7 Cozy Fall Ingredients You Should Be Adding To Cocktails

Oh, autumn. Where to begin? From cool breezes, the spookiness of Halloween, and plenty of delicious, comforting food — it's definitely my favorite season. In my decade-long career as a chef and former bartender, I've noticed that people forget about the bountiful produce and seasonal ingredients we have during this time. While they should be valuable in our kitchens, they also deserve recognition behind the bar.

While everyone's rushing to make everything flavored with pumpkin spice and candy corn, people are missing out on the incredible ingredients that lend themselves well to cocktails. Anytime I'm looking to showcase a season in my cocktails, I look towards farmers' markets and produce stands. Fall farmers' markets are filled with ripe pomegranates, figs trailing behind from August, and if you're lucky, homemade apple cider — all of which are wonderful in cocktails!

So, get your head out of the pumpkin spice craze and use these seven cozy fall ingredients for your cocktails this season. From the orchard's last harvest to warming spices, autumn gives us a treasure chest of tasty ingredients that can transform your cocktail program from good to great.

If there's one ingredient that exemplifies fall-forward flavors the most, it's definitely cinnamon. Its distinctive, warm, sweet, subtly spicy flavor provides cocktails with a delightful warming flavor that goes perfectly with cozy fireside evenings. The specific flavor of cinnamon can vary depending on the type, with Ceylon cinnamon having a delicate, floral, and citrus taste, and cassia cinnamon having a stronger, earthy, and bitter profile.

There are plenty of ways to use cinnamon in cocktails; however, one of the most popular amongst bartenders is to incorporate it into simple syrup. All you have to do is combine equal parts sugar and water with ground cinnamon, bring it to a boil, and then you're ready to make some tasty fall cocktails! Add a dash of it to sweeten your espresso martini, mulled wine, old-fashioneds, or even a glass of bourbon. Beyond incorporating into a simple syrup, use it to make a cinnamon sugar rim or mix it directly into warm cocktails like a hot toddy, spiked ciders, or coffee-based cocktails. Its versatility allows it to complement everything from classic cocktails to bold new creations.

Another classic fall ingredient that lends itself well to cocktails during the autumn months is apple cider. This seasonal staple brings natural sweetness and authentic fruity flavor that pairs beautifully with whiskey, rum, or even gin. Get creative and add a splash to your hot toddies or heat the apple cider over the stovetop and spike with high-quality whiskey or bourbon. Serving a warm apple cider cocktail that's infused with fall spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves is the perfect way to defrost during this brisk season.

The key when using it in cocktails is to find one that's been freshly made, either from a fruit store or directly from a farmers' market. Store-bought apple cider can be a bit bland, and if you're whipping up an apple cider cocktail, you want to be able to taste the full flavor of the fruit. Its warm spice notes and crisp apple essence instantly transform any cocktail or mocktail into a fall celebration.

Often overlooked during the fall season, pomegranates are an excellent autumnal fruit that you should definitely be incorporating into your cocktails. Known for their sweet, tart, and subtly floral flavor profile, the pomegranate offers a multidimensional taste, with some people describing it as a combination of grapes, cranberries, and raspberries. You can muddle seeds into cocktails for a fruity twist or use them as a garnish for festive flair.

If you really want to incorporate an intense pomegranate flavor, then you should be using pomegranate juice. Not only will it deliver a gorgeous ruby color, its complex sweet-tart flavor will shine through and elevate the cocktail to feel sophisticated and seasonal. The antioxidant-rich juice would be fantastic in vodka-based cocktails where it's not competing with a liquor that has a more pronounced flavor. Steer clear of using it in cocktails with whiskey, bourbon, or gin, and use it as a refreshing twist in Moscow Mule or make a pomegranate martini to serve at Thanksgiving. If you have a blanco tequila, you can try adding pomegranate juice to your margaritas to give a tart, tasty holiday twist.

Maple syrup is another cozy fall ingredient that is wonderful in cocktails! Real maple syrup offers complex sweetness with earthy undertones that can't be replicated by regular simple syrup. It creates a luxurious golden brown color in cocktails while adding that quintessential autumn flavor that pairs exceptionally with dark and aged spirits. You can use it to sweeten your whiskies that might not be the best quality, or old-fashioneds, to give the cocktail a deeper caramel flavor.

Rather than sweetening your mulled wines, hot toddies, or apple ciders with granulated white sugar, try adding in maple syrup. Not only does it provide a pleasant sweetness, but it also adds nuttiness, and depending on the variety, it can give it a background flavor of caramel, toffee, or vanilla. As with any ingredient, opt for a high-quality maple syrup, and leave behind those sugary "pancake syrups" on the supermarket shelves.

If pomegranates aren't tart enough, then you might want to try incorporating some cranberries into your cocktails instead. The fruit's sour, tart, and subtly acidic flavor profile is excellent in a wide range of cocktails from vodka sodas to citrusy gimlets. Rather than muddling or attempting to juice loads of fresh cranberries, just pick up a bottle of premade cranberry juice from the supermarket. The festive color and sharp flavor make it essential for any autumn gathering.

Beyond its deliciously tart flavor, cranberry juice provides a beautiful ruby red color and bright acidity that balances richer fall flavors. If you're looking to tone down the spicy flavor in a hot toddy or warm apple cider, try adding a splash of cranberry juice. If you use too much of its flavor, it can be quite assertive; however, if you add just a touch, its acidic flavor can calm down the spicy notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves.

You know what one of the best times of year is? It's when summer kisses autumn between late August and early October, and the fruit stands are filled with zucchini blossoms, cherries, pumpkins, and porcini mushrooms. For cocktails, it's the perfect time to utilize some fruits that are only available during this quick window of time, like figs. Graduating from hot summer days to cool autumn breezes can be difficult; however, the sweetness and unique floral flavor of figs in cocktails and mocktails alike is a great remedy for post-summer blues.

There are a plethora of ways you can incorporate figs into your cocktails this fall, from muddling them into your gin and tonic or spritz to using a fig jam as a rim garnish. If you want to get creative in the kitchen, try making an aromatic fig leaf syrup by gently toasting fresh fig leaves in the oven to release their essence, then steeping them in a warm simple syrup mixture. You can use it to flavor cocktails, spritz, a dull glass of white wine, or even a mocktail.

Another fruit that starts popping up on farmers' market shelves and grocery stores in autumn is the pear. While they're delicious on their own, they're even better when incorporated into a cocktail. Fresh pear juice or muddled pear adds delicate sweetness and floral notes that capture the essence of fall harvest. Its gentle fruity flavor complements both light spirits like vodka and darker ones like bourbon or brandy.

You can keep it classic by adding a splash of pear juice into your vodka tonic, or elevate your martini game by making this delicious sugar and spice pear martini recipe. If you're making a round of old-fashioneds, you can infuse the whiskey beforehand with a bit of sliced pears and spices. Whipping up a batch of hot toddies or mulled wine? Trying to muddle some minced pear into the bottom of the glass before serving for a fruity kick.