Fall Cocktails That Are All Treat, No Trick
Fall is the time for snuggling under blankets and maybe sipping on a yummy drink that will keep you all warm and toasty. If you’re a grown-up (aka 21+), here are some recipes for fall cocktails to help celebrate the beautiful season. Whether you like gin, whiskey, brandy, tequila, or all of the above, we’ve got some fall cocktails that will surely hit the spot. You’ll be feeling like a bartender in no time!
Jump to RecipeThe Ultimate Fall Cocktail: Drunkin Punkin’ Spice Latte
Move over, pumpkin spice lattes, there’s a new fall drink in town, and it’s all grown up. Combine 1 Tbsp of pumpkin pie spice and 1 Tbsp sugar on a small plate. Rim a coffee mug with a lemon wedge, then dip in the sugar and spice mixture. Reserve the rest. In a heatproof measuring cup or bowl, stir 1 Tbsp espresso powder, 1 Tbsp of sugar, and 1/2 tsp of pumpkin spice into 3/4 cup of boiling water until dissolved. Add 2.5 oz of RumChata and 1.5 oz of pumpkin pie vodka. Pour into the prepared mug, top with whipped cream, then sprinkle with sugar and spice mixture. You’ll probably never go back to the Starbucks version.
Hot Fall Cocktails for the Cool Nights
Hot Buttered Rum
This drink always reminds me of the movie White Christmas, where Bing Crosby’s character, Bob, talks about drinking “hot buttered rum, light on the butter.” He just wanted mostly rum, and we don’t blame him. Start by combining 4 Tbsp softened, unsalted butter, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 3 Tbsp of maple syrup, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg, 2 pinches of ground cloves, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Add 3/4 cup of spiced rum and 3 cups of boiling water to the butter mixture. Whisk until combined and smooth. Pour into a cocktail glass and serve garnished with whipped cream, cinnamon sugar, and a cinnamon stick.
Hot Toddy
A classic hot toddy is made with whiskey, and this drink is a lot lighter than cream-heavy or extra sweet libations of the season. In a saucepan, bring 3/4 cup of water to a simmer, then pour into a mug. Add 1-1/2 fluid oz of whiskey, 2 tsp of honey, and 2 tsp of lemon juice. Stir until the honey has completely dissolved. Taste, and add more honey or lemon juice according to your own taste. Garnish with a lemon slice and/or a cinnamon stick.
One of The Coziest Fall Cocktails Around: Mulled Wine
Mulled wine is a great choice because you can add lots of different flavors according to your own taste. Another bonus: it makes the whole house smell like fall romance. In a saucepan, combine one (750 ml) bottle of dry, red wine (I like to use Beaujolais or a Napa-style Cabernet Sauvignon ), 1 orange (sliced into rounds), 8 whole cloves, 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 stars of anise, 2-4 Tbsp of sugar, honey, or maple syrup (to your taste). Cook the mulled wine on medium-high heat right before it reaches a boil, but don’t let it boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let the wine simmer for at least 15 minutes and up to 3 hours.
When you’re ready to serve, remove and discard the orange slices and large spices using a fine mesh strainer. Give it a taste, add more sweetened as needed, and enjoy! You can also add 1/4 cup of brandy or your favorite liqueur, or add a cinnamon stick garnish!
You Can’t Have Too Much Apple Cider Fall Cocktails
Apple Cider Mojitos
This is like a caramel apple in a glass! It’s perfect for one of the hotter days of fall when you’re looking for a refreshing drink that still features autumn flavors.
First, you’ll need to make a brown sugar simple syrup by boiling 1 cup of water, removing it from the heat, and dissolving 1 cup of brown sugar in it. Now, start on the mojito. Muddle 1/2 a lime and 3 sprigs of fresh mint in a cocktail shaker. Add 1/4 cup of apple cider, 1/4 cup brown sugar simple syrup, a 1/4 cup of rum, and a handful of ice. Cover the cocktail shaker and shake well until combined. Pour into a glass with ice, top with club soda, and garnish with fresh mint, apple slices, and a cinnamon stick (if desired).
Sparkling Apple Cider Sangria
This is perfect for those warmer fall nights, especially if the pool is still open! Peel, core, and slice 2 apples. Then add them to a large pitcher, reserving about 1/2 cup for a garnish. Add 1/2 cup of cognac, 2 cups of apple cider, and a bottle of dry, chilled sparkling wine, and stir. Fill the pitcher with ice, then pour the sangria into ice-filled glasses. Top with apple slices and/or pomegranate seeds. You can easily make this a kid-friendly recipe by removing cognac and replacing the sparkling wine with seltzer water or club soda.
Apple Cider Mimosas
Fall brunch will forever be changed with this light and refreshing cocktail. Start by rimming two champagne flutes with apple cider and cinnamon sugar. Pour 1 ounce of brandy or rum and 2 ounces apple cider in each glass. Top with 4 ounces champagne. Enjoy immediately, garnished with apple slices as desired!
Cidertini
This is the perfect drink to walk into your Halloween party dressed as James Bond. Add 1 oz of vodka, 1 oz of green apple vodka, and 1 ounce of cold apple cider into a shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and sip to feel like your fanciest self.
Apple Cider Mules
Mules are one of the simplest but tastiest cocktails. And while the ginger flavor already gives off fall vibes, the apple cider seals the deal. Of course, you have to make it in a mule mug. Start by squeezing .5 oz of fresh lime juice into a mug, then add ice, 2 oz of apple cider, 1.5 oz of vodka, and 2 oz of ginger beer. Stir to mix, add apple slices for garnish, then enjoy!
Fall Cocktails for When You Run Out of Halloween Candy
If Halloween candy is your comfort food of choice in October, you’re in good company. But sometimes, you forget to save an “emergency bag” for yourself, and you run out. That’s where these sweet libations come it.
Boozy Screamsicle Shakes
This is like an orange creamsicle decided to dress as a milkshake for Halloween, and it’s the perfect sweet alcoholic drink. Pour 2 tablespoons of chocolate sauce onto a small, shallow plate. Place Oreo crumbs (from 6 Oreos) on a second small plate. Dip rims of serving glasses first in chocolate sauce, then in Oreo crumbs. Combine 1 qt. of orange sherbet, 3/4 cup of milk, and 8 oz. of vanilla vodka in a blender and blend to combine. Drizzle some chocolate sauce on the inside of each serving glass, then fill with the milkshake. Garnish with whipped cream, remaining Oreo crumbs, and sprinkles.
Drunken Peanut Butter Cups
Start by making a Reese’s-infused vodka (why Reese’s and Vodka brands haven’t already collaborated, I don’t know). In a mason jar, combine 1/2 cup of vodka and 1/4 cup of Reese’s Pieces, shake, put it in the fridge overnight, then strain the next day. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then pour in 1.5 oz of Reeses Pieces-infused vodka, 1.5 oz of milk, and 1 oz. of chocolate liqueur. Shake until chilled. Put 1/4 cup of peanut butter onto a small plate and 1/4 cup of crushed Reese’s Pieces on another. Dunk the tops of a cocktail glass in peanut butter, then roll in the crushed candies. Drizzle about a tablespoon of chocolate syrup into your glass, then pour in your cocktail. Garnish with a peanut butter cup!
Mudslide
If the Halloween candy is all gone, and you didn’t quite get your fill, this sweet and creamy treat will hit the spot. Combine 1oz of vodka, 1 oz of coffee liqueur, 1 oz of Baileys Irish Cream, and 1-1/2 oz of heavy cream and strain into a chilled glass or coupe. Garnish with fresh chocolate shavings.
White Russian
While you can always go the “pumpkin spice” route with this drink, we think the classic recipe is festive enough. For this, combine 2 oz fluid vodka,1 fluid oz coffee liqueur (I like Kahlua), and 1 cup of ice in an old-fashioned glass. Top it off with 1 fluid oz of heavy cream, and enjoy your cold, creamy, smooth treat.
Fall Cocktails: You Can’t Go Wrong With a Classic
Old Fashioned
There’s nothing like a classic! This isn’t one of the sweeter cocktail drinks, and it definitely has a bite. In an old-fashioned short rocks glass, muddle a sugar cube, two dashes of Angostura bitters, and a spoonful of warm water until the sugar is dissolved. Add 2 ounces of bourbon and stir, then add one large ice cube. Twist an orange peel to release the oils and run around the rim of the glass. Drop the twist in the glass, then enjoy!
Manhattan
This drink is best if you drink it while staring out of your penthouse as the city bustles at night. But under a blanket on a couch may just have to do. Start by chilling a coupe glass in the freezer for at least 5 minutes. Shake 2 oz of bourbon and 1 oz of vermouth in a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice. Strain into the chilled coupe glass, add a dash of bitters and garnish with a maraschino cherry.
Gin and Apple Fall Cocktail
This is one of our fall favorites!
Gin and Apple Fall Cocktail
Ingredients
- 4 oz gin
- 4 oz. apple cider
- 1 oz lime juice
- 2 oz honey simple syrup 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup HOT water
- 2 springs Thyme
- 1 apple diced or cut into matchsticks
Instructions
Honey simple syrup
- Add the hot water and honey to a mason jar (or other glass, sealable container) and shake until the honey is completely dissolved.
Gin and Apple Fall Cocktail
- Combine gin, apple cider, lime juice, honey simple syrup, and ground cinnamon in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously.
- Fill two glasses with ice and matchstick apples. Strain cocktail to glasses and garnish with sprigs of thyme. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Switchel
If you like Kombucha, you’ll probably like this not-too-sweet cocktail that is thought to originate from the Caribbean.
Start by making a honey sage simple syrup. Add 1/3 cup boiling water to 1 cup honey and stir until honey is dissolved. Steep 3 grams of fresh sage in syrup for 25 minutes, then strain solids.
Combine 1 oz of a spirit of your choice, 2 ounces of sparkling water, 1 oz of apple cider vinegar, 1 oz of honey sage syrup over ice, and stir to combine. Garnish with a fresh sage leaf.
Spooky Fall Cocktails for Halloween: Black Magic Margaritas
This one is for all you spooky fans out there! Rim two glasses with a lime and dip in black sanding sugar. Add 2 oz of silver tequila, 1 oz of triple sec, 1/4 cup of lime juice to a glass, and stir. Add red, blue, and green food coloring until you achieve the desired murky “black magic” color. Top with a cup of ice and garnish with a slice of lime before serving!
Fall Drinks for the Kiddos
Mulled Cider is a great option if the kiddos are looking for a warm drink to sip at parties or for your friend wants a non-alcoholic drink to sip around the campfire. You can easily make it in the slow-cooker, too, so it stays nice and warm all evening. Just fill a crockpot or saucepan with 2 quarts of apple cider, 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 whole allspice berries, 2 whole cloves, and 1 thinly sliced orange. Let the cider simmer until it’s nice and hot, then serve! The mulled spice/apple smell will make your whole house smell like fall!
If the kids want a cold drink, try this recipe for an apple faux-hito made with apple juice.
Fall in Love With Fall Cocktails this Season
Which of these fall-inspired drinks has you excited for the season? Share some of these fall cocktail recipes with your people on FamilyApp, and maybe plan your next get-together where you can try them out!
