The 10 Best Fall Cocktails

This spicy, agave forward cocktail with fig-ginger syrup, smoky mezcal and bright lemon juice from bartender and activist Ashtin Berry has a kick in more ways than one. Make the fig-ginger syrup ahead of time and save the spicy sweet solids to puree as a spread. A garnish of fresh, ground nutmeg make this batched sour cocktail especially autumnal. 

Bourbon and maple syrup are complementary flavors that are frequently combined in fall cocktails. This fruit-forward Old Fashioned variation comes from Robb Turner, the owner of New York State-based maple syrup brand, Crown Maple. Turner combines bourbon with a muddled orange wheel, freshly squeezed lemon juice and Angostura bitters alongside a Grade A dark amber syrup, which is deeper in color and flavor compared to lighter grades. 

This pre-Prohibition Manhattan variation combines a spicy rye whiskey, with dry vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and Amer Picon, a bittersweet French liqueur notoriously difficult to source in the U.S. Substitutions with similar flavor profiles that will hold up in this full-bodied classic are Bigallet China-China Amaro, Amaro Ciociaro, or Ramazzotti.

This spirit forward and highly caffeinated fall to winter cocktail combines bourbon, with coffee liqueur, maple syrup, cold brew concentrate, and walnut bitters. Serve the intense, bittersweet Alpine Brew over a single clear ice cube with a few coffee beans, for garnish.

Give your Margarita an autumnal upgrade with a heavy dose of apple cider and cinnamon spice. Tequila, orange liqueur, Cointreau, fresh lime juice and apple cider makes this a perfect post-apple-picking sipper or Thanksgiving pre-gamer. Rim your Margarita glass with a sugar cinnamon mixture and garnish with a fresh apple slice and cinnamon sticks.

Nocino, a walnut liqueur made from unripe nuts and spices like star anise, cloves, cinnamon, and vanilla beans, takes this Cognac-based sour cocktail into cozy weather territory. Lemon juice, simple syrup and Angostura bitters balance out the nutty and floral notes, resulting in a flavor rich cocktail primed for sweater weather.

Pomegranates are ideal fall fruits that work especially well in agave-based cocktails. This punch from Vancouver-based bartender Kaitlyn Stewart, combines blanco tequila and pomegranate and lime juices with ginger tea and maple syrup. The crisp, unaged tequila complements the bright pomegranate juice and the sweet maple syrup lends a warming element. Stewart recommends serving this cocktail in tea cups for a festive flourish.

Looking for a pre-dinner cocktail that will whet your guest’s appetites without knocking them out? Opt for this traditional Basque Country aperitivo that looks similar to a Negroni but with half the alcohol. Spanish vermouth provides the base, with smaller portions of gin and Campari supplying a sturdy backbone and a bittersweet kick.

Inspired by the Brooklyn cocktail, Jim Meehan and John Deragon created the Newark in 2007 for the fall cocktail menu at the iconic New York City bar PDT. This modified version of the classic swaps rye whiskey for overproof apple brandy, dry vermouth for sweet, and replaces the hard-to-find Amer Picon for the inkier and even more bitter Fernet-Branca.

This obscure classic is an herbaceous riff on a Sidecar by swapping out orange liqueur for Green Chartreuse. Freshly squeezed lemon juice, simple syrup, and aromatic bitters round out this sour cocktail named after one of the most famous avenues in the world in Paris’ 8th arrondissement.