Sunday cocktail time is a new favorite of mine! I’m loving testing out new drink recipes, and I want to make sure I’m saving them all in one place for easy reference…. enter blog post! Here are the cocktails I’ve tested out so far this fall (and saved in story highlights on instagram)…
Pumpkin Sangria – This recipe comes from THE Sandra Lee! With Halloween coming up, I thought that a party-friendly cocktail would be the most helpful.
This sangria is easy enough to put together, and you can make it ahead of time for easy serving. The recipe linked above calls for a pumpkin liqueur, but I wasn’t able to find one in time. Instead, I used the spiced simple syrup recipe (below) that I had made previously, along with rum. I reviewed a few different sangria recipes to try to figure out which liquor to use and what the ratios would be. I ended up doing the following…
- 1 Bottle of white wine
- 3 cups of a tropical juice blend
- 3/4 cup rum
- 1/4 cup spiced simple syrup (recipe below)
I rimmed the glass by dipping it in maple syrup, followed by a mixture of sugar and pumpkin pie spice (2 Tbsp sugar to 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice). Maple syrup works incredibly well for rimming glasses, by the way. I’ve never had it turn out so well. The drink was delicious and super easy, definitely a crowd pleaser!
Apple Cider Mule – This cocktail is still my top choice from this list. I absolutely love Moscow Mules, and this is a great fall spin on one. Ginger beer is the best compliment to any cocktail!
- 1.5 oz gin
- 0.75 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 0.75 oz apple juice or cider
- Ginger Beer, chilled
My favorite part about Ginger Beer is that it masks the sharp taste of the alcohol, but it still tastes like a cocktail because it’s not too sweet. This drink was super easy to mix, since it didn’t require a shaker, and it tasted delicious!
Apple Cider Margarita – I didn’t realize I’d be making a simple syrup from scratch when I picked this one, but I did it! Who doesn’t love a Margarita?? I think of Margaritas as best during the warmer months, so imagine my excitement when I found out I could justify a Margarita pretty much year-round.
- 6 oz apple cider
- 4 oz tequila
- 1 oz ginger simple service
- 1 oz orange liqueur
- (makes two drinks!)
This cocktail requires a cocktail shaker, which I don’t always love using when I’m hosting a larger party. However, it can be really great for a more intimate group! This was also the first time I made my own simple syrup, and I was impressed with how easy it is. Just one part water, one part sugar, and then some coarsely chopped ginger. Bring it to a boil, wait until sugar is totally dissolved, then let it cool. Drain it and chill it. That’s it.
Between the cocktail shaker and the homemade simple syrup, it was a little messier than I usually go for, but it was a good cocktail and very fun for a themed fall party!
Harvest Margarita – This recipe is by Bobby Flay, so you know its a good one! What sets this margarita apart is the spiced simple syrup. Just like the ginger syrup, you just boil all of the below ingredients until the sugar is dissolved. Then let it steep for about an hour before straining and chilling.
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 8 whole allspice berries
- 8 whole cloves
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 inch peeled fresh ginger, peeled & coarsely chopped
The recipe itself is as follows…
- 2 oz tequila
- 1 1/2 oz chilled spiced syrup
- 1/2 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
- a few dashes bitters
- ice
Throw it all in a shaker and shake it up! Next time I make this, I may reduce the amount of simple syrup slightly, but overall, such a delicious drink!