Get Spicy Use spiced spirits and cocktail bitters to warm and transform autumn drinks. When spicing up cocktails with flavoured bottles, the bartender trick of a “mixed base” melds familiar formulas with fresh seasonal flavours. For example, substitute half the whisky you’d usually use with a spiced apple liqueur to create an apple pie Old-Fashioned. Or use equal parts tequila and apple cinnamon liqueur to create an autumn- spiced margarita. Spiced whiskies, rums and liqueurs often contain some sugar, so leave out any simple syrup or sweeteners and sweeten to taste as you mix to create a drink that’s perfect for your palate. In some cocktails, you can fully substitute a spiced spirit for the traditional base. Turn Irish coffee into a trendy carajillo (Spanish coffee) with piquant, herbaceous Spanish liqueur. Make it a warming Scottish coffee with a zesty Scotch whisky-based liqueur. For classic drinks that incorporate cocktail bitters—from Old-Fashioneds and Manhattans to Pisco, Whisky Sours and Champagne cocktails—classic aromatic bitters, such as Angostura, have the built-in tingle of baking- cabinet spices. Experiment with bitter flavours like coffee or chocolate, hot chili pepper or earthy chai to lend a warm seasonal glow to cocktails. For a savoury burst of aromatics, fill a new perfume atomizer with bitters and mist the tops of drinks right before serving.
Whether you’re entertaining in the golden glow of a late- afternoon happy hour, serving pre-dinner cocktails or hosting a cozy weekend brunch, it’s time to celebrate autumn’s flavour haul by giving drinks a seasonal glow-up. Using a few tweaks and tips from this guide, experiment with the warm tingle of fall spice, plus produce and herbs that evoke the harvest. Try out some cocktail-serving splashes, spritzes and flourishes. Introduce just a few new tricks to your home bartending, and before long, you’ll be creating the kind of immersive, multi-sensory and seasonal cocktail experiences that are a hallmark of fine cocktail bars today.
Fireball Blazin’ Apple $24.99 Canada 658578
Imagine your favourite red-hot cinnamon liqueur arriving at a fall party with a bushel of crisp green apples. It’s a medley of bright, warm whisky flavours.
Licor 43 Original $35.99 Spain 238303
A complex blend of 43 herbs and botanicals gives this Spanish liqueur a cornucopia of fruity, spiced notes. Try it in tea or coffee or stirred into autumn sangria.
Drambuie Liqueur $47.99 United Kingdom 1867
From the Scottish Isle of Skye, this whisky- infused liqueur carries herbal and peppery whiffs of honey and heather. Mix into whisky cocktails or pour over ice.
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