From Krampus to Morticia Addams: The Social List's devilishly delicious Halloween cocktail menu

I’ve long said that The Social List is 4th Street’s great social experiment: To create a space that is both an ending point and a connector to other businesses. A neighborhood joint that happily sticks to what people like and what sells well. And it is because of that the much-loved space has lasted for a decade.

Well, that and Navarro Hospitality Group’s Beverage Director Erik Rios-Wentzky, who oversees both Lola’s locations as well as The Social List. His ability to conjure up bewitchingly solid cocktail lists has never been a secret. Whether it’s a cocktail list for the space’s remodel or a special menu for Mardi Gras, Erik’s talent has never had the chance to curtail. And his 2024 Halloween menu—expanded from six cocktails last year to 10 this year—continues to reflect that standard.

Surely, there are similar vibes to last year: jack-o-lanterns hang across the parklet, the skeletons of former Yelpers and Karens drape the walls, the hats of witches sway from the ceiling with the disco ball…

This year, however, feels fuller, like the crypt was filled with more charm and details: Giant spiders, plenty of mood lighting, and little odes to teh Hollywood Halloween giants of the past. From Frankenstein and Morticia Addams to drinks offering odes to classics like “Arachnophobia” and “Night of the Living Dead.”

Social List 20478 — A Yelp! reviewer who continued to insist their posts were relevant at The Social List. Photo by Brian Addison.

If more than anything, it guides the menu into a clearer theme—and when the music of everything from “The Shining” to Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion comes on, the vibe feels on point. It. Is. A. Vibe.

And like the over-the-top, outright wondrous Christmas kitsch that The Ordinarie tackles each year, it still very much beckons the question as to why restaurants don’t choose a holiday to go more all-out for. This is especially true for holidays like Christmas and Halloween, where spaces can even adapt to their cuisine’s cultural leanings.

But what about those Halloween cocktails?

Erik has you covered. From dangerously pound-able concoctions to sultry, slow sippers, The Social List’s cocktail menu for Halloween 2024 has a bit of everything for everyone over the age of 21. (And, at least, some very nice visuals for all the babies who want to tag along.)