The Most Delicious Fall Cocktails to Sip This Season, From Pumpkin Margaritas to Apple Cider Whiskeys
Fall flavors go far beyond the PSL—these cocktails mix pumpkin, apple and spice into drinks worth savoring.
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Even though pumpkin spice season is starting earlier and earlier (thanks, Starbucks, for a Halloween-worthy beverage in August), fall doesn't actually arrive until later in September. It's a subtle shift—the temperatures start to drop, leaves begin to flutter to the ground and a crispness permeates the air. A flannel shirt jacket might sneak its way into your wardrobe, at the same time that you contemplate adding butternut squash to every meal on your repertoire. Next thing you know, you're breaking out a chunky knit sweater and turning on Practical Magic just for a little background music. And what goes better with all of that than a cozy autumnal cocktail?
Whether you're planning a small night with a few pals at home, hosting a big party or just want to try a tasty beverage while lounging on the couch and watching an atmospheric fall film (or just preparing to watch Gilmore Girls for the 28th time), up the ante with a seasonally appropriate cocktail. Pumpkin spice lattes are nice and all, but it's not the only autumn flavor that's suitable for this time of year. There's a whole slew of simple ingredients that epitomize all things fall, whether you're in the mood for something with cinnamon, apple, cloves or vanilla.
From classic cocktails to wonderfully unique fall tipples, we've gone to the experts and found what are sure to be your new favorite fall cocktail recipes to whip up this season, whether you're in the mood for an elevated take on the Negroni, an adult apple cider, an elegant espresso martini and so much more. Below, see the best fall cocktails to try this autumn.
The Best Fall Cocktail Recipes
- Rob Roy
- Hot Toddy
- Casa Cider
- Cranberry Negroni
- Pumpkin Mule
- Agave Espresso Martini
- Apple of My Eye
- Pumpkin Pie Spiced Negroni
- Chai Tea-Ser Cocktail
- Autumn Appletini
- 1800 Iced Chai
- Glenmorangie Pumpkin Scotch Latte
- Autumn Grove
- Hendrick's Hot Spiced Apple
- Pumpkin Margarita
- Avaline Mulled Wine
- Maple Margarita
- Apple Chai T&G
- Honey Smoked Old Fashioned
- Matcha Martini
- Grapefruit Cinnamon Smash
- Lillet Cranberry Sparkler Cocktail
- TequiLatte
- Spiced Espresso Tini
- Apple Cider Spritz
- Proper Apple Martini
- Cafe Renais
- Baileys Cinnamon Churros Irish Cactus
- Pumpkin Hot Toddy
Rob Roy
Ingredients:
1 oz The Glendronach Original Aged 12 Years
1/2 oz sweet vermouth
1 dash angostura bitters
Black cherry, for garnish
Directions:
Combine all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice. Stir until cold; strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with black cherry.
Hot Toddy
Ingredients:
2 oz Aberfeldy 12
.5 oz honey syrup
.5 oz lemon juice
4-5 oz hot water
Lemon wheel, to garnish
Directions:
Warm glass before building cocktail. Add all ingredients to glass; stir to combine. Add in preferred spices and lemon wheel and enjoy.
Casa Cider
Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Casamigos Reposado, Blanco or Cristalino Tequila
1 oz apple cider
.5 oz fresh lemon juice
.5 oz. ginger syrup
2 dashes aromatic bitters
1 pinch nutmeg (optional
Apple slice, star anise, thyme sprig and cinnamon, for garnish
Directions:
Add all ingredients into a shaker and combine. Add ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a rocks glass. Add fresh ice and garnish apple slice, star anise, thyme sprig and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Cranberry Negroni
Ingredients:
1.5 ounces Staple Gin
.75 ounce Campari
.75 cranberry juice
.75 red vermouth
1 orange wedge
3 to 5 cranberries, for garnish
1 sprig fresh rosemary, for garnish
Directions:
Combine gin, Campari, cranberry juice and red vermouth in a rocks glass. Add juice from orange wedge. Add ice and stir to chill. Garnish with cranberries and sprig of rosemary.
Pumpkin Mule
Ingredients:
1.25 oz Nolet's Silver Gin
1 oz pumpkin puree
.5 oz fresh lime juice
Dash of cinnamon and nutmeg
Ginger beer
Lime, cinnamon stick, cranberries and/or dried ginger, for garnish
Directions:
Combine all ingredients, except for ginger beer, into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until chilled. Pour over fresh ice in a Moscow mule mug or tumbler; top with ginger beer and garnish.
Agave Espresso Martini
Ingredients:
1 oz Clase Azul Tequila Reposado
1 oz coffee liqueur
1 oz espresso
1/4 oz agave nectar
3 coffee beans, for garnish
Directions:
Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice; shake for five seconds. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with three coffee beans.
Apple of My Eye
Ingredients:
2 oz Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey
4 oz apple cider
1/2 oz honey
1 apple slice, for garnish
Directions:
Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker; shake until chilled. Fine strain into a highball class with fresh ice. Garnish with an apple slice.
Pumpkin Pie Spiced Negroni
Ingredients:
1.5 parts Monkey 47
1 parts pumpkin pie mulled wine
.75 parts Campari
Orange twist and cinnamon stick, for garnish
Directions:
Build in a rocks glass. Add ice; stir. Garnish with an orange twist or a cinnamon stick.
Chai Tea-Ser Cocktail
Ingredients:
2 tbsp loose chai tea
1 cup hot water
1/4 cup Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc
1 tbsp sugar
Star anise, for garnish
Directions:
Place chai into a tea bag or tea infuser. Steep tea in hot water for 10 minutes. Then mix sauvignon blanc with sugar and combine tea and wine mixture. Garnish with star anise.
Autumn Appletini
- Courtesy Pamela Wiznitzer
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Ketel One Vodka
.25 oz fresh lemon juice
.5 oz cinnamon syrup
.75 oz apple cider
Apple fan, for garnish
Directions:
First, make cinnamon syrup: Boil two cups water with three cinnamon sticks on high for 10 minutes. Reduce to a low simmer for additional 15 minutes. While water is hot, measure one cup of cinnamon water and mix with one cup dark brown sugar until it dissolves. Once all ingredients are ready, add all ingredients into a shaker with ice; shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass; garnish with green apple fan.
1800 Iced Chai
Ingredients:
2 oz 1800 Añejo
3 oz chai tea
1 oz coconut milk
1/4 oz agave syrup
Lemon oil
Directions:
Combine tequila, chai tea, coconut milk and agave syrup into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain over fresh ice in a highball glass. Express a lemon twist over the top. Garnish with a clove-studded lemon wheel.
Glenmorangie Pumpkin Scotch Latte
Ingredients:
50 ml Glenmorangie Original
50 ml espresso
50 ml spiced pumpkin syrup
100 ml hot milk
Whipped cream and cinnamon, for garnish
Directions:
Pour ingredients into cup; stir. Garnish with whipped cream and dust with cinnamon.
Autumn Grove
Ingredients:
2 oz fig-Infused Cutwater Bourbon Whiskey
2 dashes black walnut bitters
.25 oz maple-vanilla syrup
Dried fig and orange zest, for garnish
Directions:
Add all liquid ingredients into a rocks glass, add ice and stir until cold. Garnish with a dried fig on a pick and orange zest.
Hendrick's Hot Spiced Apple
Ingredients:
1 1/4 parts Hendrick's Gin
5 parts spiced apple juice
2 cloves
2 crushed cardamom
2 star anise
2 crushed juniper berries
1 orange peel
Apple slices
Nutmeg
Directions:
Simmer gin, apple juice and spices in a saucepan. Serve in a teacup; garnish with three apple slices and a dash of nutmeg.
Pumpkin Margarita
- Courtesy Manny Hinojosa
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Tequila Cazadores Reposado
1 oz Bols Pumpkin Spice Liqueur
2 oz orange juice
1/2 oz lemon juice
Cinnamon powder
Directions:
Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and then serve over ice. Add cinnamon sugar to rim; garnish with lime and orange slices.
Avaline Mulled Wine
- Makes large batch
Ingredients:
1 bottle of Avaline Red Wine
1 peeled and juiced orange
1 peeled lemon
4 cinnamon sticks
5 star anise (whole)
5 cloves (whole)
5 allspice (whole)
1 tbsp organic cane sugar
1 orange, cut into half wheels
Orange wheel, for garnish
Directions:
Peel orange and lemon, then juice orange. Combine all spices into a large saucepan; toast on medium heat for a few minutes. Add the rest of your ingredients to the pan and let it sit until it starts to steam; about 30 seconds. Reduce heat to low; let ingredients simmer together for 15 minutes. Strain and serve your wine in a mug; garnish with an orange wheel.
Maple Margarita
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Patron Silver
.75 oz Patron Citrónge Orange
.25 oz Ilegal Mezcal Joven
1 oz maple syrup
1 oz lime juice
Salt
Maple leaf, for garnish
Directions:
Combine all ingredients into a shaker tin; shake with ice to chill. Strain into a coupe glass rimmed with salt. Garnish with a maple leaf.
Apple Chai T&G
Ingredients:
3 parts (1/2 bottle) Betty Buzz Tonic Water
1 part Aviation Gin
1/2 part apple chai syrup
Star anise pod
Directions:
Fill a highball glass with ice; add gin and apple chai syrup. Top with tonic water and stir gently to combine. Garnish with a star anise pod.
Honey Smoked Old Fashioned
Ingredients:
2 oz Old Elk Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey
1/2 oz smoked honey simple syrup
5 dashes Angostura bitters
Orange peel, for garnish
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice; stir for 20 seconds. Strain bourbon cocktail into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with an orange twist. Optional: smoke cocktail with a cocktail smoker.
Matcha Martini
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Bombay Sapphire
.5 oz white crème de cacao
.5 oz vanilla syrup
1 oz oat milk
1 tsp matcha powder
6 mint leaves
Directions:
Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice; shake. Strain into a small tin. Dry shake to froth cocktail; strain into a chilled coupe glass.
Grapefruit Cinnamon Smash
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Belvedere Vodka
1/4 ruby red grapefruit, cubed
2 dashes ground cinnamon
.75 oz lemon juice
.75 oz simple syrup
2 to 3 dashes bitters
Grapefruit slice, for garnish
Directions:
In a mixing glass, muddle the grapefruit chunks with the lemon juice and simple syrup. Add vodka, ground cinnamon and bitters. Top with ice; shake vigorously for 10 seconds and then strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a thin grapefruit slice.
Lillet Cranberry Sparkler Cocktail
Ingredients:
2 parts Lillet Blanc
1/2 part fresh lime juice
1 to 2 tablespoons cranberry sauce
3 parts G.H. Mumm Brut Grand Cordon
Directions:
Combine all ingredients, except champagne, in a cocktail shaker. Shake and fine strain into glass and top with bubbles. Garnish with candied orange peel.
TequiLatte
Ingredients:
2 oz Bribón Tequila Añejo
2 oz espresso
1 oz evaporated milk
3 espresso beans, for garnish
Directions:
Combine all ingredients into a shaker with ice; shake vigorously. Double strain into a coupe glass and garnish with three espresso beans.
Spiced Espresso Tini
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz Don Papa
1 oz espresso
1/2 oz Grand Marnier
1/4 oz Mr. Black
3 espresso beans and orange zest, for garnish
Directions:
Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice; shake and strain into a coup glass. Garnish with espresso beans and orange zest.
Apple Cider Spritz
Ingredients:
2 parts apple cider
1 part Aperol
2 parts Campo Viejo Cava Brut
Soda
Cinnamon stick and apple wedge, for garnish
Directions:
Combine apple cider and Aperol. Top with sparkling wine and a splash of soda. Garnish apple cider cocktail with cinnamon stick and fresh apple wedge.
Proper Apple Martini
Ingredients:
2 oz Proper No. Twelve Irish Apple
2 oz Irish cream liqueur
2 dashes cinnamon
Graham cracker, for glass rim
Directions:
Add whiskey, cream liqueur and a dash of cinnamon to a shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass with crushed graham cracker rim. Garnish with cinnamon.
Cafe Renais
Ingredients:
1.1 oz Renais Gin
3.5 oz chilled tonic water
1.1 oz fresh espresso (1 shot)
Directions:
Pour gin into a highball glass filled with ice; top with tonic. Slowly add a shot of fresh espresso.
Baileys Cinnamon Churros Irish Cactus
- Makes two cocktails
Ingredients:
4 oz Baileys Cinnamon Churros Irish Cream Liqueur
2 oz Tequila Don Julio Reposado
Cinnamon sticks, for garnish
Directions:
Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice; shake well and strain into two rocks glasses filled with fresh ice. Garnish with cinnamon stick.
Pumpkin Hot Toddy
Ingredients:
1.5 oz El Bandido Yankee Reposado Tequila
1 oz pumpkin spice syrup (1 tbsp pumpkin spice blend, 1 cup water, 1/2 cup light brown sugar)
1 oz fresh lemon juice
2 dashes orange bitters
8 oz boiling water
Directions:
To make pumpkin spice syrup, combine pumpkin spice blend, water and brown sugar into a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Simmer until reduced by half. Cool and then strain.
For hot toddy: Combine tequila, pumpkin spice syrup and lemon juice into a mug. Fill with hot water. Top off with orange bitters. Garnish with cinnamon stick and dried lemon wheel.
