5 Perfect Fall Cocktails

I love fall. It brings a delicious crispness in the air, signaling time to dust off the fire pits and S’mores sticks. Fall conjures up images of family gatherings, the smell of baking spices, & chai lattes for me. Since my favorite season is now upon us, I have 5 inspired fall cocktails to enjoy around the fire pit.

Chai French 75

Ingredients:

• Gin- 2 oz
• Lime juice- 1/4 oz
• Chai concentrate- 1/2 oz (recipe can be found here or you can use store bought)
• Your favorite sparkly wine

Directions:

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in your drinking glass
2. Top off with sparkly, however much speaks to your spirit
3. Garnish options: cinnamon stick, star anise

Here’s a quick video of me putting this one together.

https://www.thespirited-traveler.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Chai-French-75.mp4?_=1

Chai Old Fashioned

There’s nothing like a good bourbon cocktail on a fall afternoon.  And if you like Old Fashioneds, you should definitely check this one out.

Ingredients:

• Bourbon- 2oz
• Chai concentrate- 1/2 oz
• St. Germain- 1/4 oz
• Cardamon bitters- 3 dashes

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a glass
2. Stir to combine
3. Add an ice cube
4. Add in bitters
5. Stir a few seconds to chill
6. Enjoy

My Way

This is my take on a New York Sour. I’ve never had one before, but when scrolling through Instagram, I saw this pretty yellow cocktail with a drape of deep red on the top. It reminded me of  squash and cranberries, two things I associate with fall & harvest time. So while it’s not a traditional fall palate, it’s going on my list of fall cocktails for ambience and feels alone.

Ingredients:

• Bourbon- 2 oz
• St. Germain- 3/4 oz
• Lemon juice- 1 & 1/4 oz
• Red Wine- 1/2 oz
• Egg white- from 1 egg

Directions:

• Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake until well combined- at least 30 secs
• Add ice to serving glass & pour contents in
• Float 1/2 oz of red wine over back of a bar spoon into glass
• Sip and enjoy the ride
• Garnish options: lemon wheel, lemon twist

And for the first time ever, I FINALLY got the egg white to foam just right.  Check out this lovely foam action.

 Easy Mulled Wine

After I made my chai concentrate, I gave it a whiff & said, “I bet this would be good in red wine.” And you know what, it is! This beverage is a crisp fall night in a glass, best enjoyed one sip at a time.

This tastes like what I imagine mulled wine to taste like.

Ingredients:

• You fav inexpensive bottle of red wine
• Chai concentrate- 1/4 – 1/2 oz

Directions:

1. Add wine to your fav wine glass
2. Add in Chai concentrate
3. Stir to combine
4. Enjoy while thinking about your favorite fall things

Come Down

After the successful marriage of chai and red wine, Prosecco was up next. This Chai mimosa tastes like a fine, sunny fall morning. Crisp, bright, and light.

Ingredients

• Your fav bottle of sparkly (I’m using Prosecco, of course 😉)
• 1/2 oz – 1 0z Chai concentrate

Directions

1. Add in 1/2 oz of chai concentrate to your glass
2. Add as much of sparkly as you need
3. Give it a taste, and add more chai, if needed, to your tasting