It's that time of year again—the leaves are starting to turn, the air is getting crisp, and it's time to bring out all those delicious fall flavors (apples! cinnamon!) in baked goods, savory soups and coffee (PSL, anyone?). You'll be stashing away your summer dresses and bringing out the cozy knits. And your table might even get a makeover with jewel tones and autumn colors taking center stage.
If you happen to be getting married during the fall, it's likely you'll be incorporating some of the colors, scents, and traditions of the seasons into your wedding decor and menu. And your signature drink is no exception! Fall cocktails are all about rich flavors; think dark rum paired with sweet apples, bourbon infused with the flavors of nutmeg and vanilla bean, or a cardamon-scented spiked chai.
On the lighter side, sparkly Prosecco, pear, ginger and sage are a match made in heaven. You also can't go wrong with the aromatic, herbaceous flavor of rosemary in a range of cocktails, from a simple gin and lemon combo to a more involved concoction. And with winter on its way, citrus fruits like grapefruit or orange can be a bright addition to either refreshing bubblies or warming mulled drinks spiced with cinnamon and cloves.
Take a cue from the flavors of the season for your special wedding cocktail (we guarantee that your guests will be happy). Here's a sampling of some of our favorite ideas for signature cocktails for a fall wedding.
1. Cider and Stormy
Recipe courtesy of Brooklyn Crafted
Ingredients:
2 oz. Descendant Apple Cider
2 oz. dark rum
4 oz. Brooklyn Crafted Extra Spicy Ginger Beer Mini
1 lime, halved
Combine apple cider, rum, ginger beer and juice of half of the lime in a cocktail shaker or tall glass and stir until combined. Cut the other half of the lime into wedges and serve in a tall glass over ice.
2. Deep Cranberry Bliss
Recipe courtesy of William Escalante at The Bygone Restaurant Baltimore
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz. Deep Eddy Cranberry Vodka
¾ oz. ginger syrup*
¾ oz. Tait Farms spiced apple shrub
½ oz. fresh lime juice
1 dash of apple bitters
Shake and strain into a highball glass. Top with a splash of club soda and garnish with dried cranberries and a lime wedge.
*Ginger syrup: Peel and mince ½ pound ginger. Add ginger to 8 cups water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 20 minutes. Strain and discard ginger. Add 8 cups sugar, stirring to dissolve.
3. The Great Maple Pumpkin
Recipe courtesy of Sugar Island Spiced Rum
Ingredients:
1 ½ parts Sugar Island Spiced Rum
1 part Maker’s Mark Bourbon
½ part maple syrup
1 Egg White
1 parts Pedro Ximénez Sherry
1 Spoonful Pumpkin Puree
1 part Cream (or half and half)
Combine all ingredients and dry shake, add ice and shake again; strain in a lowball and garnish with pumpkin spice!
4. Ruffino Jack of Spades
Recipe courtesy of Ruffino Prosecco
Ingredients:
2 parts Ruffino Prosecco
1½ parts cognac
¾ parts lemon juice
1 part apple cider
½ part honey syrup (2:1 honey to water)
Apple slice
Shake the cognac, lemon, apple cider, and honey syrup. Strain into a lowball glass with ice and top with Ruffino Prosecco. Garnish with an apple slice.
5. Apples and Bourbon
Recipe courtesy of Elad Zvi, Co-Founder of BarLab
Ingredients:
1 ¾ parts Maker’s Mark Bourbon infused with apples*
½ part Aperol
¾ part lemon juice
½ part thyme honey
Dash maple bitters
Thyme sprig and apple slice for garnish
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously, strain over ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with thyme sprig and apple slice.
*Infuse bourbon by adding fresh apple slices, with the skins, to Maker’s Mark bourbon. Allow to rest for 1-2 days (to taste). Remove apples and store in refrigerator.
6. Ginger Apple Cooler
Recipe courtesy of Brooklyn Crafted
Ingredients:
2 oz. Crown Royal Regal Apple
1 tsp. Maple Syrup
1 tsp. lemon juice
Brooklyn Crafted Extra Spicy Ginger Beer, to fill
Candied Ginger for garnish
Combine whiskey, maple syrup, lemon juice and ice in a cocktail shaker; shake vigorously. Serve topped with ginger beer and garnish with candied ginger.
7. Pear in Spirit
Recipe courtesy of Veronica Riffo at Stateside Seattle
Ingredients:
1 1/2 dashes Scrappy's Cardamom Bitters
1 1/2 oz. House Infused Chai Spice Rum
1 oz. Crimson Pear Juice
1/4 oz. Chai Simple Syrup
1/4 oz. Lemon Juice
1/4 oz. Orgeat
Shake, double-strain, & serve up. Garnish with a dried slice of Chai-spiced pear.
8. Sun Ra
Recipe courtesy of Novo Fogo Silver Cachaça
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz. Novo Fogo Silver
½ oz. Zaya Rum
½ rosemary simple syrup
1 oz. lemon juice
Shake with sprig of rosemary and fine strain over fresh ice. Top with the ½ oz. Zaya Rum. Garnish with rosemary.
9. Bourbon Milk Punch
Recipe courtesy of Woodford Reserve Bourbon
Ingredients:
2 cups cream
2 cups whole milk
1 cup Woodford Reserve bourbon
¾ cup sifted powdered sugar
½ vanilla bean
Fresh grated nutmeg
In a metal bowel over an ice bath, whisk sugar, cream, milk, and bourbon until nice and frothy. Add vanilla bean and strain through fine mesh strainer into pitcher. Place pitcher in freezer for 30 minutes to an hour stirring on occasion. Pour into glass and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.
10. Rum Java Float
Recipe courtesy of Sugar Island Spiced Rum
Ingredients:
2 parts Sugar Island Spiced Rum
2 ½ parts Cold Brew Coffee
½ part Orgeat Syrup
Vanilla Ice Cream
Shake rum, orgeat, and coffee together and strain into a highball with ice. Top with a scoop of ice cream.
11. Orange Cinnamon Blossom
Recipe courtesy of Santa Margherita Prosecco
Ingredients:
1 bottle of Santa Margherita Prosecco Superiore
1/2 lemon
1/2 orange
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup sugar
3 whole cloves
3 whole allspice
2 cinnamon sticks
Rinse lemon and orange and thinly slice them, discarding seeds; quarter the orange slices. Put fruit in a 4- to 5-quart pan. Add honey, sugar (use the smaller amount if you prefer drinks on the tart side, the larger if you want a sweeter flavor), cloves and allspice. With a knife, cut the cinnamon sticks lengthwise into thinner strips. Add cinnamon and 2 cups water to pan; bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and boil gently for 5 minutes. Pour Prosecco into hot citrus base and heat until steaming, about 8 minutes. Keep warm over low heat. Ladle into heatproof cups or wineglasses.
12. Oh My Pumpkin Pie
Recipe courtesy of Sake One
Ingredients:
3 oz G Joy Saké
3 tbsp pumpkin pie filling
3/4 cup egg nog
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Whipped cream for garnish
Combine in shaker with ice. Top with whipped cream.
13. Ginger Sage Cocktail
Recipe courtesy of Santa Margherita Prosecco
Serves 8-10
Ingredients:
1 bottle of Santa Margherita Prosecco Superiore
Simple Syrup1 cup honey
3 cups water
2 whole pears, peeled, cored and diced
1 large piece of ginger, peeled and diced
20 fresh sage leaves (plus more for garnish)
In a saucepan combine the honey and water over medium heat and bring to a light boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the honey has dissolved completely. Add the pears, ginger and sage leaves.
Simmer, stirring occasionally until the mixture has reduced by 1/3 (about 15-20 minutes). Remove from heat and let the mixture steep for an additional 10 minutes. Strain the syrup into a large canning jar or thick glass bowl. Discard the ginger and sage leaves.
Place a few pieces of the cooked pear into each stemless wine glass followed by 2 tbsps of the simple syrup. Add Santa Margherita Prosecco Superiore and serve.
14. Liquid Smoke
Recipe courtesy of Slow and Low Rye
Ingredients:
1 1/4 oz Slow and Low Rye
3/4 Coffee Infused Cynar
2 dashes Walnut Bitters
Stir on the rocks, strain, pour in to glass and add a cherry garnish.
15. Diamond District
Recipe courtesy of Max Green of Amor y Amargo & Coup
Ingredients:
1 oz. Woodford Reserve Rye
2 oz. Carpano Antica
2 dash of Scrappy’s Lime Bitters
Add all ingredients to the mixing glass, stir and stain into a chilled coup, garnish with a lemon twist.
16. Blood Orange Margarita
Recipe courtesy of Corralejo Tequila
Ingredients:
2 oz. Corralejo Reposado Tequila
3 oz. Fresh Blood Orange Juice
¾ fresh Lime Juice
1 oz. Simple syrup
Rub the rim of an old fashioned glass (or whatever similar vessel you prefer to drink out of) with an edge of a blood orange slice. Swirl the rim through a small pile of Koher or Sea Salt to the Rim. Combine a few cubes of ice into a salted glass. Strain the cocktail into the glass and enjoy.
17. Mezcal Mule
Recipe courtesy of Pelotón de la Muerte Mezcal
Ingredients:
2 oz. Pelotón de la Muerte Mezcal
1.5 oz. ginger beer
¾ oz. lime juice
¾ oz. agave nectar or simple syrup
Stir to combine, pour over rocks and garnish with lime.
18. Nutty Aunt
Recipe courtesy of SVEDKA Vodka
Ingredients:
1 part SVEDKA Cherry
1 part apple juice
¼ part amaretto liqueur
¾ part fresh lemon juice
Dash Angostura bitters
Soda water
Combine ingredients in a large punch bowl over ice. Garnish with star anise, cranberries and orange wheels. Add a splash of soda water when serving.
19. Fall Fling
Recipe courtesy of Alex Valencia of La Contenta, NYC
Ingredients:
1 ½ parts Tres Agaves Reposado
5 parts Sangrita*
½ part Lime juice
Grapefruit soda (Squirt or Jarritos)
Build the drink in the glass by first putting the tequila in the glass, then add the Sangrita mix and top off with grapefruit soda; stir ingredients together in highball glass and garnish with grapefruit wheel.
See more: 50 Signature Cocktails for Summer Weddings
20. Casa Noble Buried Treasure
Recipe courtesy of Casa Noble Crystal Tequila
Ingredients:
2 oz Casa Noble Crystal Tequila
0.75 oz orange-chamomile simple syrup*
0.5 oz lemon juice
0.25 oz spiced rum
2 dashes bitters
Orange zest
Tarragon sprig
Combine all ingredients, except orange zest and tarragon, into mixing glass and stir.
Strain into glass over ice. Squeeze orange zest; rub around rim and drop into glass.
Garnish with tarragon sprig.
*Orange Chamomile Simple Syrup Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 chamomile tea bags
1 orange tea bag
Combine sugar and water in saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves and water begins to boil. Remove from heat; add tea bags. Let steep for 1 hour, then cool.
