Cheers to These 5 Best Cocktails for Fall

These 5 best cocktails for Fall have something for everyone, whether you’re an apple or pumpkin person, or prefer cinnamon and maple.

Sweater weather is coming! We love fall most of all—and what’s not to love? It’s the season of sugar, spice, and a whole lot of nice! We’re talking about those cozy fall flavors we’ve all come to love. Crispy apples, zesty oranges, soothing chai, and sweet maple are just a few classic ingredients waiting to be used in these 5 best cocktails for Fall.

Make the most of the cold with The Mixer’s round-up of the best fall cocktails this season. It’s our favorite go-to site for all things cocktail. Things are about to get toasty. Happy fall y’all!

5 Best Cocktails for Fall

1. Apple Butter Old Fashioned

An Apple Butter Old Fashioned cocktail is packed with the inviting flavors of warm apple pie. Made with real apple butter (just like mama used to make), this fall Old Fashioned drink is perfect as an indulgent sip with your bourbon-loving friends.

For this recipe, you’ll be making your own apple butter. Don’t worry—it’s super simple to make because YOLO! And it’s downright delicious. If you have leftovers, you can add it to cheese platters, use it as a glaze for that roast beef dinner or dollop it onto pancakes. Yum!

“Contrary to what the name suggests, apple butter does not contain any butter. It’s basically just a fancy name for apples that have been pureed, spiced and cooked down to give them a butter-like texture. It is easy to make and store in your fridge. Use it in cocktails, to spread on toast, as a glaze on meat or add it to your morning oats.” (Helena Lombard, The Mixer)

Full Recipe:

Ingredients (for 2 people)

Oz of Apple cider

Oz of Wild Turkey Bourbon

2 tablespoon of apple butter

Dash of orange bitters

Juice of half a lemon

Ginger beer (to top your glass)

Coarse cinnamon sugar and simple syrup, for rimming

Thinly sliced apples and a cinnamon stick, to garnish 

Instructions

1. Pour some simple syrup on a plate and some coarse cinnamon sugar on another
2. Dip the rim of your cocktail glass into the syrup and then into the sugar, twisting to coat, before adding ice cubes to the glass 
3. Combine the apple cider, apple butter, Wild Turkey, lemon juice and bitters in a cocktail shaker and give it a dry shake (in other words, a shake without ice) 
4. Shake vigorously until properly combined then strain into your prepared cocktail glass
5. Top up with ginger beer and garnish with a cinnamon stick and apple slice on the rim to serve

2. Bourbon Apple Cider

Fall is a season that begs to be draped in comfort and warmth. This spiced cocktail is exactly what you need to warm up on a cold night. To get those cheeks glowing, you’ll need bourbon, apple cider, vermouth and bitters. Serve your Bourbon Apple Cider over ice with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a sprig of thyme. This is a full-flavor cocktail, and the sourness of the lemon balances beautifully with the sweet notes of caramel, vanilla and apple.

How do you like them apples? Because, quite frankly, we’re a little obsessed—this is our favorite of the 5 best cocktails for Fall.

Full Recipe:

Ingredients (for 2 people)

Oz of Wild Turkey Bourbon Whiskey

Oz of apple cider

Oz of Cinzano Vermouth Rosso

Oz of lemon juice

Oz of orange bitters

Apple slices to garnish

A sprig of thyme to garnish

Ice

Instructions

1. Add ice to a large mixing glass or cocktail shaker
2. Pour in the bourbon, cider, sweet vermouth, lemon juice and bitters
3. Stir until chilled (about 30 seconds)
4. Strain into any cocktail glass of your choice
5. Garnish with a few apple slices and a sprig of thyme

3. Manhattan

Our list of 5 best cocktails for fall wouldn’t be complete without a drink that conjures up images of Autumn in New York.

Meet the Manhattan: Sweet, smooth, and sophisticated. This iconic cocktail was created in the late 1800s, and the original recipe has been enjoyed ever since! It’s a whiskey-based cocktail that’s surprisingly mellow and sweet. Made with whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters and garnished with a maraschino cherry, it’s a simple recipe

This delicious drink is best served before dinner to welcome your guests. Although there are a few versions of the classic, the traditional Manhattan cocktail will never go out of fashion.

Full Recipe:

Ingredients (for 2 people)

Oz of Wild Turkey Rye Whiskey

Oz of Cinzano Rosso Vermouth

Dash of aromatic bitters

Ice

Garnish with a maraschino cherry 

Instructions

1. Chill your coupe or cocktail glass with ice
2. Add the whiskey, vermouth and bitters to a jug
3. Tip the ice out of your glass
4. Strain the cocktail into your chilled glass and garnish with a cherry

4. Hanky Panky

Gin-lovers, don’t worry—we haven’t forgotten about you. Of course there’s something for you on our list of 5 best cocktails for Fall.  Make a Hanky Panky if you want a fall (or winter) cocktail that’s packed with zesty flavors and herbal undertones.

This sweet gin martini is anything but discreet: the gin makes it a little naughty, while the sweet vermouth makes it a little nice. But it’s the addition of the Italian amaro (bitters) that gives the Hanky Panky cocktail its unique and complex flavor. Best enjoyed fireside, with good friends.

Full Recipe:

Ingredients (for 2 people)

Oz of Bulldog Gin

Oz of Cinzano Rosso

A few dashes of Fernet-Branca

Ice

Orange peel, to garnish

Instructions

1. Add ice to a mixing glass, followed by the gin, sweet vermouth, and amaro
2. Stir until nicely chilled (around 30 seconds should do the trick)
3. Strain into a chilled martini or coupe glass
4. Add the orange peel as garnish and enjoy

5. Hot Pumpkin Pie Cocktail

Drinkable pumpkin pie in a glass, anyone? Yeah, we thought so!

If you love the taste of a pumpkin spice latte, then choose this fall cocktail to be the star of your Thanksgiving feast this year. Made with vodka, Irish cream, pumpkin pie puree and cool whip, it’s as delicious as a dessert.

Serve your Hot Pumpkin Pie cocktails in warmed mugs, topped with whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon. As an extra treat, you can serve baked pumpkin pie crusts on the side for some decadent dipping.

“Make pumpkin-infused vodka by mixing together pumpkin puree and spice, with ½ cup of vodka in a large jar. Seal and keep in the fridge for three days before using, shaking it a few times a day.” (Helena Lombard, The Mixer)

Full Recipe:

Ingredients (for 6 people)

2 cups of Irish cream

½ a cup vanilla or pumpkin pie vodka

4 cups of milk

0.67

1 can of pumpkin puree

1.5 teaspoons of pumpkin spice

Whipped cream

Cinnamon

Strips of baked pumpkin pie crust to garnish, optional 

Instructions

1. Add the Irish cream, vodka, and milk to a pot  
2. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat to a slow simmer
3. Stir through pumpkin puree and spices until mixed through 
4. Ladle into warmed glass mugs
5. Dollop over some whipped cream
6. Dust with cinnamon
7. Serve with baked pumpkin pie crusts for dipping, if you like 

Visit www.themixer.com for more cocktail inspiration.

These 5 best cocktails for Fall have something for everyone, whether you’re an apple or pumpkin person, or prefer cinnamon and maple.