While summer is a time for beers, light cocktails, and sweet, fruity drinks, fall ushers in a season of warm orange and brown tones, spices like pumpkin and cardamom, and maybe an old fashioned or two with a twist.
Here are a few modern takes on some go-to recipes — or the perfect bottle for a neat pour — that are dynamite for seasonal get-togethers.
THE MACALLAN M COPPER
Thinking an evening by the outdoor fire pit? Reach for The Macallan M Copper, a 2022 release. Part of The Macallan M Collection, this $9,000 bottle is the perfect blend of artisanship and knowledge. The 100 percent natural single-malt whiskey, made in a copper still, offers a buttery yet sweet and malty flavor, with hints of pear and toasted oak. It is sold in a copper-colored Lalique crystal decanter.
Directions
Enjoy neat.
BROKEN SHED PUMPKIN SPICE & EVERYTHING ON ICE
This fantastic fall cocktail created by well-known mixologist Tom Levron offers a new twist on autumn that is designed to reflect a maple old fashioned
Ingredients
- 1.5 ounce Broken Shed Vodka
- 1 ounce pumpkin-maple-coffee syrup, consisting of equal parts cold coffee, maple syrup, and pumpkin purée
- 1 star anise pod
Directions
Stir vodka and syrup over ice and strain into double rocks glass over one large ice cube. Garnish with the star anise pod.
MAYENDA HIBISCUS OLD FASHIONED
This Mayenda tequila has a wildflower-honey and cinnamon aroma with a hint of orange blossom. The taste offers undertones of baking spices and caramelized agave. Great served neat at room temperature, or in a special cocktail like this one.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Mayenda Blanco Tequila
- 1⁄4 ounce hibiscus-agave syrup
- 2 dashes mole bitters
- Grapefruit twist
Directions
Combine tequila and syrup in a glass with ice. Add the bitters and stir. Strain over fresh ice and garnish with a twist.
OLD ELK BOURBON MARGARITA
Old Elk Master Series Four-Grain Straight Bourbon Whiskey blends corn, wheat, rye, and barley to yield a smooth base with hints of maple, spices, and vanilla at 105.9 proof.
Ingredients
- 13⁄4 ounces Old Elk Straight Bourbon
- 1 ounce fresh lime
- 1⁄2 ounce agave syrup
- Salt
Directions
Shake everything and pour over fresh ice in a glass with a salted rim. Garnish with lime.
BACARDI RESERVA OCHO RUM OLD FASHIONED
One of the oldest private rum blends in the world, Bacardi Reserva Ocho Rum is a dark rum inspired by a family recipe from 1862. It is made in batches from a special selection of rums aged in barrels for at least eight years. Tasting notes include nutmeg, apricot, and vanilla. It’s the perfect pick for a fresh take on the early-1900s old fashioned.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Bacardi Reserva Ocho Rum
- 1⁄4 ounce simple syrup
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
Directions
Pour all ingredients together into a rocks glass. Fill with ice. Stir until well mixed.
Featured in Our November 2023 Issue
