When cooler weather blows through, it’s time to transition your cocktail menu to warmer, spice-infused drinks that delight the senses. Fall and winter cocktails allow you to showcase seasonal produce and flavours that evoke autumn’s harvest abundance and the holidays’ jovial spirits.
Winter’s Best Cocktail Ingredients
Apples, Pears, and Cranberries
Apples, pears, and cranberries come into peak ripeness during the autumn months. Their juices lend a crisp sweet-tart profile to cocktails. For a creative twist, smoke your own apples or pears to add a new dimension of flavour. The subtle smokiness pairs divinely with brown spirits like bourbon or rum. Fresh cranberry juice is a festive flare, especially when shaken with citrus vodka for a ruby-red hue.
Pumpkins and Warm Spices
Pumpkins transition from Halloween porch decor into the perfect cocktail accoutrement. Pureé roasted pumpkin flesh into the ideal sweetener that adds body without overpowering. Mix with warm fall spices like nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon to concentrate the pumpkin pie essence. The mild gourd flavour pairs particularly nicely with bourbon’s vanilla oakiness in a pumpkin old-fashioned.
Speaking of cinnamon, fall and winter cocktails call for warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and allspice. Dusting glass rims with a blend of cinnamon and sugar instantly gets you in a cosy state of mind. Use whole cinnamon sticks, star anise pods, or strips of orange peel as creative garnishes. For an autumnal twist, add a dash of maple or autumnal bitters containing spices, citrus and maple.
Citrus, Syrups, and Spirits
Cooler weather citrus fruits like blood oranges, satsumas, and ruby red grapefruit come into peak season, offering a bright pop of festive colour. Their juices still sing with acidity to balance out richer ingredients. Lime adds a tropical brightness to warmer-hued cranberry or spiced liqueurs.
In place of standard simple syrups, use seasonal maple, honey, or ginger syrups. Maple sweetness enhances the autumnal appeal, while spicy ginger syrup warms from within. For some delicate sweetness, elderflower liqueur has a light floral honeyed profile.
Heavier, warm-toned spirits like bourbon, rum, and brandy are made for sipping during the colder months. Softer spirits like gin or vodka pair well with cranberry, apple, citrus and pear. Add mulled wine or hard cider for an extra cosy treat.
In conclusion, this fall and winter season, embrace the bounty of ingredients ripe for innovative cocktails. Apples, pears, cranberries, pumpkins, citrus fruits, maple syrup, and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger offer ample options for crafting tempting cold-weather drinks. Pair with beloved cool weather spirits like bourbon, brandy, and rum. With this guide, we intend to keep our customers warm, cheerful, and coming back despite the frigid temps outside!
In conclusion, this fall and winter season, embrace the bounty of ingredients ripe for innovative cocktails. Apples, pears, cranberries, pumpkins, citrus fruits, maple syrup, and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger offer ample options for crafting tempting cold-weather drinks. Pair with beloved cool weather spirits like bourbon, brandy, and rum. With this guide, we intend to keep our customers warm, cheerful, and coming back despite the frigid temps outside!
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