Autumn brings to mind brilliant reds and golds paired with the smell of chimney smoke. The days get shorter, the nights grow longer and it’s the perfect time to start mixing up some drinks. With all that in mind, we put together a list of fall cocktails that are made to be enjoyed as the leaves change.
Whether you’re a Scotch, vodka, gin, or tequila fan, our fall cocktails guide is sure to have something on it that fits your palate.
Spirited’s Fall Cocktails Guide 2021:
First Day of Fall
Ingredients:
- 1½ parts SKYY Vodka
- ¾ parts fresh lemon juice
- ½ parts syrup
- Top with sparkling apple cider
- Glass: Collins
- Garnish: Apple and grated cinnamon
Add SKYY, lemon juice, and simple syrup into a shaker tin and give it a quick shake. Strain into a Collins glass filled with ice. Top off with sparkling apple cider. Garnish and enjoy.
Iconic Iris Martini
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Tanqueray No. TEN
- 1 oz Pink Grapefruit Juice
- .75 oz Honey
- Garnish: Grapefruit curl
- Glassware: Martini glass
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain into a chilled glass.
50/50 Martini
Ingredients:
- 1 part 1757 Vermouth di Torino Extra Dry
- 1 part SKYY Vodka or Bulldog Gin
Stirred: Pour the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail coupe. Garnish with olives or a lemon twist.
Shaken: Add the ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with an olive or lemon twist.
Pinnacle Cinnamon Peach Bellini
Ingredients:
- 1 part Pinnacle Original Vodka
- ½ part DeKuyper Peachtree Schnapps
- 2 parts orange juice
- 3 parts sparkling wine
- Pinch of grated cinnamon
Combine all ingredients except sparkling wine into the shaker, give a short shake and strain into ice filled wine glass. Top with wine. Garnish with orange, peach slice and cinnamon stick.
Cîroc Pomegranate Jewel
- 1 oz CÎROC Pomegranate
- .5 oz Grenadine
- Sparkling Wine
- Glass: Coup
- Garnish: Lemon twist
Add CÎROC Pomegranate and Grenadine in a mixing glass. Add ice and gently stir. Strain into a glass (no ice). Top off with Sparkling Wine and garnish.
Lure Of The Land
Ingredients:
- .25 oz of Grande Absente
- 1.5 oz XII Dry Gin
- 0.5 oz Cocchi Americano
- 0.25 oz Leopold Brothers NY Sour Apple Liqueur
- 0.25 oz Amontillado Sherry
- 0.5 oz Lime Juice
- 0.25 oz Honey Syrup (2 parts honey:1 part water)
- Dash Peychaud’s Bitters
Rinse a cocktail coupe or martini glass with .25 oz of Grande Absente 69, discard excess and set glass aside. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice and stir. Strain up into Absinthe-rinsed glass. Garnish with orange ribbon and small sprig of mint.
Johnnie Walker Apple Highball
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Johnnie Walker Black Label
- 3 oz Apple Juice
- 1.5 oz Fever Tree Ginger Beer
- Glassware: Highball
- Garnish: Candied Ginger
Build all ingredients into an ice-filled highball glass and garnish with candied ginger.
Autumnal Glendullan
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz The Singleton 12 Year Old
- 0.5 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 oz Apple Cider
- 0.25 oz Cinnamon Syrup
- 1 Bar Spoon Pumpkin Butter
- Glassware: Highball or Rocks Glass
- Garnish: Apple Slice and Grated Nutmeg
Add all ingredients into a shaker. Add ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a highball glass and garnish.
Buchanan’s Spiced Pear Scotch Toddy
Ingredients:
- ½ cup spiced pear juice
- ½ cup store bought pear juice; ½ cinnamon stick + 1½ whole allspice seeds + 1½ whole cloves.
- Combine in a small saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower temp and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- 1 oz Buchanan’s Special Reserve
- ½ oz honey
- ½ lemon juice
- Glassware: 6 oz hot toddy mug or glass mug
- Garnish: Fresh pear slices + lemon peels + anise seed pods
Top with ¼ cup spiced pear mixture (strained into mug). Garnish with a slice of pear, lemon peel and anise seed pod.
Bailey’s Apple Of My Chai
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Baileys Apple Pie
- 6 oz Chai Tea
- 3/4 oz Café de Olla Syrup
- 2 Drops Cardamom Bitters
- Glass: Rocks glass
- Garnish: Grated Nutmeg
Using a tea kettle, bring water to a boil. Pour 6 oz of hot water into a toddy mug. Make tea by steeping tea bag in hot water for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags. Measure and add remaining ingredients (except garnish) to your mug. Gently and carefully mix with a bar spoon. Top with a sprinkle of grated nutmeg.
Tequila Don Julio Cilantro Paloma
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz. Tequila Don Julio Reposado
- 1 1/2 oz. Fresh Grapefruit Juice
- 1/2 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
- 1/4 oz. Agave Syrup
- 10 Cilantro Leaves
- Back Lava Salt
- Glass: Highball with black lava salt rim
- Garnish: Cilantro
Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain contents into a Highball glass rimmed with black lava salt over fresh ice. Garnish with cilantro.
Coffee White Russian
Ingredients:
- 50ml Sipspresso Gin
- 25ml Double cream
- 25ml Milk
- 10ml Sugar syrup
- Chocolate powder and 3 coffee beans
Vigorously shake Sipspresso Gin, cream, milk and sugar syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into an ice-filled espresso mug and garnish with a sprinkle of chocolate powder and three coffee beans.