First-of-Fall Cocktails to Make You Cozy

By Vicki Cruz

Mixing up a delicious fall libation?

Here are a few of our favorites. Let’s raise a glass to warm sweaters, crisp air, and cocktails that warm us from the inside out.

Photo by Aja Campbell

Harvest Moon Martini

by Juan Carlos Mesa, Brio, NYC

Ingredients

  • 2 oz. Chopin Potato Vodka
  • 1 oz. Blood Orange Honey Crème* Dilution (3 parts Water, 1 part Honey Crème)
  • 1 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
  • 1/4 oz. Honey Balsamic Vinegar*
  • Fresh Orange Peel
  • 3 Allspice Seeds
  • 1 Fresh Basil Leaf (for Garnish)

Preparation

  1. Crush orange peel and brush along the rim of a chilled martini glass.
  2. Combine liquid ingredients with this peel and the allspice seeds in a shaker with ice.
  3. Shake vigorously 10 times to break the allspice seeds and release their flavors.
  4. Strain into martini glass, smack basil leaf between palms to release flavorful oils and place on surface of cocktail.

Additional Notes

*Raw honey crème blood orange and honey vinegar is produced by Honey Ridge Farms, a family with five generations of beekeeping experience. All honey is sourced from Pacific Northwest and Western beekeepers, and traceable to origin. HoneyRidgeFarms.com.

Photo by Portobello Road Gin

Charles Dickens Punch

Ingredients

  • 1/2 bottle Portobello Road Gin
  • 1/2 bottle Madeira Wine
  • 3 Cloves
  • Pinch Grated Nutmeg
  • 1 tsp. Cinnamon Powder
  • 2 tsp. of Brown Sugar
  • 6 large Lemon and Orange Twists
  • 1 small Slice of Orange
  • 1 Fresh Pineapple
  • 4 large Spoons of Honey
  • Juice of 2 Lemons

Preparation

  1. Mix all the ingredients in saucepan and place on the heat.
  2. Let the mixture simmer without boiling for 20 -30 minutes.
  3. While it cooks balance the sweet/sour taste with honey and lemon to your taste.
  4. You can also re-warm the mix; the punch arguably gets better and better the longer it simmers.

Photo by Sushisamba, NYC

Tanto Treackle

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 oz. El Dorado 12 Year Rum
  • 1/2 oz. Lillet Rouge
  • 1/4 oz. Apple Juice
  • 1/4 oz. Salted Caramel Liqueur
  • 1/4 oz. Maple Syrup
  • Dehydrated Carmelized Apple or Candy Apple Slice (for Garnish)

Preparation

  1. Combine all the ingredients into a mixing glass and stir slowly with ice.
  2. Strain the liquid to a chilled rocks glass filled with ice.
  3. Garnish with a candied apple slices.

Photo by ONEHOPE Wine

Sparkling Apple Cider with Thyme

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. Dark Rum
  • 3 oz. Lemon Juice
  • 4 oz. Thyme Simple Syrup*
  • 12 oz. Apple Cider
  • 1 bottle (750ml) ONEHOPE Sparkling Wine
  • 4 dashes Angostura Bitters
  • Springs of Thyme (for Garnish)

Preparation

  1. Place all ingredients (except sparkling wine) in a large pitcher or carafe.
  2. Fill your glasses with crushed ice and fill 1/2 with mixture.
  3. Top with Sparkling wine and serve with a few sprigs of thyme for garnish.

*Thyme Simple Syrup


Ingredients

  • 2 cups Sugar
  • 1 1/2 cup Water
  • 10 Sprigs Thyme

Preparation

  1. Combine sugar, water and 10 sprigs of thyme in a small sauce pan over medium heat.
  2. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer until the sugar has dissolved completely (about 5 minutes).
  3. Remove from heat and place the syrup in the refrigerator to cool (about 90 minutes).

Photo by Maestro Dobel Tequila

In the Rough

Ingredients

  • 2 oz. Maestro® Dobel Diamante™ Tequila
  • 3 dashes Sour Cherry Bitters
  • bar spoon Pomegranate Molasses
  • 2 Brandied Cherries (for Garnish)

Preparation

  1. Add all ingredients to mixing glass, add ice, stir until properly diluted, strain into coupe glass.
  2. Garnish with brandied cherries.

Photo by Maestro Dobel Tequila

Warm-Up

Ingredients

  • 2 oz. Maestro Dobel® Resposado Tequila
  • 2 oz. Apple Cider
  • 1 tsp. Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 oz. Lillet Blanc
  • Cinnamon Stick/Dusting of All Spice (for Garnish)

Preparation

  1. Build in tin, add ice, shake and fine strain into a coupe glass.
  2. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and/or a dusting of All Spice.

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