Fill your boots with this Autumn cocktail inspiration with these 6 sophisticated Autumn Cocktail Recipes. Following a theme of Sugar, Spice and all things Nice, we’ve incorporated seasonal spices and flavours to bring you some wonderfully tasty and unique cocktail recipes. Embracing warming notes of cinnamon, cardamom, star anise and cloves, these cocktails offer a delightful answer for cozy evenings for two, or elegant Autumn gatherings alike.
Sugar, Spice and All Things Nice
Starting with the most aggressively Autumn inspired recipe to kick things off. The richness of amaretto enhances the sweet and citrusy notes, while cinnamon, cloves and star anise provide a warm and inviting backdrop. The addition of egg white will give your cocktail a silky texture and a lovely frothy head, creating a punchy yet comforting drink, designed for cozy autumn evenings.
Ingredients
- 45 ml Bourbon or rye whiskey
- 15 ml Amaretto
- 22 ml Fresh lemon juice
- 22 ml Fresh orange juice
- 15 ml simple syrup (adjust to taste)
- 1 egg white
- 1 star anise
- 2 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- To garnish: Orange wheel and star anise
Instructions
Infuse the Spices: In a small saucepan, combine the star anise, cloves, and cinnamon stick with 120 ml of water. Heat gently until it starts to simmer. Remove from heat and let it steep for 10-15 minutes. Strain out the spices and let the infusion cool.
In a shaker, combine the rest of the ingredients with 30 ml of the spiced infusion. Shake vigorously for about 15 seconds to emulsify the egg white. Add ice to the shaker and shake again for another 15-20 seconds until well chilled.
Strain the mixture into a rocks glass filled with ice or into a coupe glass and garnish with an orange wheel and a star anise pod for an aromatic touch!
Pumpkin Spice Margarita
While Pumpkin is a staple Autumn flavour, it’s not so often found in a coupe glass, alongside Tequila and lime juice. This Pumpkin Spice Margarita brings the oh so familiar flavours of Autumn—pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg—into a refreshing cocktail that still packs a punch, making it a unique and seasonal cocktail. With the ideal blend of spicy, sweet, and tangy… you’re on to a winner.
Ingredients
- 60 ml tequila
- 30 ml lime juice
- 30 ml pumpkin puree
- 15 ml agave syrup
- 1.25 ml pumpkin pie spice mix (about ¼ tsp)
- Cinnamon sugar for rimming the glass
- To garnish: Cinnamon stick
Instructions
Rim a coupe or rocks glass with lime juice and dip it in cinnamon sugar.
In a shaker with ice, shake to combine all the ingredients. Strain into a coupe glass or a rocks glass filled with ice and garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Spiced Pear Martini
The sweet and delicate pear is an often-overlooked Autumn flavour that pairs beautifully with spices like ginger, cinnamon and cardamom. A spiced pear martini is a sophisticated and seasonal twist on the classic martini, offering a balance of sweet, lightness and gentle spice. The result is a beautifully elegant cocktail, perfect for hosting Autumn gatherings.
Ingredients
- 60 ml vodka or gin
- 30 ml pear juice (fresh or from a good-quality bottled juice)
- 15 ml ginger liqueur (or 2.5 ml fresh grated ginger)
- 15 ml simple syrup or honey syrup
- Dash of cardamom
- Dash of cinnamon
- To garnish: Pear slice
Instructions
In a shaker, combine all the ingredients with ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a thin or dehydrated pear slice.
Chai-Spiced White Russian
The White Russian is known for its creamy, indulgent nature, but adding chai spices turns it into a cozy, autumn treat. With flavours of cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, this drink brings the comfort of a chai latte into cocktail form – rich, creamy, and full of warming spices.
Ingredients
- 45 ml vodka
- 30 ml coffee liqueur (e.g., Kahlúa)
- 30 ml chai concentrate (or brewed chai tea)
- 30 ml heavy cream
- To garnish: Ground cinnamon
Instructions
In a glass filled with ice, pour the vodka, coffee liqueur, and chai concentrate and stir gently to mix. Slowly pour the cream over the top to create a layered effect and garnish with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.
Spiced Cranberry Mule
This Autumn-inspired take on the classic Moscow Mule adds the tart sweetness of cranberries and the warmth of seasonal spices like cinnamon and cloves. The result is a refreshing, zesty drink with a hint of festive spice.
Ingredients
- 60 ml vodka
- 15 ml cranberry juice
- 15 ml lime juice
- 120 ml ginger beer
- 2 dashes of cinnamon
- To garnish: Fresh cranberries and a lime wedge
Instructions
Fill a copper mule mug or glass with ice and add vodka, cranberry juice, lime juice, and cinnamon. Top with the ginger beer and stir gently before garnishing with fresh cranberries and a lime wedge.
Orange & Cinnamon Manhattan
A spiced version of the Manhattan, the combination of orange and cinnamon adds a bright, warm spice that works to balance the sharpness from the whiskey and the sweetness of the vermouth, providing a sophisticated Autumn treat.
Ingredients
- 60 ml rye whiskey
- 30 ml sweet vermouth
- 2 dashes orange bitters
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 orange peel
- To garnish: Orange twist and cinnamon stick
Instructions
In a mixing glass, stir rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, orange bitters, and a cinnamon stick with ice. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and grnish with an orange twist and a cinnamon stick.