With the leaving turning to golden and red, and the nights getting cold and arriving earlier, fall is a time of year that is perfect for getting comfortable and cozy. And when it comes to fall cocktails, there are some classic options you’ll find featuring spicy flavors, pumpkin flavors, and apple flavors. One spirit that goes particularly well with these sorts of flavors is rum, thanks to its rich, caramel flavor profile.
You’ll find popular fall cocktails featuring spiced rum, which is sweet and spicy and makes for great drinks like a Hot Buttered Rum. But there are options for both spiced rum and classic rums that are perfect for fall, like these suggestions below.
Hot Toddy
The classic Hot Toddy recipe is made with whiskey, but you can also make a rum version to keep you warm as the nights draw in. Warm cocktails require slightly different balancing from the cold cocktails you’d usually make, so you’ll find additions like honey and more hot water than you might expect will help to create a nicely balanced drink which tastes good as you sip it. This is also a great excuse to raid your spice cabinet and add your favorite fall spices like cloves, star anise, or cinnamon to add an extra hint of warmth to this cozy drink.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum
- 0.5 oz. Honey
- 6 oz. Hot water
- Lemon peel garnish
Method:
Add spiced rum and a tablespoon of honey to a mug. Sprinkle in 3 cloves, a slice of lemon, and a cinnamon stick. Fill the mug to the top with boiling water, stir well, and enjoy it hot.
Captain and Ginger
The rum and ginger beer combination is a proven winner, making a delicious and easy to sip drink which is enjoyed pretty much universally. This version uses spiced rum, which is sweeter than your typical white or dark rum, so it’s ideal for those who prefer their drinks on the sweeter side but don’t want to dump a ton of sugar in there. You can add a squeeze of lime if you prefer something more tart, or throw in candied ginger if you love those sweet and spicy flavors.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz. Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum
- 3 oz. Ginger ale or ginger beer
- Pineapple slice or candied ginger for garnish
Method:
Fill a highball glass with ice and add the spice rum. Top it off with ginger ale or ginger beer, then garnish with a pineapple slice or candied ginger.
XO Twisted Old Fashioned
The Old Fashioned is another classic whiskey cocktail, and the rum alternative is also a popular take. This version uses matured XO rum, which has deep and rich flavors, and it adds dark crème de cacao to bring out the spicy and chocolately flavors of the rum. This would be the ideal drink for those who like chocolate flavors but are looking for a less sweet alternative to traditional chocolate cocktails, and want a way to enjoy fine rum in a tasty cocktail.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Mount Gay XO
- 0.25 oz. Dark Crème de Cacao
- 2 dashes of Orange Bitters
- 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
Method:
Add all ingredients to mixing glass. Add ice and stir. Strain over big cube into rocks glass. Garnish with expressed lemon peel.
Orange Eclipse
An ingredient you don’t often see used in cocktails but adds a lovely fall flavor is blood orange juice. With its dark rich color and fresh taste, it has both a distinctive look that’s perfect for the times when the leaves are turning, but also fresh notes that fit well with rum. This cocktail uses a classic blended rum with crisp flavors, plus a touch of sweet vermouth for more dark red colors and a hint of sweetness and bitters to balance.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Mount Gay Eclipse
- 1 oz. Blood Orange Juice
- 0.5 oz Sweet Vermouth
- 4 dashes of Angostura Bitters
Method: Add all ingredients to shaker. Add ice, shake and strain into chilled coupe. Garnish with orange peel.
Black Barrel Bridgetown Sour
Another classic rum cocktail is the Rum Sour, which combines rum with lemon juice and sugar syrup to create a balanced citrusy rum drink. But this is also a drink which lends itself to variation, such as this Black Barrel Bridgeton Sour, named after the capital of Barbados. This swaps out the lemon juice for lime for a hint more sweetness and fruitiness, and adds in two types of flavored syrups rather than the plain sugar syrup. You can buy vanilla and almond syrups which are pre-made, such as those by brand Monin, or you can make your own syrups by crushing the ingredients and heating them with sugar and water.
Ingredients:
- 1.5oz Mout Gay Black Barrel
- 0.75oz fresh lime juice
- 0.5oz vanilla syrup
- 0.5oz almond syrup
- 1 dash Angostura Bitters
Method:
Pour all ingredients into a shaker. Add ice, and shake. Fine strain into a chilled coupette glass.
