Bartesian^® Vampire's Kiss Pod Review: Honest 7.5/10 Tasting Notes

Bartesian^® added two brand new drinks to its 2026 Halloween Collection. Vampire's Kiss is one of them. I tasted it on my Bartesian^® Premier on the regular setting with Tito's vodka. It was the last drink in the box for me to taste.

My score is 7.5/10 on my first taste. It's a good drink, but not a great one. It's also the gentlest drink in the Halloween box, and that's both its strength and its weak spot.

What Is the Vampire's Kiss?

The Vampire's Kiss is a vodka drink built around red licorice flavor, with strawberry and fruit punch behind it. Bartesian's site recommends a martini glass, garnished with licorice or a blood-red drizzle.

It is new this year. Bartesian's 2025 Halloween set, the Spooky Sips Collection, held Witch's Heart, Caramel Appletini and the Candyman Margarita. For 2026, Vampire's Kiss and Sour Spell joined the box, and the Candyman Margarita moved out of it to be sold on its own. As of October 6, 2026, Bartesian.com shows the Candyman Margarita as sold out.

Vampire's Kiss is sold two ways. The Halloween Collection holds 8 capsules: two each of Vampire's Kiss, Witch's Heart, Caramel Appletini and Sour Spell. A single-flavor box holds 8 Vampire's Kiss capsules. On October 6, 2026, Bartesian.com listed it at $24.96 for 8 capsules. Prices change.

The full Halloween lineup, all five drinks, is covered in my Bartesian^® Halloween cocktails guide.

Where Did the Vampire's Kiss Come From?

No one has recorded who invented a cocktail called the Vampire's Kiss. The name belongs to a Halloween party drink found in many home recipes. The common version mixes vodka, raspberry liqueur and cranberry juice. It is often topped with sparkling wine and served with a red "blood" rim. Food Network has carried one version, from Sandra Lee, since at least 2013. A Brooklyn bar later used the same name for a completely different drink built on red wine.

Bartesian's Vampire's Kiss is its own take. It uses red licorice in place of raspberry, which gives it more of a candy taste than a party punch taste.

What Happens on the First Pour?

I made it on my Bartesian^® Premier with Tito's vodka on the regular setting. The machine made the drink into my shaker with ice. I shook it and poured it into a stemless martini glass.

Bartesian's site recommends a licorice garnish or a blood-red drizzle. I put two red licorice twists in the glass for the photos, then pulled them out before tasting. Licorice is fairly waxy, and I doubt it would have changed the taste. I pulled it anyway, to keep every first taste the same. I skipped the drizzle for the same reason. A drizzle adds sweetness and would change the taste.

On a first taste, I drink every pod plain. That shows what the drink tastes like on its own. I also taste before I read Bartesian's description, so the notes below are my own.

The drink pours a deep cranberry red. There is no shimmer in this one.

The smell is strawberry or cherry. I leaned toward strawberry. I also picked up something a little medicinal. I've worked in the medical field, and it reminded me of a medicine syrup. That is not a complaint. It smells good.

The first sip is gentler than the other Halloween drinks. Witch's Heart, Sour Spell and Caramel Appletini all hit with bold flavor. This one doesn't. It tastes like strawberry or cherry licorice.

Compare a sour candy strip to a piece of strawberry licorice. The sour strip lights up your mouth. The licorice is calmer. That is the difference here, and I think it is exactly what Bartesian was going for.

The middle and the finish were harder to pin down. It's sweet, but not overly sweet. It isn't dry. On some sips, a slightly medicinal aftertaste showed up at the end. It doesn't taste bad. It just keeps the drink from being great.

What Do the Tasting Notes Show?

Does Sip Size Change the Taste?

It did for me. About halfway through the glass, I took a bigger sip, and the aftertaste was gone. When I went back to small sips, it returned.

My best explanation is that a small sip stays in the mouth longer, so the finish has time to show up. A bigger sip goes down before it does. For anyone bothered by the finish, bigger sips are worth a try.

How Does It Compare to the Rest of the Halloween Box?

It is the gentlest of the four. Witch's Heart, Sour Spell and Caramel Appletini are all bold. Witch's Heart and Sour Spell also have shimmer. Vampire's Kiss does not.

My score matches the 7.5 I gave Witch's Heart. The difference is what I would buy. I would consider a full box of Sour Spell, Caramel Appletini or Witch's Heart. I would not buy a full box of Vampire's Kiss. The two in the Halloween Collection are enough for me, and I'll enjoy them for what they are.

Full reviews: Witch's Heart, Caramel Appletini and Sour Spell.

Which Vodka Works Best?

I used Tito's, a clean unflavored vodka, and it worked well. The licorice carries this drink, so an expensive bottle isn't needed. Any smooth vodka works.

The vodkas owners actually load are listed in my guide to the best liquors for Bartesian^® pods.

Who Should Try This Pod?

Final Verdict

The Vampire's Kiss scores 7.5/10 from me. It's a good drink, just not a great one. It starts strong, and the finish is where it lost me.

In the Halloween Collection, I'd buy it again. As a full box on its own, I wouldn't.

It does its best work at a Halloween party. These drinks add to the fun, and this one gives guests something gentler between the bolder pods.

This score comes from my first taste. If my score changes, I'll update this review.