Fall is a favorite season of many. With it comes cool, crisp weather, beautiful colors, and tasty drinks. While many people look forward to the pumpkin spice lattes, how about some fall cocktails? There’s truly nothing better than sipping on a creative cocktail surrounded by awe-inspiring colors after a long week of work.
While fall already has its traditional apple cider, it’s more fun to make some autumn-inspired cocktails. You can get those creative juices flowing, impress your friends, and learn something new along the way.
Check out the following eight easy-to-make fall cocktails. Each recipe makes two glasses unless stated otherwise.
Apple Cider Mojitos
A standard mojito is a refreshing, easy-to-drink cocktail that is loved by millions. If you mix things up and add in some apple cider, you’ll be delighted to see how well apple cider and mint go together. However, as these cocktails are meant for fall, you can even drop the mint altogether and add another herb like thyme in its place.
Ingredients:
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 4 oz of gold rum
- Apple cider
- Apple slices
- Soda water
- Cinnamon sticks
- Mint or another herb for garnish
- Plenty of ice
Directions:
- Fill 2 glasses nearly full of ice
- Squeeze half a lemon into each glass
- Pour 2oz of rum into each glass
- Fill the cup to ¾ with apple cider
- Put a splash of soda water in each
- Add in apple slices and cinnamon sticks
- Top with your desired herb
Bacardi Gold Rum is the perfect rum to add for apple cider mojitos. It has a hint of vanilla and caramel to add further complexity to your cocktail.
Pumpkin Spice Moscow Mule
Moscow mules are adored in the modern era, despite their somewhat obscure history. Moscow mules are now staples in any bar regardless of the past, as those copper mugs are ubiquitous in the cocktail scene. Although they’re already delicious on their own, add a little pumpkin to the mix, and your fall needs are met.
Ingredients:
- 4 oz pumpkin vodka
- 2 oz apple cider
- 12 oz can of ginger beer
- Pumpkin spice and cinnamon sticks for garnish
- 2 copper mugs (if you want to be authentic)
- Ice
Directions:
- Fill the copper mugs with ice
- Pour 2oz of vodka, 1oz of apple cider, and half the can of ginger beer into each mug
- Top with pumpkin spice and toss in the cinnamon stick
Caramel Apple Martini
What’s better than a caramel apple? A caramel apple martini, that’s what. Invite a few friends over, modify your recipe to quench all your guests’ cocktail thirsts, and start shaking the cocktail shaker.
This caramel apple martini goes wonderfully with a salty snack as well, so you might as well make it an appetizer kind of night.
Ingredients:
- 4 oz apple cider
- 4 oz caramel vodka
- 2 oz butterscotch Schnapps (or something similar)
- Cinnamon sugar or caramel for rimming the glass
- Apple for garnish
- Ice
Directions:
- Rim the martini glasses with your choice of caramel or cinnamon sugar (if you choose cinnamon sugar, dip the glass in apple cider, so the mix sticks well to the rim)
- In a cocktail shaker, add apple cider, vodka, and butterscotch Schnapps, and shake well
- Pour mixture into a martini glass
- Add a thinly sliced apple for garnish
Try this Smirnoff Kissed Caramel Vodka for your martini.
Pumpkin Old Fashioned
The old-fashioned cocktail has been around for ages, as evident by the name, of course. However, just because it’s a classic drink doesn’t mean it can’t be changed. With a slight tweak, you can make an old-fashioned perfect for the fall.
- Ingredients:
- 5 oz bourbon
- 1.5 oz of maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree
- 1 or 2 dashes of Angostura bitters per glass
- Orange peel, cinnamon sticks, and cherry for garnish
- Ice
Directions:
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, bourbon, maple syrup, pumpkin puree, and bitters. Shake well
- Add fresh ice to two glasses
- Strain cocktail mix into glasses
- Squeeze orange peel over the glasses and rub the peel around the rim of the glasses
- Add orange peel, cinnamon sticks, and cherry for garnish
This Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Bourbon has the perfect flavor of honey and blackberries to be the centerpiece in your Pumpkin Old Fashioned.
Maple Cranberry Bourbon
Bourbon may be an acquired taste for many, especially when it’s served neat. However, if you add in some flavoring, it can be enjoyed by even the pickiest of drinkers. What’s more, with the right ingredients—maple and cranberry, of course—you get the perfect fall drink to start a weekend.
Ingredients:
- 4 oz bourbon
- 3 oz cranberry juice
- 2oz maple syrup
- 2 oz club soda
- Cranberries tossed in maple syrup for garnish (1/2 cup syrup, 1 cup cranberries)
- Ice
Directions:
- Add maple syrup and cranberries to a saucepan and heat
- Allow the cranberries to break open and then remove from heat—produces cranberry maple syrup and the maple cranberries
- Add ice to two glasses and top with maple cranberries
- In a cocktail shaker, add cranberry juice, maple cranberry syrup, and bourbon. Shake well
- Strain the drink into each glass and top with a splash of club soda
Try Maker’s Mark Bourbon as its natural smooth flavor and caramel aroma mixes perfectly here.
Chai White Russian
There’s no better way to start a weekend day in the fall than with a White Russian. The way the coffee liqueur combines with vodka and cream cannot be beaten. That is unless you spice it up with some chai. While you get all the traditional flavor and texture of a White Russian, you get the perfect additive for seasonal drinking. Make these at your upcoming Thanksgiving, and your family will quickly know who their favorite family member is.
Ingredients:
- 4oz of vodka
- 2 chai tea bags
- 2 oz of coffee liqueur
- 2 oz of heavy cream or half-and-half
- Cinnamon sticks, for garnish
- Star anise for garnish
- Ice
Directions:
- In a large enough pitcher, combine vodka and tea bags. Let it rest for 2-3 hours, so the vodka can soak up all the chai flavor
- Remove the tea bags and add coffee liqueur and heavy cream
- Stir well and let the mixture chill in the fridge for 20 minutes or until you’re ready to serve them
- Fill 2 glasses with ice and split the mix evenly between the glasses
- Add cinnamon sticks and star anise for the final touch
Warm Bourbon Cider
A glass of apple cider is one of the essential tastes of autumn. It’s a spirit-lifting drink perfect for any occasion as you can enjoy a crisp glass at your local pub or a steamy, warm cup of cider on a crisp fall evening. While apple cider needs no changes on its own, by adding a few more ingredients to the cider, you can make the perfect fall cocktail.
As cider is best shared with friends or family, this recipe makes ten glasses. However, it can be modified as needed.
Ingredients:
- ½ gallon of apple cider
- 12 oz bourbon
- 2 ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 ½ tsp ground ginger
- Ice
Directions:
- Heat apple cider, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger altogether in a pot
- Remove from heat when the mix is hot but not boiling
- Add bourbon and mix evenly
- Distribute among glasses
A classic bourbon, such as Jim Beam Bourbon, will pair perfectly with apple cider and cinnamon.
Pumpkin Pie Sangria
Sangria is a popular drink worldwide, but not many know that the Spanish have been drinking it for ages. Even more astonishing, there’s no standard recipe in Spain for the drink. Rather, you can make it with several types of fruit, wines, and other ingredients. For fall, try making this Pumpkin Pie Sangria as you’re sure to be surprised with the complexity of the flavor.
As it’s tough to make sangria in small batches, this one makes roughly 4 glasses.
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle of white wine chilled
- 1 bottle of sparkling cider
- 4 oz pumpkin pie vodka
- Pear
- Apple
- ¼ cup of sugar
- ½ tsp pumpkin spice
- Cinnamon stick for garnish
Directions:
- Mix sugar and pumpkin spice together on a plate
- Rim glasses with the mixture
- In a pitcher, add wine, cider, and vodka together
- Chop up the pear and apple, and add them to the pitcher
- Pour into glasses and garnish with cinnamon sticks
Takeaway
Now that fall is here, it’s time to enjoy the cool weather and changing colors. The perfect way to enjoy the season is by making some creative autumn-inspired cocktails. You can follow the exact recipes above, or you can even try to mix things up and add your own flavorings or spices.
Always remember, when you’re making cocktails for family or friends, drink responsibly. Don’t let someone drink and drive as it can harm your friend and others.
