The temperature’s dropping, the leaves are falling, and the drinks are pouring. This fall, it could get difficult to pick the best handcrafted cocktails for those sweet autumn evenings. Between spirits, juices, garnishes, and cordials, you might be stumped as to how to fashion a fall flavor profile that’ll pair with fresh-picked apples, pumpkin pie, and flannel shirts.

Luckily, we’ve done the work for you by creating a list of the best fall cocktails for you to enjoy this season.

We’re tackling a variety of spirits and exploring a wide range of flavors, so you can be assured there’s something for you on this list. Plus, we’ll tell you exactly how to make everything. 

Whether you’re looking for a sweet after-dinner drink or something smokey to toast around the bonfire, look no further. The best fall cocktails are just a short read away.

Ginger Pear Bourbon Cocktail

While apples are a familiar fall favorite, it might be time to explore some less obvious fruity cocktails come this fall. The peppery sweet flavor of ginger mixed with the slight tang of a pear can make for a mouthwatering combination. 

Plus, you can’t go wrong with some classic Kentucky bourbon to tie it all together. 

When it comes to ingredients, you’ll need:

• 2 ounces Bourbon
• 2 ounces Pear Juice
• 1 lemon 
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup water
• Ginger Ale
• fresh ginger
• Pear slice

You can make your own ginger pear bourbon cocktail by following this simple cocktail recipe.

1. Make the honey syrup – In a saucepan, bring the honey, ginger, and water to a boil. Stir until the honey is fully dissolved, then let steep for 20 minutes. Strain out the ginger, put the liquid in an easy to pour container, and place it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
   
   
2. Mix in a shaker – Squeeze your lemon into your shaker, then add bourbon, pear juice, and honey syrup with ice. Shake until ice cold.
   
   
3. Pour – Fill a rocks glass with ice and strain your shaker into the glass. Top with ginger ale to taste, and use a pear slice as a gorgeous garnish to finish off your concoction.

Candied ginger can act as an alternate garnish if you’re looking for something that will sparkle in the autumn sun. 

Either way, this simple cocktail is a popular choice for hosts and guests alike. It’s an easy recipe that can please just about anyone with its broad flavor palate and innate drinkability.

Stone Wall

If you’re looking for one of the best fall rum cocktails, look no further than the stone wall. A little-known American classic, the stone wall combines the classic tastes of fall with a traditionally summery spirit.

The stone wall cocktail is all about the bitter-sweet flavors of the season. Mixing citrus, ginger, and the quintessential apple, you wind up with a balanced and complex cocktail without being too challenging to make.

Before you start mixing, gather your ingredients. They include:

• 1 ½ ounces rum
• Thinly slice ginger
• 1 ½ teaspoons simple syrup
• 1 ½ ounces apple cider
• 1 ½ ounces ginger beer
• lime wedge
• slice of apple

When you’re ready to make your cocktail, it’s a pretty simple process:

1. Add Ingredients – Muddle the ginger with the simple syrup and add it to your shaker. Then add rum, cider, and ice. Cap and shake vigorously.
   
   
2. Strain – Use a strainer to filter out the ginger pieces and remaining ice, then pour your cocktail into an ice-filled rocks glass. Top off your cocktail with a little ginger beer for an added sweet kick.
   
   
3. Garnish – Place your lime wedge and apple slice on the rim of your cocktail glass for garnish, or skewer them on a fancy toothpick and float them on the top of your cocktail. We’ll let you decide what looks best.

Aged rum can add a deeper, mellower flavor to the stone wall, but when in a pinch, you can substitute for an unaged white rum. At the end of the day, a cocktail is only as good as its ingredients, so don’t hesitate to break out the good stuff when serving up stone walls. You can also mix in warm spices and orange peel for an added kick. 

Gaelic Punch

Consider mixing a batch of Gaelic punch to warm up on the colder fall nights. This is more than just a cocktail; this is a big batch of punch for you and your guests to enjoy throughout the night.

This recipe certainly packs a punch with its Irish whiskey base and bittersweet, earthy flavors. But don’t worry, the sugar and lemon help make this an easy sipper that anyone can enjoy.

Gaelic punch requires:

• 1 750ml bottle of Irish whiskey
• Lemon zest, lemon slices
• ¾ cup raw sugar
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 40 ounces boiling water

To make a batch of about 14 drinks, follow this recipe:

1. Muddle – Pour your sugar and the zest of about 6 lemons into a heatproof bowl, begin to muddle, then let sit for about an hour. Next, add 8 ounces of boiling water and muddle the solution again.
   
   
2. Strain – Once all the sugar has dissolved, and you’re left with a lemony-sweet syrup, strain your solution into another bowl and add the whiskey.
   
   
3. Mix and Garnish – After adding the whiskey, you can add the remaining water to your bowl and give everything a good stir. Now, you’re ready to serve. Ladle out your punch, garnish the glasses with lemon and nutmeg, and let the fun begin.

If you’re looking to impress at a family gathering, backyard bonfire, or formal party, a Gaelic punch is a perfect way to make sure everyone can try a delicious cocktail. You certainly don’t need to be Irish to appreciate it—just sit, sip, and be merry.

Fall Mezcal Margarita

For a little bite with an underpinning of smoke, try a fall mezcal margarita. The smokey agave-based spirit is quite popular in several pungent cocktails. Still, this fall recipe pairs it with apple and cinnamon to make the powerful flavor a little more approachable. 

Margaritas are one of the most popular cocktails for a night out or in. Why not try a tasty variation of the Mexican classic. Ingredients for this margarita include:

• 2 ounces mezcal
• 1 ounce orange liqueur
• 3 ounces apple cider
• 1 lime
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• orange wedge
• cinnamon sticks

First, you’re going to want to rim the margarita glass by rubbing the orange wedge around the outer rim, then dipping it into a mixture of cinnamon, allspice, and sugar. Next, you can begin crafting the autumn cocktail by following these steps:

1. Mix – Add mezcal, orange liqueur, and apple cider to an ice-filled shaker.
   
   
2. Squeeze – Cut your lime in half and squeeze the juice from one half into the shaker, then shake for 45 seconds.
   
   
3. Pour and garnish – Pour your autumn cocktail into a margarita glass, add ice and garnish with a cinnamon stick. 

Extra points if you burn the end of your cinnamon stick to create an incense effect. The smoking cinnamon aroma will blend with the cocktail’s fall flavor in perfect boozy synergy, and the presentation will be even more impressive.

Cranberry Gimlet

If you’ve had your eye out for the best fall vodka cocktails, the cranberry gimlet is sure to impress. A slight variation on the timeless Cosmopolitan, the cranberry gimlet combines simplicity, elegance, and sweet citrus vodka.

To make a cranberry gimlet, you’ll need:

• 2 ounces citrus vodka
• 3⁄4 ounce lime juice
• 3⁄4 ounce cranberry juice
• 1⁄2 ounce agave nectar
• Lemon twist and fresh cranberries

This cocktail belongs in a martini glass—preferably one that’s already been chilled. Stick a glass in the freezer an hour before you start crafting your easy fall cocktails, or quickly ice one down on the fly. This drink should be as cold as possible. 

Once you’ve got the glass situation handled, follow this simple recipe:

1. Mix – Your vodka, agave nectar, cranberry, and lime juice should be poured smoothly into your shaker tin with ice. Shake until the metal of the tin is nearly too cold to touch.
   
   
2. Pour and Garnish – Your martini glass should be all frosty and ready for you to strain your shaker into. Remember, there’s no need to add ice to a properly made cranberry gimlet. After pouring, throw in a lemon twist and some fresh cranberries for the finishing touch.

The one-two combination of tangy-sweet and citrusy-sour make the cranberry gimlet a well-balanced fall cocktail. Perfect for turkey day, or really any day from September to December.

Get All the Season’s Best Cocktails With DRNXMYTH

After running through a list of this year’s best fall cocktails, you’re probably looking forward to hosting and toasting throughout the autumn months. We’ve given you a lot of options, but if you’re looking for the simplest way to try a variety of handcrafted fall cocktail recipes without seeking out ingredients, collecting bar tools, and shaking until you’re blue in the face—we’ve got a better option.

Artisanal delivery cocktails from DRNXMYTH.

At DRNXMYTH, we’re committed to unmatched flavor, premium ingredients, and the ultimate convenience of cold cocktails delivered right to your door. Our dual chamber tech allows ingredients to stay separate until you’re ready to pour, guaranteeing freshness for optimum taste.

Visit DRNXMYTH today to browse our fall cocktail collection—it’s the tastiest way to enjoy the season.

Sources: 

1. Town and Country. 23 Autumnal Cocktails Perfect for the Crisp Days of Fall. https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/drinks/g1547/fall-cocktails/ 
2. Food and Wine. 22 fall cocktail to try this season. https://www.foodandwine.com/cocktails-spirits/fall-cocktails 
3. Oprah Daily. 35 Easy Fall Cocktails to Warm You on Chilly Nights. https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/food/g28099287/fall-cocktails/?slide=11