Crisp air, crunchy leaves, sweater weather. Welcome to fall cocktail season. As you bundle up, pulling your favorite boots from the closet and softest scarf off the shelf, reach for a warming bourbon drink. Snuggle up with a hot toddy to warm you from all sides, and if you're an apple all-day-everyday person, then find comfort in all the apple flavor cocktails the season has to offer. Text the group chat and let them know about these easy fall cocktails you have taped to your fridge.
Toasted Rosemary Old-Fashioned
Kick off your fall cocktail menu with a classic old-fashioned, using a toasted rosemary garnish to give it a little extra flavor and flair. For a bolder rosemary flavor, go ahead and make up a rosemary simple syrup.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces bourbon
- ¾ ounce simple syrup
- 2-3 dashes orange bitters
- 1-2 dashes lemon bitters
- 3-5 dashes aromatic bitters
- Ice
- Orange peel and toasted rosemary sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, add ice, bourbon, simple syrup, and bitters.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with orange peel and toasted rosemary sprig.
Apple Manhattan
Indulge yourself in one of the star flavors of fall: apple! The apple flavors soften the usual bite of whiskey in this classic cocktail.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces apple-infused rye whiskey
- 1 ounce sweet vermouth
- 1-2 dashes cinnamon bitters
- 2 dashes aromatic bitters
- Ice
- Cherry for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a mixing glass, add ice, apple rye, sweet vermouth, and bitters.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with cherry.
Autumn Bourbon Fizz
Ginger beer completes the bite of whiskey in a rich and regal-looking cocktail that's perfect for when you're wondering how many apple recipes you can possibly make with your overwhelming number of apples. With no muddling and just four ingredients, this is an easy fall cocktail to not only make but drink.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces bourbon
- ½ ounce cinnamon liqueur
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ ounce simple syrup
- Ice
- Ginger beer to top off
- Apple slices for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a coupe glass.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, bourbon, cinnamon liqueur, lemon juice, and simple syrup.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Top off with ginger beer.
- Garnish with apple slices.
Widow's Kiss
The widow's kiss is an herbaceous Manhattan cousin perfect for those who want to leave the safety of their usual bourbon cocktails. But it's one that'll make any mouth happy.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces apple brandy
- ½ ounce yellow chartreuse
- ¼ ounce Benedictine
- 1-2 dashes aromatic bitters
- Ice
- Cherry for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a coupe or Nick and Nora glass.
- In a mixing glass, add ice, apple brandy, yellow chartreuse, Benedictine, and bitters.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with cherry.
Apple Aperol Spritz
Go ahead and say "apple Aperol" several times, and as you work through the tongue twister while mixing up this drink, challenge anyone around you to join in.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Aperol
- 1 ounce apple liqueur
- 3 ounces prosecco
- 1 ounce club soda
- Ice
- Orange slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a wine glass, add ice, Aperol, and apple liqueur.
- Stir to mix.
- Add prosecco and club soda.
- Garnish with orange slice.
A Gingerly Pear
Take a break from apple and allow pear's mellow, crisp, sweet flavors to mingle with bourbon and ginger instead.
Ingredients
- Lemon slice and lavender buds for garnish
- 2 ounces bourbon
- 2 ounces pear nectar
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ ounce ginger liqueur
- ½ ounce honey syrup
- Ice
- Candied ginger for garnish
Instructions
- To prepare rim, rub a small portion of the glass with the lemon wedge.
- With the lavender buds on a saucer, dip the moistened portion of the glass in the buds to coat.
- In a cocktail shaker, add bourbon, pear nectar, lemon juice, ginger liqueur, and honey syrup.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into prepared glass.
- Garnish with candied ginger.
Fizzy Pear Martini
A little honey, a little pear, some prosecco. Don't make it complicated.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces pear vodka
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ ounce pear puree
- ½ ounce honey
- Ice
- Prosecco to top off
- Thyme sprig for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a coupe glass.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, pear vodka, lemon juice, pear puree, and honey.
- Shake well to chill and dissolve honey.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Top off with prosecco.
- Garnish with thyme sprig.
Apple Sour
If you lament fall cocktails because the best ones always seem to have bourbon as an ingredient, dry your tears knowing this one can use vodka without losing flavor. That's worth a toast.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces vodka or whiskey
- 1½ ounces apple cider
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 egg white
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- Ice
- Dehydrated apple for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a coupe glass.
- In a cocktail shaker, add vodka, apple cider, lemon juice, and egg white.
- Dry shake for approximately 45 seconds to mix ingredients and create a froth.
- Add ice to shaker.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with dehydrated apple.
Ginger Hot Toddy
Ginger is great for the soul and for your health, and hot toddies are some of the best cure for anything that ails you, mind, body, or soul. So this is, obviously, nearly almost medicine. Only not at all.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces spiced rum or whiskey
- ¾ ounce ginger syrup
- ½ ounce honey
- ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2-3 dashes lemon bitters
- Hot water to top off
- Ginger slice for garnish
Instructions
- Warm a mug by filling with hot water.
- After mug is warm to touch, pour out the water.
- In prepared mug, add liquor, ginger syrup, honey, lemon juice, and bitters.
- Stir to mix.
- Top off with hot water.
- Garnish with ginger slice.
Abuzz With Fall Martini
Lean into the sweet fall flavors with an espresso martini that's not as bitter as other iterations.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce caramel vodka
- ¾ ounce espresso
- ½ ounce hazelnut liqueur
- ½ ounce Irish cream
- ¼ ounce coffee liqueur
- Ice
- Three whole coffee beans for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, caramel vodka, espresso, hazelnut liqueur, Irish cream, and coffee liqueur.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with three whole coffee beans.
Adult Pumpkin Spice Coffee
Maybe not the best drink to kick start your weekday morning unless you don't work that day, but this boozy pumpkin spice coffee, or heck, make it a latte if you want to indulge, changes the fall cocktail game.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Irish whiskey
- 1 ounce pumpkin spice cream liqueur
- Hot coffee to top off
- Whipped cream and grated nutmeg for garnish
Instructions
- Warm a mug by filling with hot water.
- After mug is warm to touch, pour out the water.
- In prepared mug, add Irish whiskey and pumpkin spice cream liqueur.
- Top off with hot coffee.
- Garnish with whipped cream and grated nutmeg.
Apple Cider Mimosa
Apple cider is an anytime beverage, and that certainly includes the brunch table. With a splash of prosecco? It's the fizzy, boozy cider of your dreams with minimal effort.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce apple cider
- ½ ounce cinnamon liqueur
- Ice
- Prosecco to top off
- Apple slice for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a Champagne flute.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, apple cider, and cinnamon liqueur.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Top off with prosecco.
- Garnish with apple slice.
Pumpkin Beertail
Grab your favorite pumpkin beer, nothing over 5 or 6%, and a flavored vodka to create a signature fall beer cocktail. If you want a cinnamon sugar rim, add honey to a saucer and cinnamon sugar to another. Dip the rim into honey and then the sugar before adding your beer.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces pumpkin beer
- 2 ounces caramel or vanilla vodka
Instructions
- In a pint glass, add caramel vodka.
- Top off with pumpkin beer.
Pumpkin Pie Martini
No reason to justify why you do or don't want to bake a pumpkin pie during the fall season. Or double first with a fall cocktail and slice of pie at the same time. Live your best fall dreams.
Ingredients
- Honey and crushed graham cracker for rim
- 1½ ounces vanilla vodka
- ¾ ounce white crème de cacao
- ¾ ounce pumpkin pie puree
- ¼ ounce maple syrup
- Ice
- Grated nutmeg and cinnamon stick for garnish
Instructions
- To prepare rim, dip the rim of the glass in saucer with honey.
- With the crushed graham cracker on a saucer, dip either half or the entire rim of the glass in the graham cracker to coat.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, vanilla vodka, white crème de cacao, pumpkin pie puree, and maple syrup.
- Shake to chill and dissolve puree.
- Strain into prepared glass.
- Garnish with grated nutmeg and cinnamon stick.
Pumpkin Spice White Russian
Grab your pumpkin spice coffee creamer to elevate your usual White Russian to something a bit more suited for fall.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces vanilla vodka
- 1 ounce coffee liqueur
- 2 ounces pumpkin spice creamer or pumpkin spice liqueur
- Ice
- Whipped cream, grated nutmeg, and cinnamon stick for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, vanilla vodka, coffee liqueur, and pumpkin spice creamer.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with whipped cream, grated nutmeg, and cinnamon stick.
Maple Old-Fashioned
There are a few ways to make a maple old-fashioned, some more fun and unofficial than others. If you like to plan ahead, purchase the good maple syrup in a glass jar, approximately 12 ounces, and as you enjoy it with pancakes or the traditional maple old-fashioned way, keep an eye on the amount you have left. Once you have about an eighth remaining, you can add your bourbon and bitters directly to the bottle, shaking it all up before serving.
After you learn how to eyeball your proportions, you can start to make up several at once, store it in the bottle, and take with you to parties, camping, or to easily serve on your deck without ever having to go back inside.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces bourbon
- ¾ ounce maple syrup
- 3-4 dashes orange bitters
- 2-3 dashes aromatic bitters
- Ice
- Orange peel for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, add bourbon, maple syrup, and bitters.
- Stir rapidly to chill and incorporate the maple syrup.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with orange peel.
October's Sidecar
Dress up your summer sidecar with autumn notes. You'll love its new look as a fall cocktail.
Ingredients
- Lemon wedge and sugar for rim
- 1½ ounces cognac
- ¾ ounce maple liqueur
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ ounce orange liqueur
- Ice
- Orange ribbon for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a coupe.
- To prepare rim, rub the rim of the glass with the lemon wedge.
- With the sugar on a saucer, dip either half or the entire rim of the glass in the sugar to coat.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, cognac, maple liqueur, lemon juice, and orange liqueur.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into prepared glass.
- Garnish with orange ribbon.
Apple Cider Sangria
Indulge yourself in a fall sangria, one you can easily make in large batches that'll be the perfect drink to enjoy after any fall activity.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces pinot grigio
- 2 ounces apple cider
- ¾ ounce apple brandy
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ ounce honey syrup
- Ice
- Apple slices for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, pinot grigio, apple cider, apple brandy, lemon juice, and honey syrup.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with apple slices.
Autumn Negroni
Put on your flannel, turn up the thermostat, and grab your bottle of gin. This negroni proves that gin is more than a summer drink. No Montenegro on hand? Go ahead and use the traditional sweet vermouth you find in a negroni.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces gin
- 1 ounce Montenegro
- 1 ounce Aperol
- Ice
- Orange peel for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, add ice, gin, Montenegro, and Aperol.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with orange peel.
Apple Moscow Mule
Feeling like Jan when everyone is constantly obsessing over Marsha? Go ahead and use pear vodka and pear cider instead of apple.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces apple vodka
- ¾ ounce apple cider or pear nectar
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- Ice
- Ginger beer to top off
- Mint sprig and apple slices for garnish
Instructions
- In a rocks glass or copper mug, add ice, apple vodka, apple cider, and lime juice.
- Top off with ginger beer.
- Stir to mix.
- Garnish with mint sprig and apple slices.
Spiced Dark and Stormy
Let your dark rum have the night off so you can bring your spiced rum and some rich spiced flavors out to play in this dark and stormy riff.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces spiced rum
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ ounce allspice dram
- Ice
- Ginger beer to top off
- Lime wedge for garnish, optional
Instructions
- In a highball glass, add ice, spiced rum, lime juice, and allspice dram.
- Top off with ginger beer.
- Garnish with lime wedge, if desired.
Apple Pie Moonshine Highball
Crack open a bottle of apple pie moonshine, preferably one you made yourself, but as Ina Garten says, store bought is fine. Whip up this easy fall cocktail in the time it takes a leaf to reach the ground.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces apple pie moonshine
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ ounce honey
- Ice
- Ginger ale to top off
- Orange wheel and cinnamon stick for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, apple pie moonshine, lemon juice, and honey.
- Shake to chill and dissolve honey.
- Strain into highball glass over fresh ice.
- Top off with ginger ale.
- Garnish with orange wheel and cinnamon stick.
Pumpkin Mule
You can make pumpkin anything with a little bravery and a bit of trust in the process.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces vanilla vodka
- ¾ ounce pumpkin pie puree
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¼ ounce cinnamon liqueur
- Ice
- Ginger beer to top off
- Pumpkin cube and star anise for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, vanilla vodka, pumpkin pie puree, lime juice, and cinnamon liqueur.
- Shake to chill and dissolve puree.
- Strain into copper mug or rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Top off with ginger beer.
- Garnish with pumpkin cube and star anise.
Caramel Apple Martini
The queen, or king, of fall-themed cocktails: the caramel apple martini. No need to pick caramel off of your face or out of your hair with this delicious fall cocktail. Want it to be even easier? Shake the caramel vodka with apple cider, pour into a martini glass, and you're done.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces caramel vodka
- ¾ ounce apple vodka
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ ounce grenadine
- Ice
- Lemon ribbon for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a cocktail glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, caramel vodka, apple vodka, lemon juice, and grenadine.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with lemon ribbon.
Boozy Caramel Apple Shake
Not all parts of the world can enjoy cool weather in the fall; sometimes, the hot weather hangs around year-round. The good news is that you can still capture all the cozy and best fall flavors.
Ingredients
- 2 cups vanilla ice cream
- 2 ounces caramel vodka
- 3 ounces apple cider
- Caramel syrup and whipped cream for garnish
Instructions
- In a blender, add vanilla ice cream, caramel vodka, and apple cider.
- Blend until smooth or desired consistency.
- Pour into highball or pint glass.
- Garnish with caramel syrup and whipped cream.
Cranberry Pomegranate Margarita
Wrap yourself around a tart and delicious cranberry margarita. Consider this a warm-up to the cranberry sauce you'll enjoy in November. Want a cozier, warmer flavor? Use smokey mezcal instead of tequila.
Ingredients
- Lime wedge and sugar for rim
- 2 ounces tequila
- 1 ounce cranberry juice
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¾ ounce pomegranate juice
- ½ ounce orange liqueur
- ½ ounce agave
- Ice
- Pomegranate seeds for garnish
Instructions
- To prepare rim, rub the rim of the glass with the lime wedge.
- With the sugar on a saucer, dip either half or the entire rim of the glass in the sugar to coat.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, tequila, cranberry juice, lime juice, pomegranate juice, orange liqueur, and agave.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into prepared glass.
- Garnish with pomegranate seeds.
Chai Whiskey
No longer wait for a kettle to boil to enjoy a tea drink. It may be a bit unusual, but it's a fall drink you'll turn to again and again.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces whiskey
- ½ ounce falernum
- ½ ounce chilled chai tea
- ¼ ounce simple syrup
- Ice
- Thyme sprig for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a coupe glass.
- In a mixing glass, add ice, whiskey, falernum, chai tea, and simple syrup.
- Stir to mix.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with thyme sprig.
The Best Cocktail Recipes for Fall
Whether you love gin, whiskey, vodka, or tequila, there's an easy fall cocktail that'll perfectly capture the theme of the season. These cocktail recipes for fall may just be more Instaworthy than the fall scenery. Don't forget to grab your favorite sweater!
