Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober Season 2. This is episode 4 for Saturday the fourth of October, 2025.
The Lemon Spectre
by Elizabeth Guilt
On Saturdays, Bill spent longer than usual polishing the countertop. The Lemon Spectres, exclusive to the hotel, looked their best against the black marble - that faint luminescence, that slight haze clinging to the rim of the glass. The glimmering cocktail was a nightmare to make, and it cost a fortune. But it was endlessly Instagrammable, and that kept the fashionable Saturday night crowds coming.
"Can't you change the recipe?" begged Evan, the only other person who knew the secret ingredient.
"Not without ruining business, no."
Evan grimaced, picked up his sack, and headed to the graveyard to collect the spectres.
I don't actually like cocktails all that much - I'm more of a beer person. But some of the drinks I've seen served in London bars have been really visually impressive. And I don't think the souls of the departed are one of the things you have to disclose in ingredients.