Spook 'n' Sip Is Back: Carve a Pumpkin With a Cocktail in Hand at Eleven Bridges

Halloween, but darker, prettier and served with a cocktail. That is the pitch for Spook 'n' Sip, the adults-only pumpkin carving workshop that returns to South Brisbane this month for its third year, with eight nights of sessions from Thursday 15 October.

WillowWood Studios is taking over the workshop space at Eleven Bridges Gin Distillery, and the room is being dressed for the occasion: burgundy velvet, dark florals, trailing ivy, candlelight and glowing pumpkins, plus a styled photo area for guests and their finished jack-o'-lanterns.

Guests at a previous Spook 'n' Sip workshop. Photo: WillowWood Studios.

How the night works

Guests enter through the main bar, where a drink from the Spook 'n' Sip cocktail menu is the first order of business. Then it is down the hall to the workshop, where each seat is set up with a pumpkin to carve and take home, carving knives and tools, scoops and mallets, custom-made punches for eyes, mouths and noses, templates, carving gloves, a tealight, a bag of Halloween candy and a WillowWood Studios apron.

No experience is needed. Hosts guide the group through each stage with demonstrations, and one-on-one help is on hand. Once the jack-o'-lantern is glowing, it is off to the photo area, where Creative Director Frances Willow photographs guests with their creations. Halloween finery is encouraged, with one practical catch: closed-in shoes are required, and loose clothing that could catch on the candle in your pumpkin is best avoided.

The cocktail menu

The menu was created with Eleven Bridges Gin Distillery and announced this week. There are four drinks, each $15:

• Fae Spritz: Eleven Bridges Gin, elderflower and prosecco
• Herbal Hex: Eleven Bridges Gin, grapefruit, strawberry, ginger beer and prosecco
• Night Bloom: Eleven Bridges Gin, cranberry, elderflower, lime and soda
• Harvest Moon: spiced rum, cloudy apple, plum, bitters and warming spice

Drinks are not included in the ticket price, and non-alcoholic options will also be available.

Pumpkins from a previous workshop. Photo: WillowWood Studios.

If you go

• What: Spook 'n' Sip: Pumpkin Carving Workshop
• When: Thursday 15, Friday 16, Saturday 17, Thursday 22, Friday 23, Saturday 24, Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October, with sessions at 5:30pm to 7pm and 7:30pm to 9pm
• Where: Eleven Bridges, 35 Peel Street, South Brisbane
• Tickets: $69 through Eventbrite. Ages 18+ only. No refunds.

Arrive about 15 minutes early. Each session opens with a mandatory safety briefing, and guests who turn up more than 10 minutes after the start time may not be admitted. Photos are emailed to guests up to a week after their session.

The workshop uses bar-height tables and stools. Guests with accessibility needs, or who want to bring a carer or support person, are asked to email WillowWood Studios before booking so seating can be arranged.