In recent years, Halloween celebrations have ceased to be just about children trick-or-treating. Grown-ups, now more than ever, are partaking enthusiastically in the festive period all through October, culminating in Halloween. The ultimate spooky shindig for adults? Halloween themed pop-up bars - a recent trend featuring ominously decorated watering holes that seamlessly marry macabre settings with fittingly eerie cocktails.

Black Lagoon, a LA-based roving horror-show-cum-pop-up experience, is leading the charge. With plans to launch in over 35 bars across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico this year, Black Lagoon's Halloween specials carry an intriguingly dark edge that contrasts pleasantly with the wholesome Christmas pop-ups typified by events like Miracle.

Kelsey Ramage, co-founder of Black Lagoon, believes that their developments are deliberately tilted towards the dark and odd. "We're offering something rebellious by leaning into the peculiar and the spooky," says Ramage. "Black Lagoon is the sort of place we wanted to go to."

From goth nods to references to horror cinema and heavy metal, and a smidgen of malevolence - the Black Lagoon experience doesn’t aim to frighten its customers. However, imbibing cocktails like ‘Nosferatu’s Rise’ under the watchful eyes of a severed hand and the earsplitting tunes of Black Sabbath is an experience far from the traditional Halloween sentiment of superhero suits and candy hauls.

"We're designing an adult Halloween playground," says Erin Hayes, the other half of the Black Lagoon founding duo. "We aim to keep it spooky and somewhat frightful, steering clear of the customary Jack-o’-lantern approach."

Accurately capturing the desired macabre mood across various locations commands painstaking planning and collaboration from Ramage and Hayes. They offer a range of music playlists and design ideas for bars, while insisting on retaining the bar's original ambience. "We encourage bars to showcase their unique character," says Hayes.

Bo Counts, owner of Pinpoint in Fayetteville, Arkansas, transforms his bar annually into a horrifying pop-up 'Nightmare on Block Street.' Closing down for five days in late September, Counts orchestrates an overly elaborate makeover with props from his massive collection housed in his 3,000 sq feet warehouse.

“The restrictions only exist in your imagination. The challenge is outdoing ourselves each year and taking our guests by surprise," Counts comments.

Some see functional advantages to the Halloween pop-up idea. Harvest Pelletier, bartender at Denver's Poka Lola Social Club, embraces the concept to stimulate revenue during October, a typically low period on their business calendar.

Regardless of the motivations, pop-up Halloween bar creators agree that the cocktails should align with the overall theme and be customer-friendly. Luke Gottlieb, bartender at Valencia's Victor, notes, "Our cocktail menu straddles finely between craft and mass appeal, anticipating a full house on most nights.”

Black Lagoon's Hayes and Ramage take a particularly holistic view concerning their Halloween cocktails, not only focusing on colors reflective of the season - orange, red, green, purple - but also infusing traditional fall flavors to complement their spirits of choice.

Despite offering superb cocktails, Halloween-themed bars aren't successful merely because of their sinister spirits. "While cocktails do resonate with the occasion, it's really the environment - the decor and playlist, which drive the bars' popularity," insists Hayes. "There's just something inherently intriguing about a bar dressing up for the season."