Seasonal · 8 drinks
Fall Cocktails
Bourbon, maple, pear, apple and warm spice: the drinks we make once the evenings cool. Most are stirred, spirit-forward riffs on the Old Fashioned, with a few brighter, shaken ones and a sangria for a crowd.
The recipes
Autumn gatherings →
The fall flavors
Three ingredients do most of the seasonal work. Each one swaps into a classic you already know.
- Maple. Pure maple syrup in place of simple syrup adds a toasty, woody sweetness that suits whiskey. It is richer than simple, so use a little less. See maple syrup.
- Warm spice. Simple syrup steeped with cinnamon, clove and star anise turns an Old Fashioned or a sour toward fall. A quarter ounce is usually enough. See spiced syrup.
- Orchard fruit. Pear and apple, as liqueur, cider or fresh slices, add fruit without the sharpness of summer citrus.
Hosting? The cider sangria is made by the pitcher, and the other recipes have a “Batch it” panel that scales the spec for a group.