Fall Flavours: 4 Cocktails To Make This Autumn

Like it or not, sweater weather has arrived, and nights are getting chilly. Warm your cockles with these cocktail recipes by top mixologists around the globe, from twists on the classics to clever creations that celebrate seasonal flavours.

The Lion’s Tail

Courtesy of Giacomo Malavolti, Assistant Bar Manager at W Lounge Rome, Italy 

It’s hard to go wrong at any W Lounge worldwide, but the Rome outpost is particularly chic: the lounge-bar stretches across a stunning art deco space, a lush courtyard garden and a buzzy al fresco rooftop (weather permitting). Their cocktail list leans classic, and it’s only fitting one of their bestsellers was also made famous in a hotel bar, the Café Royal on London’s Regent Street. 

The Lion’s Tail first surfaced across the pond, when American bartenders fled to Europe during Prohibition to pursue their craft. The recipe first appeared in print in The Café Royal Cocktail Book (1937). A bastion of classic and modern mixology, Café Royal is still a sought-after spot for cocktail connoisseurs. The name ‘Lion’s Tail’ is believed to derive from an expression used during the American Revolution, “to twist the lion’s tail” – with the lion signifying Imperial England.

While the roots ring Caribbean (imagine a daiquiri with rum swapped out for bourbon), the drink’s unique combination of bourbon and allspice dram (a Caribbean liqueur made from pimento berries), lends it a warm, spiced quality. With or without the orange zest garnish, the cocktail evokes a clove-stuffed orange and a whole array of cosy autumn spices.

The Recipe

45 ml Bourbon
10 ml The Bitter Truth Pimento Dram Liqueur
30 ml Lime Juice (to taste)
1 dash Angostura bitters

Shake over ice and serve straight up. Garnish with an orange twist.

The Kingston Fall

Courtesy of Antonis Giannopoulos, Bartender at New York City’s Overstory and Saga Restaurant

Recently named #15 among the World’s Best Bars, NYC’s Overstory boasts a 360-degree view of downtown Manhattan from its perch on the 64th floor. Rightly so, their cocktail menu keeps apace with the bar’s stunning views. In fact, these drinks might be prettier than the city lights surrounding you. 

Aptly named, the Kingston Fall rings in autumn with swirls of high-toned cherry, Campari and Aperol, tempered with dark and stormy vermouth and bitters, along with tea-infused rum. Goodbye summer, hello fall! 

The Recipe

1 tsp maraschino syrup
0.25 oz sour cherry reduction*
0.75 oz Carpano vermouth
0.5 oz Fey Anmè bitters
0.25 oz Aperol
0.25 oz Campari
1.5 oz Ten to One Five Origins Rum infused with Hojicha tea**

Stir ingredients and serve over ice.

*Sour Cherry Reduction: Not nearly as tricky as it seems, and worth the snappy fruit quality it brings to the cocktail. Boil 500ml of 100% sour cherry juice until it reaches 250ml (no thermometer, no problem. Just don’t let it burn). Chill in an ice bath for five minutes and store for future use. 

*Hojicha tea is a particular style of Japanese green tea that is roasted in porcelain for a smoky, nutty, sweet flavour. To make the infusion, choose a dark Caribbean rum and any green tea, and add 10 grams of tea to the 750ml container. Let stand for four hours at room temp. Strain and serve. Reserve the rest for later use. 

The Stinger

Courtesy of Sotiris Konomi, Bar Manager at The Spy Bar at Raffles London

The OWO (Old War Office), a sprawling complex in central London, was first constructed at the turn of the last century. Originally conceived as a centre of military operations, it has played host to illustrious heads of state, including the one and only Winston Churchill. Ornate and steeped in history, it has since been transformed into a luxury destination housing the Raffles hotel in addition to private residences, shops, restaurants and a bar. 

The Stinger originates in The Spy Bar, a subterranean speakeasy that once hosted members of Britain’s notorious MI5 covert intelligence brigade. The cocktail takes inspiration from James Bond, as well as John le Carré’s The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, paying homage to the pen-like ‘stinger’ weapon used by WWII spies.

A twist on the classic Stinger (which uses Crème de Menthe), Sotiris incorporates an essence of mint-scented After Eight chocolates instead, plus a splash of Branca Menta amaro. The result is as warm and toasty as a fireside in autumn, but with a hint of piquant mint – a reminder that a spy never sleeps. 

The Recipe

1.3 oz Cognac
2/3 oz Crème de After Eight Chocolate
1 Splash Branca Menta Amaro
Mint Oil

Stir, strain and serve with a drop of mint oil for garnish.

The Early Autumn

Courtesy of Andrea Needell Matteliano, Bar Director at Manhattan’s award-winning Clay Restaurant

Flavours and colours collide at Clay. A shining star on the uptown dining scene, this buzzy Harlem hotspot lures guests with creative cocktails and a wine list expertly curated to complement a splendid seasonal menu. 

Rich and layered aged sherry shines when swirled with rum and fig purée in this creation. A spectrum of flavours, from bitter orange to sweet-and-smoky dried fruit, practically mirrors the turning foliage of autumn. As a bonus, the fig purée in this recipe doubles as a versatile sweet treat. 

[Image: Mindstyle/iStock]

The Recipe

2 oz Rum
.25 oz Oloroso sherry
.25 oz Dry Curaçao
1.5 oz Fig purée*
.5 oz Lemon
2 dash Orange bitters

Shake and strain over ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon twist or dried fig slice, and a tiny pinch of freshly ground nutmeg.

*Fig Purée
250g Fresh black figs
90g Demerara sugar
275g Water
50g Honey
1.5g Applewood smoked salt
1/2 Vanilla bean, scraped
Zest of 1/2 lemon

Cut figs in half and remove stems. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. When bubbles form, reduce to a simmer for eight to ten minutes until figs break apart with a spoon. Let cool, and remove 1/3 of the figs (save to chop and enjoy on toast, swirled into yoghurt, on gelato!). Blend remaining figs with liquid and strain, pressing out mixture with a spatula. Keep refrigerated for up to two weeks.

[Header image: Roxiller/iStock]