Sip Into Fall With These 12 Seasonally Inspired Cocktail Recipes

As autumn paints the great outdoors with hues of orange and red, and the crisp air carries a hint of magic and mystery, there’s no better time to indulge in seasonal delights that embrace the spirit of fall and Halloween. Whether it’s cozy notes of rich spices and citrus or the allure of dark, mysterious concoctions, these fall and Halloween-inspired gin cocktails beckon us to gather around and raise a glass to the enchanting season that’s upon us.

Fetch in the Woods

• 1.5 oz Mr. Pickles Gin (house review here)
• 1.5 oz Douglas Fir Spring Tip, brewed
• .75 oz Spiced apple cider
• .75 oz Orgeat
• 2-3 drops Roots & Crowns Forest Bitters
• Garnish: Cinnamon sugar sprinkled apple slices

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a cocktail coupe. Skewer apple slices, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and lay on the rim of the glass.

This fall-forward drink uses Mr. Pickles Pacific Northwest Gin, a recently released offering from Wolf Spirit in Oregon. A loving tribute to the master distiller’s rescue pit bull, this gin offers tasting from juniper, sencha green tea, pink peppercorns and marshmallow root. If you can’t find Mr. Pickles, try using another gin with prominent pepper and citrus notes.

Read more about this funky new spirit here.

Poison Apple Spice

• 1.5 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin (aggregate reviews here)
• .5 oz Martini Rosso Vermouth
• .5 oz Bottlegreen Spiced Berry cordial
• .5 oz cloudy apple juice

Place all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with plenty of cubed ice. Shake well for 15 seconds, or until the outside of the shaker is frosted. Fine strain into a chilled coupette or martini glass.

Bombay Sapphire, a citrus-forward gin from the Bombay Spirits Company, is the star of this spiced-up drink. Don’t have any of this gin at the ready? Consider using another classic London dry.

Dusk Over Hudson by Kaslyn Bos

• 2 oz Gray Whale Gin (house and aggregate reviews here)
• .25 oz fresh plum
• .75 oz fresh lemon juice
• .75 oz simple syrup
• 1 egg white
• 4 spritzes rosewater
• Cold soda water
• Garnish: Lemon twist

Add plum to a cocktail shaker and muddle well. Combine the remaining ingredients except soda water in the cocktail shaker and dry shake with no ice. Add ice and shake vigorously. Double strain into a coupe glass and top with soda water. Garnish with a lemon twist.

This cocktail features Gray Whale Gin, a spirit made with sustainably sourced juniper, limes, fir, sea kelp, mint and almonds. If you don’t have this gin available, reach for another delicate gin such as Roku or Citadelle.

Read more about Gray Whale Gin and its new cocktail book here.

Minke Gin Sour

• 2 oz Minke Irish Gin (aggregate reviews here)
• 1 oz Lemon Juice
• .5 oz Sugar Syrup
• 1 oz Egg White
• Garnish: Lemon zest

Add all ingredients with ice to a shaker. Shake hard. Double strain into a glass. Garnish with shaved lemon zest and serve.

Minke Irish Gin, crafted by Clonakilty Distillery in Ireland, is inspired by the Minke whales of the Atlantic. It incorporates wild coastal botanicals like Rock Samphire, resulting in a silky texture from a whey base and a flavor profile showcasing lavender, citrus, sea salt and fennel notes. If Minke Irish Gin isn’t available, opt for other sea-inspired gins like Hendrick’s Neptunia, Gray Whale or Fundy.

Hard Spritz

• 1.5 oz Junipero Gin (house and aggregate reviews here)
• 3 oz Prosecco
• 2 oz Aperol
• 1 oz Soda Water
• Garnish: Orange wheel

Combine all ingredients into a glass with ice, gently stir, and garnish with an orange wheel.

This cocktail spotlights Junipero Gin, an American-made London dry offering tasting notes of crisp juniper, citrus peel, lemongrass and touches of warm spices. Junipero also rocks a higher-than-usual ABV of 49.3%, which helps it stand out in almost any cocktail. If you don’t have this spirit at the ready, consider turning to your go-to spicy dry.

Howl At the Moon

• 1 oz Mr. Pickles Gin (house review here)
• 2 oz Stumptown Holler Mountain espresso
• 1 oz Chocolate liqueur
• 3⁄4 oz Orange liqueur
• Garnish: Grated orange zest

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a cocktail coupe. Sprinkle orange zest on the surface of the drink.

Rhubarb & Ginger Gin Martini

• 1.5 oz Edinburgh Gin’s Rhubarb & Ginger Gin
• .5 oz Dry vermouth
• Garnish: Lemon peel

Add all the ingredients into a tall glass and stir. Strain into a Martini glass. Add a lemon twist to garnish.

This cocktail features Edinburgh Rhubarb & Ginger Gin, which tastes of bright lemongrass, tart-sweet rhubarb, mulberry and slightly spicy ginger. The gin’s overall impression is that of bubblegum and fruit pie, making it the perfect spirit for someone who craves a Halloween-candy-like sip. If this gin isn’t in your home bar, reach for your favorite fruity gin and top the cocktail off with grated ginger.

Shades of Gray by Sebastian Guerrero

• 1.5 oz Gray Whale Gin (house and aggregate reviews here)
• 1 oz Pineapple juice
• .75 oz Cream of coconut
• .5 oz Allspice dram
• .5 oz Banana liqueur
• .5 oz Amaro Nonino
• Garnish: Fresh mint sprig, grated nutmeg and orange wheel

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice. Strain into a hurricane glass over crushed ice and garnish with a mint sprig, grated nutmeg and orange wheel.

Angel Face

• 1 oz Luxardo London Dry Gin (aggregate reviews here)
• 1 oz Luxardo Apricot Albicocca Liqueur
• 1 oz Calvados
• Garnish: Lemon twist

Stir all ingredients with wet ice (the extra dilution helps to mellow out the bold flavors — as an alternative, the cocktail may be shaken, but will lose its beautifully clear look). Strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.

This drink highlights Luxardo London Dry Gin, an Italian spirit made using juniper, cinchona, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, iris, angelica, licorice and bitter oranges. If this gin can’t be found, try making this cocktail with another earthy and savory favorite.

Ascaroni

• 1 oz Engine Gin (aggregate reviews here)
• .75 oz Italicus
• .75 oz Campari
• .25 oz Nixta Corn Liqueur
• Garnish: Orange peel

Stir all the ingredients and pour into a rocks glass with one large ice cube and garnish with an orange peel.

This drink included Engine Gin, a sage-forward, punchy Italian gin. If you don’t have this spirit at the ready, use your favorite herbaceous gin.

Settlers Hideout

• 1.5 oz of Green Ditch Gin
• .5 oz of Lillet Blanc
• .5 oz of Triple Sec
• .5 oz Lime Cordial
• Absinthe

Add all ingredients except for the Absinthe to a shaker. Shake it with ice. Double strain into a coupe glass. Spray Absinthe on top.

This cocktail includes Green Ditch Gin from Eight Settlers Distillery in Utah. Green Ditch Gin pays homage to the vital role ditches played in sustaining the Butler area during the mid-1800s. These waterways were crucial for supporting crops, livestock and households, enabling families to thrive and establish their communities. Green Ditch Gin features a blend of seven botanicals, including star anise, citrus peel and pronounced juniper. If you don’t have this gin at the ready, reach for your favorite classic dry.

Scottish Pear

• 30 ml Single Malt Scotch
• 30 ml Tulchan Gin (aggregate reviews here)
• 3.5 oz Pear juice
• .5 oz Lemon juice
• .5 oz Agave nectar
• Garnish: Lemon rind

Add the scotch, gin, pear juice, lemon juice and agave to a cocktail shaker. Shake until well combined. Pour over ice, if desired. Garnish with a lemon rind and serve.

This cocktail takes advantage of Tulchan Gin, a Scottish spirit with tasting notes from sloe berries, elderflower, blackberry leaves, juniper, white asparagus, angelica and licorice. If this tipple isn’t currently on your shelf, try making this cocktail with another richly herbal gin.

Read next:

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