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Back to Brown: 4 Wonderful Whiskey Cocktails For Fall

By Sam Slaughter Sep 22, 2016 1:32 PM

Okay, we know, there really isn’t a time when a whiskey cocktail isn’t appropriate, but fall—with its dropping temperatures and crackling leaves and the smell of fires in the air—is perhaps the perfect time to crack out your favorite brown spirits and mix something up that’ll warm the bones and sooth the nerves.

To celebrate the start of autumn, we’ve collected some great new whiskey cocktails that you’ll definitely want to mix up. They’re the perfect way to get your palate ready for the many whiskey cocktails that you’ll be drinking in the coming months.

Tennessee Cider

3 oz. George Dickel No. 12
4 oz. Apple Cider
5 oz. Grade B Maple Syrup
3 dashes Angostura Bitters

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Method: Add ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a tall glass.

Basil Hayden’s Autumn Sour
(By Jon Feuersänger, Denver, CO)

2 parts Basil Hayden’s Bourbon
1 part Fresh Lemon
3/4 part Honey
2 dashes Apple Cider Vinegar
1 dash Angostura® Bitters
1 sprig of Charred Rosemary (for garnish)*

Method: Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a rocks glass. Serve neat or on the rocks. Garnish with a sprig of Charred Rosemary.

*To char the rosemary sprig, place it over an open flame (either on a grill or stovetop) and rotate for 5-10 seconds until herb begins to smoke and brown slightly.

Alabama Autumn
(By Marc Volpicelli from Smoke BBQ, Delray Beach, FL)

1½ oz. Clyde May’s Whiskey
1 oz. carrot juice
1 oz. orange juice
½ oz. brown sugar syrup
½ oz. lemon juice
3 drops black walnut bitters
pumpkin ice cream
egg white
salt

Method: Stir all ingredients and strain over ice. Whip pumpkin ice cream, egg white and salt to make pumpkin foam. Top drink with a dollop and serve immediately.

Gold Rush
(By Billie Keithley, Liquid Chef of Breckenridge Distillery)

1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Bourbon
2 tsp Peach jam
2 oz Apple cider
Ginger ale
Garnish: Peach slice, orange peel, cinnamon stick, sprinkle raw sugar.

Method: Shake first 3 ingredients with ice. Top with ginger ale and garnish.

Classic London dry gins to add to your collection

Tanqueray

When many drinkers think about gin, they are likely to envision traditional London dry gin. That’s because, like the West Coast IPA when it comes to IPAs, the London dry gin is the standard for the spirit style.

While I love a nice glass of whiskey (or a whiskey-based cocktail), the summer months were made for the pine and botanical flavors of London dry gin. This juniper-forward version is also the perfect choice for cocktail enthusiasts (in drinks like the iconic G&T, Gin Gimlet, Negroni, and more) because of its piney, botanical flavor profile, which pairs perfectly with citrus and other summery flavors. Today, I’m going to take a deep dive into this popular gin variety.

Old Forester’s new bourbon is reaching char levels we can only dream about

Alcohol, Beverage, Liquor

Old Forester, the Louisville, Kentucky brand that bills itself as America’s first bottled bourbon, just released the newest entry in its 117 Series: Triple Char Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky.

The milestone here isn’t only the char — at least, not entirely. It’s also that Triple Char is the first Old Forester expression made entirely from whiskey distilled at the brand’s Main Street distillery.

Herradura is bringing back its 110-proof tequila, the strongest it’s ever made

Alcohol, Beverage, Tequila

How high in ABV can a mass-market tequila get? Herradura is looking to find out, with the return of Directo de Alambique, an unaged, still-strength expression bottled at 110 proof at Casa Herradura in Amatitán, Jalisco.

The tequila first appeared in 2012 as a small-batch experiment and developed a cult following among collectors before disappearing. The brand says the 2026 return comes after years of requests from drinkers hunting down old bottles.