Ahhh, fall. All things warm, cozy, and pumpkin-spicy. The temps have finally cooled off. The leaves are putting on a great show. Football is in full swing. It’s time for some adult beverages that celebrate the season!
Four Fall Cocktail Ideas
#1 – Pumpkin Spice Old Fashioned (perfect for game day!)
Ingredients:
- 2 oz bourbon
- dollop of pumpkin puree
- 2 dashes pecan bitters (I like these)
- sugar cube (or if trying to go low carb, a drop or two of liquid stevia works)
- pinch of ground cinnamon
- optional: pumpkin pie spice, star anise, cinnamon stick
Directions:
- Combine bourbon, pumpkin, bitters, and cinnamon in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and stir well
- Strain into a rocks glass with ice and a sugar cube
- Optional: garnish with a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice, star anise, and/or a cinnamon stick
#2 – Apple Cider French 75
This is a fun spin on a classic!
Ingredients:
- 1 oz gin
- 1/2 oz lemon juice
- 1 oz apple cider
- prosecco
- optional: apple slices and cinnamon sugar
Directions:
- Rim your champagne glass with cinnamon sugar, if using
- Combine ingredients in your cocktail shaker filled with ice and gently stir
- Pour into your champagne flute and fill the remainder of the glass with the prosecco
- Garnish with apple slices
Note: this drink is easily made for a crowd. Combine enough of the first three ingredients to serve the number of guests you have in a pitcher. Set out champagne glasses already rimmed with cinnamon sugar, prosecco, and apple slices. Fill the glass roughly half full with the mix, then top off with prosecco, and add a few apple slices to garnish!
#3 – Cranberry Rosemary Margarita
For this cocktail, you need to make a rosemary simple syrup ahead of time. It should be completely cooled before use.
Rosemary simple syrup ingredients:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2-4 rosemary sprigs
Cocktail ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz blanco tequila
- 1/2 oz unsweetened cranberry juice
- 1/2 oz Cointreau
- 1/2 oz lime juice
- 1 oz coconut milk
- 1/2 oz rosemary simple syrup
- optional garnish: sugar, salt, rosemary sprig, and/or fresh cranberries
Rosemary simple syrup directions:
- in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine water, sugar, and rosemary sprigs
- cook until syrupy and rosemary has wilted
- let cool completely
- pro tip! You can make this ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge (remove the sprigs before storing!)
Cocktail directions:
- Combine sugar and salt on a small plate to rim the glass (optional). if you want to get super fancy with it, you can rub some rosemary leaves with your fingers into the sugar/salt mixture until fragrant. rub the rim of the glass with a lime wedge and dip it into the sugar/salt mixture.
- Fill the glass with ice
- Combine tequila, cranberry juice, Cointreau, lime juice, coconut milk, and rosemary simple syrup in a cocktail shaker and shake until well combined
- Strain the cocktail into your glass
- Garnish with rosemary sprig and fresh cranberries (optional)
#4 Nouveau Sangaree
This is a favorite!
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Beaujolais nouveau wine (truth be told, any red wine will work here)
- 1 1/2 oz Laird’s apple brandy
- drizzle of maple syrup
- 2 dashes of pecan bitters
- optional: ground cinnamon, cinnamon stick, and/or apple slices
Directions:
- Add wine, apple brandy, maple syrup, and bitters to a cocktail shaker and stir until chilled
- Strain into a wine glass or cocktail glass (chilled, if you prefer)
- Garnish with a dash of ground cinnamon, a cinnamon stick, and/or apple slices
Do you have a favorite fall cocktail? Let us know the recipe in the comments below and if you’re looking for other ways to make the holidays memorable, check out these recipes from Atlanta Mom.
