It's fall, y'all, and while sipping apple cider and pumpkin spice lattes are a given, finding the perfect fall cocktail recipe isn't so easy. After a season of spritzes and rosé wine, we're craving cocktails that are equal parts refreshing and cozy. From apple cider margaritas to mulled wine, we rounded up our best fall cocktails (and a couple of mocktails too!).
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Our best fall cocktail recipes
1. Whiskey and Apple Cider Syrup (aka the only fall cocktail you meed in your life)
Is that a hint of orange? A tinge of yellow? As soon as the leaves start to change, grab your favorite rye whiskey, a gallon of apple cider (locally made, if possible!), and a couple of other easy aromatic ingredients to prepare the ultimate fall cocktail.
2. Spicy Apple Cider Margarita
Normally margaritas make me think of booze cruises at sunset and trips to the tropics, two things that aren't my typical fall activities in New England. But this recipe gets an autumnal spin thanks to the inclusion of apple cider and cinnamon.
3. Autumn Ash
If you're not too keen on Scotch whiskey, this cocktail might make you change your mind. St. Germain elderflower liqueur infuses the robust liquor with floral notes and apple brandy brings all-American sweetness.
I could go on and on about how perfect this autumnal punch is for your next fall harvest festival, but really, who hosts those? No one, right? So let's just say that you're hosting some friends and it happens to be fall and you're looking for a cocktail to make? This crowd-friendly punch is it.
Some fall days are warm and beautiful. Others can be, frankly, quite frigid. When the temperature drops below 50, sip a mug of this hearty hot chocolate, which is our new favorite fall cocktail.
It's a classic year-round, but somehow an Old Fashioned just tastes better as a fall cocktail.
This twist on a Manhattan features two kinds of vermouth (both sweet and dry), plus amontillado sherry. The dark, bewitching hue is totally apt for a Halloween cocktail.
8. Spiced Bourbon Cocktail with Pomegranate Syrup
Homemade cinnamon pomegranate syrup and a squeeze of citrus juice dress up Kentucky bourbon for one of our favorite fall cocktails.
When you picture the base for a fall cocktail, whiskey and bourbon probably come to mind first, right? But don't underestimate the power of gin! "This one is one of my favorites, combining muddled figs with a hit of maple syrup, tart lime, and spicy ginger beer, all circling around the complex flavors of gin," writes recipe developer fiveandspice.
Serve this festive fall cocktail for Thanksgiving dinner. The combination of red wine and prosecco mixed with mulling spices will appeal to both white and red wine drinkers and pairs well with almost every dish at the feast.
11. The Tom Cat
"This cocktail recipe, inspired by a nineteenth-century British gin recipe, is an updated version of the original Old Tom gin cocktail, with the addition of mezcal from Mexico for smokiness, vermouth for sweetness, and bitters for complexity," writes recipe developer Jody Eddy.
12. Winter Spritz
You only need four ingredients — Campari, blood orange juice, apple cider, and oranges — to make this cold weather spritz. Sure, it has winter in the name but we promise it's just as good during autumn.
13. Bourbon Sour with Honey-Plum Syrup
Food52's resident bartender Elliott Clark calls this bourbon-based cocktail the perfect one to celebrate fall just as the leaves start to turn. Our homemade plum-honey syrup adds a touch of sweetness with one of the season's best fruits.
14. The Fall 75 - Fall Champagne Cocktail
A French 75 is a pretty perfect cocktail, but it doesn't exactly scream fall. So we mixed champagne with cognac, blood orange juice, and a vanilla-berry syrup for a seasonally appropriate sip.
15. Hot Toddy
This classic warming lemony, whiskey-based cocktail will give you all the fuzzy fall feels.
16. Smoky Pear and Ginger Margarita
Fresh ginger, candied ginger, and pear juice usher in our favorite fall flavors for this mezcal margarita.
17. Change of Address from Eric Nelson
Looking for a nonalcoholic cocktail recipe for fall? Leave it to Julia Bainbridge to come up with a totally wacky combination of Coca-Cola, maple syrup, and soy sauce that somehow works brilliantly.
18. Spiced Pecan Margarita from A-K Hada
"This margarita hits all of the warm baking spice notes you'd find in pecan pie, thanks to a homemade tea and pecan orgeat (a sweet syrup typically made with almonds and orange flower water)," writes recipe developer A-K Hada.
19. Apple Peel Bourbon Ginger Shake-Up
If it's got apple in the name and it's after October 1st, then I'll take a double, please and thank you. This fall cocktail is made with our homemade Apple Peel Bourbon, plus triple sec and two varieties of bitters.
OK, this isn't exactly a cocktail. It's a recipe for drinking vinegar, in which fruit (in this case, apples) are steeped in a combination of vinegar and sugar for a few days. From here, you can drink it as is for a refreshingly not-sweet non-alcoholic cocktail or mix it with liquor for a fall beverage.
A hot toddy is undeniably the perfect cold-weather beverage. Instead of just a lemon wedge floating in the cocktail, we added both Meyer lemon and blood orange juices to the bourbon-honey blend for a better-than-ever fruity flavor.
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