3 Festive Fall Cocktail Recipes That Celebrate the Spirit(s) of the Season

Betty Gold

As if we needed one more reason to toast the arrival of September!

As the dog days of summer draw to an end, we’re trading our fruity, sweet cocktails for more robust ones. Here are three delicious, easy-to-make craft cocktail recipes that showcase the flavors of fall: fresh apples, Turkish coffee, cinnamon, orange zest, and darker spirits that will keep you warm all winter long. Each one comes together quickly in a simple shaker—no fancy cocktail machine or blender needed.

Byblos Old Fashioned

When you’re in the mood for a bonafide classic, you know you can always turn to an Old Fashioned. This timeless masterpiece of mixology is an extremely simple three ingredient blend (sugar + bitters + liquor), which makes it a great contender for recipe variations. This twist on a classic from Byblos Miami is framed with eastern spices and is served traditionally over a perfect cube of ice with an expression of orange oils. Boozy, smooth, and sophisticated, Byblos’ Old Fashioned is just as easy to make as it is to drink.

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 oz. bourbon

  • 0.5 oz. rum

  • 0.5 oz. Turkish Coffee

  • 4 dashes orange Angostura bitters

  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters

  • Orange Zest (for garnish)

Directions: Add all ingredients together in a shaker then stir. Serve in a rocks glass over a single large ice cube. Optional: garnish with an orange zest.

RELATED: 9 Types of Apples to Get You Extra Excited for Fall

The Baby Bison

This easy-drinking cocktail from Sweet Liberly Drinks & Supply Co. combines vodka, apple juice, Aperol, citrus, and cinnamon. It's a small-but-mighty mixture reminiscent of fall.

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 oz. of vodka (Sweet Liberty recommends Zu Vodka Bison grass vodka)

  • 1.5 oz. apple juice

  • 0.5 oz. fresh lemon juice

  • 0.5 oz. Aperol

  • Cinnamon Stick (for garnish)

Directions: Shake all ingredients together with ice in a shaker. Strain into a chilled glass. Optional: garnish with cinnamon stick.

El Cafecito

Gloria Estefan once described Cuban coffee as “very powerful, very sweet, and a little dangerous.” That’s exactly how we’d describe this cocktail, which is made with coffee liqueur, dark rum, Licor 43, chocolate bitters, and simple syrup. Enjoy while listening to salsa music and playing dominoes. Developed by the mixologists at Lobster Bar Sea Grille.

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 oz dark rum

  • 0.5 oz coffee liqueur

  • 0.5 oz Licor 43

  • 1 dash simple syrup

  • 2 dashes chocolate bitters

Directions: In a shaker, add all the ingredients, shake vigorously, then pour into a rocks glass with a large ice cube.

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