[Pumpkin] Spice Up Your Life With These Fall Cocktails For A Cozy Night In Or a Small Gathering

Don’t miss out on the fun this Autumn. Stock your bar cart and your fridges because the fall-themed drinks will […]

Oct 12, 2022
[Pumpkin] Spice Up Your Life With These Fall Cocktails For A Cozy Night In Or a Small Gathering

Don’t miss out on the fun this Autumn. Stock your bar cart and your fridges because the fall-themed drinks will be the hit at your next get-together. Offer everything from wine to cider, fruits, and spices with whiskey, bourbon, or clean vodka.

Check out some of my favorite seasonal cocktail ideas that I found online over the weekend.

Spice It Up, Shake It Up, Drink It Up

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Mercato Kitchen & Cocktails (@mercato_kitchen)

Ginger Pear Bourbon Cocktail

Ingredients (for one serving):

  • 2 ounces Bourbon
  • 2 ounces Pear Nectar or Juice
  • ½ Lemon – juice
  • 1 ounce Ginger Honey Simple Syrup
  • Ginger Ale , to taste
  • Ginger Honey Simple Syrup: (enough for 2 cocktails)
  • ¼ Cup Honey
  • ¼ Cup Water
  • 1 1’’ piece of Ginger – peeled and thinly sliced
  • Optional Garnishes: Crystallized Ginger, thinly sliced Pear, Lemon Wedges

Simple Syrup: combine honey, water and ginger in a small pot. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring, until honey dissolves into water. Remove from heat and set aside to steep for 20 minutes. Strain into a container, discarding ginger, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cocktail: Combine bourbon, pear juice, lemon and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Vigorously shake until chilled.

  • Pour over ice in glass and top with a bit of ginger ale. Garnish with pear slices, a lemon wedge and a few pieces of crystallized ginger on a skewer.
  • Enjoy!

Apple Cider Mimosa

Ingredients:

  • apple cider – purchase whichever brand you like but if you’re really feeling adventurous you can make your own!
  • champagne or sparkling wine [of your choice]
  • brandy- this isn’t always included but it balances out the juiciness of the apple cider. It also helps transition a morning spritzer into an evening cocktail

Pumpkin Pie Martini

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 tsps cinnamon sugar for the rim
  • 1/4 cup vanilla vodka such as Absolut brand
  • 1/4 cup Creme de Cacao liqueur (clear)**
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream*
  • 1-1/2 tsps pumpkin pie spice, more for sprinkling on top

Cocktail:

  1. Dip the edges of your martini glasses in water or Creme de Cacao. Shake off any extra liquid and dip the edges into cinnamon-sugar.
  2. Chill prepared martini glasses in the freezer or the fridge at least thirty minutes before serving.
  3. fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add the vodka, Creme de Cacao, heavy cream and pumpkin pie spice. Shake well (at least fifty time vigorously). Strain into chilled martini glasses. Place frozen whipped cream towers on top of the drinks and sprinkle lightly with additional pumpkin pie spice.

Toasted Pecan Old Fashioned

Ingredients:

  • 1 sugar cube (or ½ teaspoon granulated sugar)
  • 4 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 2 oz. Toasted Pecan Whiskey, recipe above
  • Spherical Ice Cube

Cocktail:

  1. In an Old Fashioned or your favorite whiskey glass, measure the sugar cube/loose sugar and dash in the Angostura bitters.
  2. Using a muddler, break down the sugar cube and combine it with the bitters, coating the sides of the glass as the sugar and bitters mix.
  3. Place whiskey stones or a large ice cube, then pour the Toasted Pecan Whiskey over the cubes, swirling it to mix with the bitters and sugar mixture.

Mulled Wine

Ingredients:

  • 2 small oranges or 1 large
  • 1 bottle of affordable Merlot, Zinfandel or Garnacha (also called Grenache)
  • ¼ cup brandy
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey, to taste
  • 2 whole cinnamon sticks
  • 3 star anise
  • 4 whole cloves
  • Optional garnishes: Fresh whole cranberries (about ¼ cup), cinnamon sticks, additional orange rounds or half moons

Make it!

  1. To prepare the oranges, if using 2 small, slice one orange into rounds and slice the other in half. If using 1 large orange, slice it in half through the round middle, then slice one of the halves into rounds. Place the rounds into a medium heavy-bottomed pot or small Dutch oven. Squeeze the juice from the remaining oranges into the pot.
  2. Pour the wine into the pot, followed by the brandy. Add 1 tablespoon of the sweetener for now. Add the cinnamon sticks, star anise and cloves.
  3. Warm the mixture over medium heat until steaming (about 5 minutes), and keep an eye on it. When you start seeing the tiniest of bubbles at the surface, reduce the heat to the lowest of low.
  4. Carefully taste, and add another tablespoon of sweetener if it’s not sweet enough for your liking. If it’s not spicy enough to suit your preferences, continue cooking over very low heat for 5 to 10 more minutes.
  5. Serve in mugs with your desired garnishes