Autumn is a great season to be a fan of malty, warming beers (like pumpkin ales and barrel-aged stouts) and robust red wines. It’s also a great time of year for anyone who enjoys a well-made, complex, seasonal cocktail. This is because as the days grow shorter and colder, we’re all looking for something boozy to warm our bones.
When it comes to base spirits, there’s a lot to choose from when mixing up fall cocktails. From whiskey to dark rum, to mezcal, and every warming spirit in between, there’s something for all alcohol palates when it comes to autumnal mixed drinks.
The only thing better than complex, delicious, warming cocktails is easy-to-make fall cocktails. By this, we mean only a few ingredients as opposed to a whole cabinet of tinctures, shrubs, herbs, spirits, and liqueurs.
Easy fall cocktails
You might define “easy” differently than we do. When we say “easy” concerning autumnal cocktails, we mean less than five ingredients. This includes the base spirit and any other bitters, simple syrups, etc. Below, you’ll find four of our favorite easy-to-make fall cocktails. As a bonus, we included histories, recipes, and step-by-step directions for each. Keep scrolling to see them all.
Amaretto Sour
If you’ve never had an Amaretto Sour, fall is the time to try it. While bartenders were mixing with it as early as the 1940s, this drink didn’t catch on until the 1970s when it was created by importer Amaretto di Saronno as a way to drum up enthusiasm for Amaretto. Like all sours, it begins with the Amaretto which is mixed with simple syrup and fresh lemon juice. It’s sweet, tart, and very refreshing on a cool fall night.
What you need to make the Amaretto Sour
- 2 ounces of Amaretto Liqueur
- .5 ounces of simple syrup
- .75 ounces of fresh lemon juice
The Amaretto Sour recipe steps
1. Add ice to a shaker.
2. Pour in the Amaretto, simple syrup, and fresh lemon juice.
3. Shake vigorously to combine.
4. Strain into a chilled rocks glass.
5. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.
Boulevardier
If you like whiskey and enjoy the bittersweet flavor of Campari, the Boulevardier should be your new fall go-to cocktail. The drink’s history can be traced back to 1927. This is when it was created by famed cocktail writer and bartender Harry McElhone. It was called the Boulevardier because it was the signature drink of Erskine Gwynne, the American-born writer and founder of the Parisian magazine ‘Boulevardier’. The drink itself consists of rye whiskey, Campari, and sweet red vermouth. It’s like a Negroni with rye whiskey instead of London dry gin.
What you need the make the Boulevardier
- 1.5 ounces of rye whiskey
- 1 ounce of Campari
- 1 ounce of sweet red vermouth
The Boulevardier recipe steps
1. Add ice to a mixing glass.
2. Pour in the rye whiskey, Campari, and sweet red vermouth.
3. Gently stir to combine.
4. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass.
5. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.
Spiced Hot Toddy
The only thing better than a warming whisky cocktail is a cocktail that’s literally warm. That’s why the Hot Toddy is such an exceptional fall cocktail. This is especially true when it’s elevated with the addition of seasonal flavors like cloves, star anise, and cinnamon sticks along with the classic ingredients of blended Scotch whisky, fresh lemon juice, honey, and hot water. The drink itself has been a cold weather staple since it was prescribed as a cure-all for the common cold by British doctors in the 1700s.
What you need to make the Spiced Hot Toddy
- 1.5 ounces of blended Scotch whisky
- .5 ounces of fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- .5 cup of hot water
- 1-2 Star anise
- 1 Cinnamon stick
The Spiced Hot Toddy recipe steps
1. Add blended Scotch whisky, fresh lemon juice, and honey to a mug.
2. Top with hot water.
3. Stir gently to combine.
4. Garnish with 1-2 star anise and a cinnamon stick.
Maple Old Fashioned
In the hierarchy of classic whiskey-based cocktails, there are none as beloved as the Old Fashioned. A timeless drink, the first reference was in 1895 in the book “Modern American Drinks’ by George Kappeler. And while it’s all well and good, we prefer our fall whiskey cocktails to have a little more seasonal flavor whenever possible. That’s why we opt for a Maple Old Fashioned. This easy-to-master riff removes the sugar (or simple syrup) and opts for maple syrup instead.
What you need to make the Maple Old Fashioned
- 2 ounces of bourbon whiskey
- .5 ounces of maple syrup
- 2-3 dashes of Angostura bitters
The Maple Old Fashioned recipe steps
1. Add ice to a mixing glass.
2. Pour bourbon, maple syrup, and Angostura bitters into the glass.
3. Stir gently to combine.
4. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass.
5. Garnish with an orange twist.
