13 Creative and Cozy Fall Cocktails to Warm You Right Up

For the first few weeks of fall when warmer summer temperatures still linger, a slightly tart and refreshing fall cocktail is what we crave. This recipe from Woodford Reserve combines juicy cranberry and raspberry flavors with their expertly crafted bourbon for an early fall cocktail that's as boozy as it is refreshing. Sorghum adds just a touch of mild molasses-like sweetness, making this cocktail the perfect transitional beverage to take your taste buds from summer to fall.

Woodford Reserve Eclipse

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ ounces Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select Bourbon
• 1 ounce cranberry juice
• 1 ounce fresh raspberry juice
• ½ ounce Chambord
• ½ ounce fresh lime juice
• 2-3 drops sorghum syrup
• Club soda to top

Directions:

Combine bourbon, Chambord, cranberry juice, raspberry juice, lime juice, and sorghum in a shaker shell with ice. Shake vigorously, then strain into a chilled glass. Top with a dash of club soda, and garnish with a speared black raspberry and lemon or lime twist.

Recipe courtesy of Woodford Reserve.

More: Halloween Cocktail Recipes That Will Wow Your Party Guests

If you're hosting friends and family for happy hour or looking for an easy-to-make batched fall cocktail, look no further than this creative Boozy Apple Cider recipe from our friends at Delish. This recipe uses actual hollowed-out apples as the glassware, which means 1) yes, you can eat the cup, and 2) cleanup just got a whole lot easier. Apple cider, cinnamon, and whiskey? Yes, please!

Boozy Apple Cider

Ingredients:

• 1 gallon apple cider
• 1 ½ cups cinnamon whiskey, such as Fireball
• ½ cup caramel
• 3 cinnamon sticks, plus more for garnish
• 8 fresh apples
• Fresh lemon juice, for brushing

Directions:

In a slow cooker, combine apple cider, whiskey, cinnamon sticks, and caramel. Cook on low until warmed through, about 2-3 hours.

To make apple cups: Slice off the top of each apple. Use an apple corer to remove the inside of the apple until you’re about a half-inch from the bottom of the apple. Squeeze lemon juice inside the apple cups to prevent apples from browning.

Ladle hot cider into apple cups. Garnish with cinnamon sticks, and serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of Delish.

A fruity twist on a popular cocktail called The Penicillin, the Honey Dew may seem deceptively simple, but don't be fooled — it's perfectly balanced and packed with peaty flavor. Muddled blackberries not only inject this fall cocktail with a gorgeous purple hue, but they also add tart flavor to an otherwise boozy drink.

The Honey Dew

Ingredients:

• 1½ ounces Dewars Label Scotch
• ¾ ounce honey
• ¾ ounce lemon juice
• 2-3 blackberries, muddled

Directions:

Stir Scotch, honey, and lemon juice in a rocks glass. Add crushed ice and top with the muddled blackberries.

Recipe courtesy of Sheraton Carlsbad Resort and Spa's restaurant Twenty/20 Grill.

This fall cocktail from Stillhouse Whiskey is a crisp and juicy riff on a classic whiskey-based old-fashioned recipe. From the Stillhouse Apple Crisp Whiskey to the apple bitters and brown sugar syrup, this boozy yet refreshing sipper practically screams fall.

Baked Apple Old-Fashioned

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces Stillhouse Apple Crisp Whiskey
• ½ ounce brown sugar syrup
• 2 dashes Angosturra bitters
• 2 dashes apple bitters

Directions:

Add Stillhouse Apple Crisp, brown sugar syrup, bitters, and ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon or orange peel.

Recipe courtesy of Stillhouse Whiskey.

Enjoy the finest flavors of fall with this Pumpkin Spice cocktail from Crater Lake Spirits — a perfect libation to serve to guests at Thanksgiving, enjoy with friends during a football game, or curl up with on a cold day. You might be tired of pumpkin pies, cookies, or even lattes, but we think you'll love this Pumpkin Spice cocktail.

Pumpkin Spice

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces Crater Lake Sweet Ginger Vodka
• 1 splash Pumpkin Spice Torani Syrup
• Hot cider
• Cinnamon sticks and cloves, for garnish

Directions:

Mix cider and vodka together. Add pumpkin spice syrup to taste in a glass mug. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and cloves, and enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Crater Lake Spirits.

The flavor and aroma of freshly brewed coffee naturally reminds us of cool fall mornings, and Chameleon Cold-Brew's Pecan Coffee Concentrate flavor adds a layer of warm and nutty goodness to their already delicious cold brew.

Combined with your favorite bourbon and a splash of condensed milk, the Candied Pecan Cocktail makes a perfect afternoon pick-me-up for tailgating parties and beyond.

Chameleon Cold-Brew Candied Pecan Cocktail

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces Chameleon Cold-Brew Pecan Coffee Concentrate
• 2 ounces bourbon
• 1 ounce condensed milk

Directions:

Combine bourbon and cold brew with ice in a shaker. Shake hard to chill and combine ingredients. Strain into a highball glass over fresh ice. Top with condensed milk.

Recipe courtesy of Chameleon Cold-Brew.

Beer cocktails are one of the most delicious ways to embrace fall, and the Toasty Prost from Samuel Adams is one tasty example of this autumnal trend. Rich apple brandy and spicy Jack Daniel's Fire add depth and dimension to the malty and comforting flavors of Samuel Adams' fall seasonal Octoberfest in this flavorful sipper.

Toasty Prost

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces Samuel Adams Octoberfest (avail. seasonally)
• 1 ounce Jack Daniel's Fire
• ½ ounce apple brandy
• Dash of simple syrup
• Ground cinnamon and sugar, for garnish

Directions:

Pour Jack Fire, apple brandy, and Samuel Adams Octoberfest over ice in a cocktail shaker and stir. Pour into a pint glass over ice and add a cinnamon/sugar rim.

Recipe courtesy of Samuel Adams.

This Red Hot Sangria recipe from Stillhouse Whiskey is most certainly not that sweet stuff you're used to sipping on! The combination of Stillhouse Red Hot Whiskey and Malbec wine makes this sangria boozy, slightly spicy, and perfect for serving at your next fall party.

Baked Apple Old-Fashioned

Ingredients:

• 1 can Stillhouse Red Hot Whiskey
• 1 bottle Malbec
• 24 ounces ginger ale
• 12 ounces mango juice
• Lemon wheels
• Orange wheels
• Cinnamon sticks

Directions:

Add all ingredients into a punch bowl and stir. Add ice, orange and lemon wheels, and cinnamon sticks. Spoon into rocks glasses. Garnish with a lemon wheel, orange wheel, and cinnamon stick.

Recipe courtesy of Stillhouse Whiskey.

Who says you can't drink your dessert? Not us! This yummy Sparkling Pumpkin Spice fall cocktail from Sparkling Ice is rich and savory, and it makes a perfect after-dinner treat. We love how the sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice atop the whipped cream enhances the honey whiskey's natural sweetness.

Sparkling Pumpkin Spice

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces Sparkling Ice Crisp Apple
• 2 ounces honey whiskey
• ½ ounce lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin puree
• Whipped cream
• Pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

Pour whiskey, lemon juice, and pumpkin puree into a cocktail shaker with the ice and shake. Strain into a rocks glass and float with Sparkling Ice Crisp Apple. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.

Recipe courtesy of Sparkling Ice.

This cocktail — created by bar educator Andrew Seymour for Fonseca Port — is so juicy, it's sinister. From the ripe berry notes of Fonseca Port to the refreshing burst of fresh pear juice, this cocktail welcomes fall via its tart, boozy, and perfectly balanced flavors.

Murderer's Row

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces Fonseca Port Bin 27
• 1 ounce fresh pear juice
• ¾ ounce bourbon
• ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
• ¼ ounce agave syrup
• 2 blackberries, muddled
• Grapefruit peel, for garnish

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a grapefruit peel and blackberry.

Recipe created by bar educator and bartender Andrew Seymour, courtesy of Fonseca Port.

The whiskey sour is a tart and refreshing cocktail any time of year, but this riff on the classic featuring Wild Turkey whiskey is perfectly suited for fall. We love the red wine float, which adds a dramatic layer of ruby red color as well as a rich and juicy flavor.

The New York Sour

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces Wild Turkey 101 Rye
• ¾ ounce lemon juice
• ¾ ounce simple syrup
• ½ ounce red wine
• ¼ ounce fresh orange juice (optional)

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Float red wine over the top.

Recipe created by Tom Macy, bartender and co-owner of The Clover Club, courtesy of Wild Turkey Bourbon.

This cocktail is served at New York City's famed Irish whiskey bar The Dead Rabbit. It's boozy, slightly spicy, and packed with classic cold-weather flavors including ginger, vanilla, and nutmeg. A classic Irish whiskey like Teeling works best in this recipe, and we recommend serving this stunning libation in your favorite old-fashioned glass on the rocks. Cheers to fall!

Rising Phoenix

Ingredients:

• 1½ ounces Teeling Single Grain
• ¾ ounce Marie Framboise
• ½ ounce Fernet Branca
• ½ ounce Giffard Ginger
• 1 teaspoon vanilla syrup
• Freshly-grated nutmeg

Directions:

Stir all ingredients in mixing tin with ice. Strain into an old-fashioned glass over a single big rock. Garnish with orange oils.

Recipe courtesy of Jillian Vose, The Dead Rabbit NYC.

This recipe from New York City's East Village cocktail bar Drexler's combines herbal and spicy Jägermeister with smooth bourbon, citrus, and spices for a warming beverage designed for the chilly nights of fall. We love the addition of star anise for the subtle baking spice sweetness in both taste and aroma.

Rim With a Few

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces Jägermeister
• 1 ounce bourbon
• 1 ounce lemon juice
• Apple slice
• Star anise

Directions:

Build all ingredients in a shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously. Strain in a chilled coupe glass that's been rimmed with your choice of cinnamon, ginger, or pulverized orange peel. Garnish with an apple slice and star anise.

Recipe courtesy of Drexler's, New York City.