Fully Embrace Fall with 6 of the Most Luscious Pumpkin Spice Cocktails
Fall is here, there’s a crispness to the air, and the world is seen through pumpkin-colored glasses. Blame it on Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte, but the combination of spices once only reserved for making pies and the occasional bisque--namely cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and allspice—is now one of the most sought-after flavors for everything and that includes cocktails.
Bartenders are now capitalizing on the trend, using it in a variety of drinks. These cocktails are filled with warm aromas that give instant comfort and warm feelings to those that imbibe them.
Mostly “pumpkin spice” is devoid of actual pumpkin, but in one of these drinks, pumpkin puree is an integral ingredient.
Pumpkin Patch
While Crystal Head vodka feels like a creepy fit for Halloween, this cocktail extends beyond October and is fitting for the current moment (before peppermint and eggnog take over).
1.5 oz. | 45ml Crystal Head Vodka
1 tsp | 5ml honey
¾ oz. | 22.5ml coffee liqueur
1 tsp | 5ml pumpkin pie spice*
¾ oz. | 22.5ml heavy cream (optional: substitute with any non-dairy alternative)
2-3 gingersnap cookies
Crumble the gingersnap cookies and place the crumbs on a plate. Rub the rim of a rocks glass with honey. Dip your glass in cookie crumbs to coat the rim.
In a shaker, combine Crystal Head Vodka, coffee liqueur, and pumpkin pie spice. Shake with ice.
Place ice in a rocks glass and pour contents of shaker over ice and top with heavy cream, or a non-dairy alternative of your choice.
*Pumpkin Pie Spice: combine equal parts ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, and ground cloves.
Harvest Martini
400 Arnold Palmer Blvd., Norton, MA
TPC Boston’s bartender, Colton King says that pumpkin spice is the most requested flavor of the season, so his team decided to serve a martini to fill the bill. “This fresh concoction, blended with our homemade pumpkin pie simple syrup, serves up a sweet and tasty take on this traditional fall flavor.”
2 oz. Tito’s Handmade vodka
1 oz. Goslings dark rum
½ oz. half & half
1 oz homemade pumpkin pie simple syrup (recipe below*)
Caramel syrup and crushed graham crackers for garnish
Cinnamon stick for garnish
Combine liquid ingredients with ice into a cocktail shaker until the exterior has a frost. Shake, Take a chilled martini glass, dip the rim in the caramel, make certain the rim is covered, and then dip in crushed graham crackers. Pour the cocktail into the glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.
*To make the homemade simple syrup: Over heat, add equal parts water and sugar. Once the sugar dissolves, this is your decision on how much pumpkin flavor to add. Add pumpkin puree, nutmeg, cinnamon and continue stirring while over medium heat. Once fully mixed, taste your mixture. Once again, upon your discretion, add more pumpkin puree if you would like more pumpkin for the cocktail. Continue to stir until the perfect flavor is found. Let cool to room temperature.
Pie Tai
2121 McKinney Ave, Dallas, TX
This take on a classic Mai Tai uses seasonal ingredients to give the cocktail a harvest vibe. The mixology staff at the Ritz-Carlton Dallas agree that taking the extra step to make the pumpkin pie syrup is worth it to make a cocktail that “ looks, smells, and tastes like a chilly Autumn Day.”
2.5 oz. Plantation 5 Year rum
¾ oz. pumpkin pie syrup (recipe below)
¾ oz. lime juice
¼ oz. orgeat
Mint sprig
Magnolia flower
Shake all ingredients together with ice. Pour contents including ice (don’t strain) into a pilsner glass. Garnish with a mint sprig and an upside-down magnolia flower (to resemble a pumpkin).
Pumpkin pie spice syrup
1 cup water
2 cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves
1 whole nutmeg
1 butternut squash (seeds and flesh)
2 cups sugar
Combine all the ingredients into a pot and bring to a boil (except sugar). Once boiling, add sugar and whisk until syrup is clear.
Autumn Lovers Dream
1401 Jacaman Rd Ste 1, Laredo, TX
El Puesto’s bartender, Angelo Michael Lira calls the Autumn Lovers Dream, “a beautiful blend of chocolate, vanilla, and hazelnut, topped off with a pumpkin spice froth and a cinnamon heart,” Lira says the cocktail is the “perfect finishing touch to end any meal,” and invites you to try it for yourself at home or -- even better-- order one next time you’re in Laredo.
1 oz. vanilla vodka
½ oz. Frangelico
½ oz. Godiva chocolate liqueur
1 oz. pumpkin spice froth (make from pumpkin spice creamer)
Pumpkin spice and cinnamon for garnish
Place vanilla vodka, Frangelico, and Godiva chocolate liqueur in a cocktail shaker and mix for 15 seconds; strain over ice into a chilled glass of your choice. Add pumpkin spice creamer to a frother and mix to desired consistency. Top off glass with pumpkin spice froth and garnish with a mix of cinnamon and pumpkin spice.
Spice of Paradise
3770 Ala’oli Way, Lihue, HI
Timbers Kaua’i bartender, Matthew Kawamura, tells his guests that the comforting flavors of pumpkin spice manage to find their way to paradise. “While it may always feel like summer in Hawaii, the Spice of Paradise brings a delightful taste of fall to the enchanting island of Kaua’i. With the familiar tastes of pumpkin spice and Koloa gold rum combined with an orange-flavored triple sec and pasteurized egg whites, this chilled cocktail is the ideal refresher after a perfect autumn day in the Hawaiian sun.”
1.5 oz. Koloa gold rum
¾ oz. lime juice
¾ oz. Cointreau
½ oz. simple syrup
1 bar spoon pumpkin spice mix
1 pasteurized egg white
Combine all ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake until well chilled. Once chilled, pour over fresh ice in a rocks glass.
P.S.L.
2637 N Miami Ave, Miami, FL
The P.S.L. (pumpkin spice latte) is our very own homage to everyone’s favorite holiday coffee beverage. We try to maintain the authenticity of our inspiration by also intentionally misspelling the names of the guests that order them.”
1 oz. Appleton 12 Year rum
1 oz. Redemption rye
1 oz. House cold brew
½ oz. Averna
Pumpkin spice foam (for topping)
Combine all ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into rocks glass with ice. Top with pumpkin spice foam.