incorporates fermented romaine hearts, applewood smoked almond, olive and more, or the P.S., the rum and bourbon cocktail with cold blew, pumpkin spice and chai. Try a menu of unique beverages that “include methods of preservation, pickling, fermentation, jarring and jams,” owner Nick Tillinghast said in an email to the Des Moines Register.
Location: 717 Locust St. in Des Moines
Hours: Open Wednesdays through Saturdays starting at 6 p.m. through Nov. 11.
More: Everything to know if you dare to get tickets for Slaughterhouse in Des Moines this October
The Haunting at Exile
It’s all things Halloween inside Exile Brewing Co.’s upstairs dining room. Take a shot through a syringe or try Beetle-Juice, the vodka-based cocktail with melon liqueur, among other drinks off a Halloween-themed food and drink menu. Show off your knowledge with aptly themed trivia nights on wizards and witches Oct. 11 and on Halloween Oct. 18 and dress up for costume nights Oct. 27 and Oct. 28. If you’re looking for some spirited fun without all the frights, visit Exile Brewing Co. on Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for pumpkin brunch and pumpkin painting.
Location: 1514 Walnut St. in Des Moines at Exile Brewing Co.’s upstairs dining rooms
Hours: Open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 5 to 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 11 p.m. and Sundays from 5 to 9 p.m. through Oct. 31.
Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at PBarraza@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 3 spooky pop-up bars in Des Moines offer Halloween cocktails, events
