Now that we are well into October and “spooky season,” autumn is officially in full swing. Leaves gently fall from trees in vibrant reds, yellows, and browns; days get shorter, and nights get colder. It’s a great time of year for cocktail drinkers.
Whether they are warm because of the temperature or simply warming because of the ingredients, the fall months are the perfect time to layer up and sit by a roaring fire while you slowly sip a well-made cocktail or two. Besides apple picking, cider donuts, and Halloween fanfare, the cocktails are my favorite part of autumn.
But what makes a fall cocktail? Is it the ingredients, the spirit, or when and where you drink it? Keep scrolling for a deep dive into fall mixology.
What makes a fall cocktail?
While summer is a great time for gin, vodka, blanco tequila, and white rum-based cocktails with fresh, fruity ingredients, fall is all about aged spirits. I prefer to mix with bourbon rye whiskey, single malt Scotch whisky, applejack, brandy, dark rum, cognac, and other mature spirits. I also tend to look for seasonal flavors like cinnamon, maple, orchard fruits, and spices.
How I pick my fall cocktails
Since I want these drinks to be easy to make at home, I’m heading straight for classic fall cocktails. There’s no over-the-top, ingredient-filled drinks on my list. That said, I’m not just throwing darts at cocktail books. My fall cocktails need to either warm me up or warm my bones with the ingredients. They also need to be boozy, flavorful, and, hopefully, include some seasonal spices.
The best seasonal cocktails to sip this fall
Now that you’ve learned what makes a great fall cocktail, and which spirits and ingredients work well, it’s time to reveal the drinks you should add to your autumnal repertoire for fall, the holidays, and beyond. Keep scrolling to see them all in their apple, spices, warming glory.
Hot Toddy
Few classic cocktails suit chilly fall weather as well as the timeless Hot Toddy. Like many drinks, the Hot Toddy has a murky history. The first mention of a “taddy” (initially a drink made from fermented palm sap) in an English dictionary appears in the early 1600s. By the end of the 18th century, it had become a popular hot drink made with water, sugar, spices, and alcohol, similar to the one we enjoy on cold fall, winter, and spring nights to this day.
Ingredients:
2 ounces blended Scotch whisky
1 tablespoon of honey
2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
Hot water topper
Lemon wheel and cinnamon stick garnish
Preparation: Pour hot water into a heatproof mug, toddy glass, or Irish coffee glass to warm it. Dump the water out. Add honey, fresh lemon juice, and blended Scotch whisky to the glass. Top with hot water. Stir gently to combine and dissolve the honey. Garnish with a lemon wheel and cinnamon stick.
Maple Old Fashioned
Nothing stops you from enjoying a simple, classic Old Fashioned all autumn and winter. But if you want to get the seasonal flavor right, choose a Maple Old Fashioned. The original Old Fashioned, featuring rye whiskey (or bourbon), sugar, bitters, and water, is believed to have been created in the late 1800s by bartender and whiskey pioneer James E. Pepper at the Pendennis Club in Louisville. The Maple Old Fashioned is a variation that gained popularity in recent decades.
Ingredients:
2 ounces rye whiskey
½ ounce pure maple syrup
2-3 dashes
Orange twist and cocktail cherry garnish
Preparation: Add ice to a mixing glass. Pour in the rye whiskey, pure maple syrup, and 2-3 dashes of
Apple Jack Rabbit
When I think of fall, the first fruit that comes to mind is the crisp, delicious apple. No apple-centric cocktail is better than the timeless Apple Jack Rabbit. This drink,, featuring apple brandy (or applejack), fresh lemon juice, fresh orange juice, and maple syrup,, was first invented in the 1920s and published by Harry Craddock in The Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930.
Ingredients:
2 ounces applejack
.75 ounces fresh lemon juice
.75 ounces fresh orange juice
.5 ounces pure maple syrup
Lemon twist garnish
Preparation: In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, add applejack, fresh lemon juice, fresh orange juice, and maple syrup. Shake vigorously to combine and chill. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Penicillin
While many drinks on this list fit the “classic” definition, Penicillin is more contemporary, but no less perfect for the cool fall months. Now popular at bars worldwide, this blended Scotch whisky, fresh lemon juice, honey-ginger syrup, and smoky Islay single malt Scotch whisky was created by Australian-born bartender Sam Ross at the popular Milk & Honey bar in New York City in 2005.
Ingredients:
2 ounces blended Scotch whisky
.75 ounces fresh lemon juice
.75 ounces honey-ginger syrup
Islay single malt Scotch whisky float
Lemon twist garnish
Preparation: In an ice-filled shaker, add the blended Scotch whisky, fresh lemon juice, and honey-ginger syrup. Shake vigorously to combine and chill. Strain into an ice-filled rocks or Old Fashioned glass. Pour Islay single malt Scotch whisky over the back of a bar spoon to create a float. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Godfather
Few fall cocktails are simpler than the Godfather. This drink, made with only Scotch whisky and amaretto, was popularized in the 1970s. And yes, you guessed it. The drink is named for the 1972 film of the same name and gained popularity around the time of the movie’s release. It’s no less flavorful and boozy today than it was more than 50 years ago.
Ingredients:
2 ounces blended Scotch whisky
1 ounce amaretto
Orange twist garnish
Preparation: Pour the blended Scotch whisky and amaretto into a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir gently to combine and chill. Strain into a chilled rocks or Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
