As Labor Day weekend marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall, now is the time to get out your darker spirits. Many people like to enjoy lighter drinks in the summertime, with plenty of spritzes and bubbly concoctions. And for winter, you’ll want something hearty and warming. But coming into this transition period, it’s a good excuse to get a bit experimental with your cocktails.
Why not keep the last of the summer vibes with a spritz, but embrace the incoming fall by making it a bourbon spritz rather than an Aperol one? And now is a great time to get out your whiskeys and to try out drinks like a cherry sour or a bourbon Gold Rush.
Below we’ve got three whiskey cocktails perfect for fall, from the brands Maker’s Mark, Jos. A. Magnus & Co., and Fox & Oden.
Bourbon Spritz
Ingredients:
- 1 part Maker’s Mark Bourbon
- 1 part Aperol aperitif
- ¾ part of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Splash of simply Syrup
- Prosecco
- Orange Peel
Method:
Fill a wine glass with ice and layer in Maker’s Mark, Aperol, lemon juice and syrup. Top with Prosecco and garnish with an orange peel.
Cherry Whiskey Sour
Ingredients:
- 2.5 oz Fox & Oden Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- 0.75 oz lemon juice
- 0.5 oz simple syrup
- 1 tsp cherry juice or jam
- 1 egg white
Method:
Combine Fox & Oden bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup, and cherry juice in a cocktail shaker with 5-6 cubes of ice. Shake well until combined. Strain out the ice and return the cocktail to the cocktail shaker without ice. Add egg white and shake as vigorously as possible for an entire minute to build foam. Pour slowly into a coupe glass.
Honey Bourbon Gold Rush
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Lemon slice, garnish
- Cherry, garnish
Method:
Stir honey and water in a cocktail shaker until the honey is dissolved. Add bourbon and lemon juice. Shake and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice and garnish with a lemon slice and cherry.