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 beautifully blend in many autumn-inspired drinks. This particular variation on the classic Old Fashioned is credited to Robb Turner, owner of the Crown Maple company based in New York State. His recipe includes bourbon, a muddled orange wheel, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and Angostura bitters, mixed with a dark amber maple syrup that is rich in both color and taste compared to its lighter counterparts.
Food & Wine / Tim Nusog
This classic cocktail recipe from the era before Prohibition mingles robust rye whiskey with dry vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and the elusive Amer Picon, a bittersweet French liqueur. Due to its scarcity in the U.S., suitable substitutes include Bigallet China-China Amaro, Amaro Ciociaro, or Ramazzotti, which complement the drink’s powerful profile.
This robust cocktail suited for autumn and winter blends bourbon, coffee liqueur, maple syrup, cold brew concentrate, and walnut bitters. Known as the Alpine Brew, it should be served over a pristine ice cube and garnished with coffee beans for an extra touch of elegance.
Chelsea Kyle / Food Styling by Drew Aichele
Elevate your Margarita this fall with plenty of apple cider and a hint of cinnamon. Incorporate tequila, orange liqueur, Cointreau, fresh lime juice, and apple cider to craft the ideal drink for after apple picking or to start your Thanksgiving festivities. Decorate your Margarita glass with a cinnamon sugar rim and a fresh apple slice plus cinnamon sticks for garnish.
Nocino, a walnut liqueur crafted from green walnuts and enriched with spices such as star anise, cloves, cinnamon, and vanilla beans, transforms this Cognac-based sour cocktail into a delightful treat for the colder months. Complemented by lemon juice, simple syrup, and Angostura bitters, the liqueur’s nutty and floral notes create a richly flavored cocktail perfect for chilly days.
Pomegranates, a quintessential fall fruit, are excellent in agave-based drinks. This punch, crafted by Vancouver’s bartender Kaitlyn Stewart, mixes blanco tequila with pomegranate and lime juices along with ginger tea and maple syrup. The fresh, unaged tequila pairs wonderfully with the tart pomegranate juice, while maple syrup adds a cozy warmth. Stewart suggests serving this cocktail in tea cups to add a unique and festive touch.
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 conceived the Newark in 2007 for the autumn drink selection at the renowned New York City bar PDT. This twist on the traditional switches rye whiskey for potent apple brandy, dry vermouth for sweet, and substitutes the elusive Amer Picon with the darker, more bitter Fernet-Branca.
Food & Wine
This lesser-known classic is a herbaceous take on a Sidecar, replacing orange liqueur with Green Chartreuse. It includes freshly squeezed lemon juice, simple syrup, and aromatic bitters, making this sour cocktail a nod to one of the most illustrious boulevards in the Paris’ 8th arrondissement.
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