Food Holidays & Occasions Thanksgiving Recipes and Ideas 21 Fall Cocktails From an Apple Cider Margarita to Seasonal Sangria Autumn ingredients from cranberries to apples can take on new life with a little gin, vodka, or brandy. By Kim Wehby Kim Wehby Kim Wehby is a copy editor with over a decade of experience in the food and beverage space, including a senior editorial role at Dotdash Meredith Food Studios. She's edited and developed content for Food & Wine, Southern Living, and Eating Well. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 7, 2024 Close Photo: Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Sipping on beverages with soul-soothing, seasonal ingredients like apples, cranberries, pomegranates, and pears, can warm us on chilly nights and fill us with festive cheer as the holidays begin. For a Thanksgiving drink with a simple assembly, make a batch of citrus sangria or apple margaritas. For a fall drink with a little post-dinner pep, have a coffee cocktail. Not drinking? No worries. Our collection includes autumnal and Thanksgiving-friendly nonalcoholic drinks, too. Read on for our favorite cocktails to make this autumn. 01 of 21 Nordic Gibson Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless The Nordic Gibson features notes of dill, anise, and coriander from aquavit and Nordic gin. Dry vermouth softens the bite, while pickled onion adds a hint of salty brightness. Get the Recipe 02 of 21 Apple Cider Margarita Chelsea Kyle / Food Styling by Drew Aichele Eric Handelsman's autumnal version of the margarita pairs apple cider and cinnamon sugar with tequila and Cointreau. Get the Recipe 03 of 21 Coco Café Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon Smooth, creamy notes of chocolate and coffee round out this soothing wintry drink. Get the Recipe 04 of 21 Amaretto Sour Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon Jeffrey Morgenthaler, award-winning bartender and author, brings us this nutty, tart version of the Amaretto Sour. This recipe forgoes the store-bought sour mixture and makes a from-scratch sweet-and-sour cocktail. Get the Recipe 05 of 21 Hot Buttered Spiked Cider Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Recipe developer and food stylist Ali Ramee brings us this festive spiced rum with apple cider, pumpkin pie spice, and orange peel-wrapped cinnamon sticks. Get the Recipe 06 of 21 Tamarind Whiskey Sour Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Liberty Fennell James Beard Award-winning chef Andy Ricker brings us a whiskey sour reimagined with tamarind paste, a humble addition that lends a welcome sour complexity to the drink. Get the Recipe 07 of 21 Alpine Brew Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Merlyn Miller The Alpine Brew features bourbon, coffee liqueur, and cold brew concentrate for a caffeinated cocktail that's sure to put some pep in your holiday step. Get the Recipe 08 of 21 Orange Wine Sangria Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon Also known as skin contact wines, orange wines boast bright orange hues from fermenting white grapes with their skins. This sangria pairs vibrant orange wine with honey, brandy, and pear for a bright autumnal refresher. Get the Recipe 09 of 21 Gin Campari Old Fashioned Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon Dave Kwiatkowski of Detroit's Sugar House reinvents the Old Fashioned by subbing out whiskey for gin and adding rose-tinted Campari. Get the Recipe 10 of 21 Nonalcoholic Negroni Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon With two nonalcoholic ingredients from Ritual, plus a simple orange wedge, you can enjoy this booze-free cocktail from Oset Babür-Winter. Get the Recipe 11 of 21 Marasca Fizz Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Liberty Fennell This understated cherry-Champagne cocktail is ideal for cheery holiday toasts. Get the Recipe 12 of 21 Apple Cider Aperol Spritz Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Liberty Fennell Evie Negri-Albert's Aperol spritz features a homemade apple cider that sparkles with Prosecco and soda water. Get the Recipe 13 of 21 Pomegranate Spritz Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Liberty Fennell Sweet-tart pomegranate meets cinnamon sugar and Campari in this rose-colored fall cocktail. Get the Recipe 14 of 21 Pu-erh Tea Digestif Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen This digestif from Danielle Change features cognac and Pu-erh tea for a sweet, smoky post-dinner sipper. Get the Recipe 15 of 21 Sparkling Cranberry-Ginger Punch with Toasted Spices Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen This crisp, refreshing low-alcohol punch features tart cranberry juice and spicy ginger ale for an autumnal kick. Get the Recipe 16 of 21 Hot Toddy Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon A clear glass mug is the perfect vessel for this cold-weather classic. Get the Recipe 17 of 21 Boulevardier Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Oset Babür-Winter This classic cocktail is similar to a Negroni but utilizes bourbon for warmth and sweetness instead of the usual crispy gin. It's a simple, satisfying drink for chilly evenings. Get the Recipe 18 of 21 Smoky Mezcal-Fig Sour Victor Protasio Mezcal shines in this cocktail from Ashtin Berry, while a fig-ginger syrup lends a subtle sweet-spicy backdrop. Get the Recipe 19 of 21 Gin Toasty Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis This riff on a gin and tonic from Brooks Reitz is reminiscent of the classic hot toddy. All it takes is hot water, gin, and tonic syrup — plus an orange peel twist garnish. Get the Recipe 20 of 21 Mott & Mulberry © Nicole Franzen Bar director Leo Robitschek uses fresh apple cider and maple syrup in this perfect cold-weather cocktail. Get the Recipe 21 of 21 Concord Grape Gin Fizz © Jonny Valiant Keavy Landreth and Allison Kave bring us this vibrant, bold, frothy drink featuring Concord grapes, gin, port, and lemon. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit