Let’s get autumnal.
Fall, more than any other season, seems to invoke visceral, specific sense memories around the food flavors that emerge during this period — baked apples with warming spices, sweet potatoes and candied pecans, tender figs and tart cranberries. It’s harvest season for everything from walnuts and almonds to figs, pears, and pumpkins, and the autumnal yield is rich and abundant.
Related: 11 Warming Drinks to Make This Fall
Naturally, the drinks we favor take these flavor cues as well. The shorter days and longer nights usher in more brown spirits, with spicy whiskeys, brandies, and aged rums taking center stage. Ingredients like coffee, maple syrup, apple cider and bitter walnut liqueur start to sneak into our Whiskey Sours and Margaritas and Old Fashioneds. These are layered, complex cocktails meant to be savored when the world gets a little more cozy.
Here are our favorite fall cocktails to help guide you into cooler, crisper days and cozy, spice-filled nights.
This spicy, agave forward cocktail with fig-ginger syrup, smoky mezcal and bright lemon juice from bartender and activist Ashtin Berry has a kick in more ways than one. Make the fig-ginger syrup ahead of time and save the spicy sweet solids to puree as a spread. A garnish of fresh, ground nutmeg make this batched sour cocktail especially autumnal.
Julia Hartbeck
Bourbon and maple syrup blend harmoniously and are often found in autumn-themed cocktails. A prime example is a twist on the Old Fashioned, shared by Robb Turner, proprietor of the New York-based Crown Maple. His recipe involves bourbon, a muddled orange wheel, fresh lemon juice, Angostura bitters, and a dark amber Grade A maple syrup, which boasts a richer color and taste than its lighter counterparts.
Food & Wine / Tim Nusog
This variant of the Manhattan cocktail from the days before Prohibition introduces a robust mix comprised of spicy rye whiskey, dry vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and Amer Picon. This bittersweet French liqueur is quite rare in the U.S., but can be adequately replaced by either Bigallet China-China Amaro, Amaro Ciociaro, or Ramazzotti maintaining the cocktail’s robust essence.
This vibrant and energizing cocktail perfect for the colder seasons fuses bourbon, coffee liqueur, maple syrup, cold brew concentrate, and walnut bitters. It is ideally served over a solitary clear ice cube supplemented with a scattering of coffee beans for garnish.
Chelsea Kyle / Food Styling by Drew Aichele
Enhance your Margarita this autumn with ample apple cider and a hint of cinnamon. This drink includes tequila, orange liqueur, Cointreau, fresh lime juice, and apple cider, making it ideal for enjoying after apple picking or as a festive Thanksgiving appetizer. For an added touch, coat the rim of your Margarita glass with a sugar-cinnamon mix and adorn with a fresh apple slice and cinnamon sticks.
Nocino, a walnut liqueur derived from green walnuts and infused with spices such as star anise, cloves, cinnamon, and vanilla beans, transforms a Cognac-based sour cocktail into a delightful treat perfect for chilly weather. The addition of lemon juice, simple syrup, and Angostura bitters harmonizes the earthy and floral essences, crafting a richly flavored beverage ideal for cold seasons.
Pomegranates, quintessential autumn fruits, excel in agave-based cocktails. A particular punch recipe created by Kaitlyn Stewart, a bartender from Vancouver, merges blanco tequila with pomegranate and lime juices, alongside ginger tea and maple syrup. The vibrant pomegranate juice pairs beautifully with the sharp, unaged tequila, while the maple syrup adds a touch of warmth. Stewart suggests serving this concoction in tea cups to enhance its festive appeal.
Food & Wine / Photo by Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Kelsey Moylan / Prop Styling by Gabriel Greco
Looking for a pre-dinner cocktail that will whet your guest’s appetites without knocking them out? Opt for this traditional Basque Country aperitivo that looks similar to a Negroni but with half the alcohol. Spanish vermouth provides the base, with smaller portions of gin and Campari supplying a sturdy backbone and a bittersweet kick.
Inspired by the Brooklyn cocktail, Jim Meehan and John Deragon introduced the Newark cocktail in 2007 for the autumn menu at the renowned New York City bar, PDT. This cocktail variation tweaks the original by using overproof apple brandy instead of rye whiskey, sweet vermouth in place of dry, and employing Fernet-Branca for its darker and deeper bitterness instead of the elusive Amer Picon.
Food & Wine
This lesser-known cocktail is a distinct take on a Sidecar by substituting orange liqueur with Green Chartreuse. The drink is complemented with freshly squeezed lemon juice, simple syrup, and aromatic bitters, crafting a sour cocktail that draws inspiration from one of Paris’ most prestigious streets in the 8th arrondissement.
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