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The essential autumn cocktails to make as the weather cools

Read time 3 Mins

Posted 01 Apr 2025

By
Amelia Ball

Holding a Toasted Marshmallow Old Fashioned, which has a skewered marshmallow as garnish

Complex, spiced and refreshing – these 20 diverse recipes are the best drinks to mix up this season.

Even die-hard summer people would have to admit that it’s a pretty nice slide into autumn. The cooler mornings and evenings may require a few more layers, but the sunshiney days in between make for a happy balance. And while we’ll always get excited about a balmy afternoon with a Spritz or two, the opportunity to dive into warming drinks and more comforting dishes is a welcome shift.

Autumn is a time for cosying up while embracing those precious last days of T-shirt weather before the chill fully sets in. Whether you’re hosting a midweek dinner or embracing what’s left of the sun with a garden party, a versatile arsenal of drink ideas is a must-have. For autumn, that means richer cocktails with complex flavours and a few more spiced notes in the mix. More depth, less ice, we say.

Here, then, are 20 of the best autumnal cocktails to make at home that will see you right through the season – and beyond.

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1. Toasted Marshmallow Old Fashioned

Imagine you could distil the flavours of a perfectly toasted marshmallow into a syrup and then put it in a cocktail. Well, we’ve done just that with this Old Fashioned riff, which swaps oaky vanillin bourbon for sweeter, richer aged rum. Then combined with bitters, you get even more candied-fruit decadence to the party. And it’s not complete without the ultimate garnish – a toasted marshmallow, of course.

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2. Bourbon Peach Iced Tea

For many people, autumn means one thing: Masters season. This alcoholic peach iced tea gives a subtle nod to flavours of the American south, where this golf tournament is held, and it’s pitch perfect on sunny autumn afternoons. Peach schnapps and curacao bring the tang, carried by a rich undercurrent of black tea (make sure you brew it strong) and that smooth bourbon.

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3. Enzoni

The Enzoni is the Negroni’s edgy half-sibling, swapping out the syrupy sweetness of vermouth for a bright twang in the form of freshly-muddled green grapes, which are just hitting the end of their season. The acid in the grapes and lemon cuts through the bittersweet Campari-gin combo like an electric guitar riff through a bassline, leaving your mouth watering in all the right ways.

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4. The Sticky Date

The Sticky Date is every bit as rich and lavish as the dessert that inspired it. Sweet, spicy rum does a lot of the heavy lifting here, given a lift of butter and dried fruit thanks to the butterscotch schnapps and date syrup. It’s in the cocktail’s decadent, creamy texture – and its whipped cream garnish topped with cinnamon sugar – that its true indulgence lies.

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5. Snake Eyes

Mezcal, which has all the freshness of tequila mixed with the signature smokiness of the roasted agave used to make this Mexican spirit, is very much suited to autumn. This is especially evident in the delightfully tropical Snake Eyes, which is bright enough for a warmer day but, thanks to the intermingling of smoky mezcal, fresh lime and sweet banana liqueur, complex enough to suit just about any occasion.

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6. Spiced Autumn Highball

For a seasonal spin on the traditional Japanese Highball, this cocktail pretty much nails it. We’re talking about warm notes from the whisky as well as from the addition of fino sherry, while a citrusy hit from mandarin and herbal notes from thyme round it all out. A versatile drink, this is an ideal light sipper before or after dinner, and the perfect cocktail to enjoy by the fire with good friends.

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7. Umami Old Fashioned

We’re mad for umami – that fifth basic savoury taste – and we love it in pretty much everything, so we’ve given the classic Old Fashioned a salty kick, thanks to a dash of soy sauce. Yep, the humble pantry staple plays a key role here, joining forces with maple syrup, dark rum and Amontillado sherry. The result is one of the most complex and moreish aperitif cocktails we know.

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8. Pistachio Maple Martini

Smooth, sweet and nutty, this indulgent cocktail showcases pistachios at their best, thanks to that most superior nut butter, Pistachio Papi. Enriched with maple syrup, Cognac, gin and zingy lemon, this creamy cocktail brings together some big flavours to create the ultimate dessert in a glass. Whip up one of these for everyone after your next big meal and prepare for the adulation to come your way.

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9. Gold Rush

The Whiskey Sour is about as perfect – and simple – as a classic cocktail gets, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still give it a subtle twist every now and then. And one of the best twists, in our opinion, is the Gold Rush, which heroes bourbon and swaps the usual sugar syrup with honey syrup (it’s easy – mix two-parts honey to one-part boiling water, and that’s it!). The result is sweet, tangy three-ingredient autumnal cracker.

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10. Lost Plane

Made with equal parts rum, Aperol, amaro and fresh lemon juice, our recipe for this rich and vibrant cocktail comes together with a little sugar syrup, although not everyone includes the dash of sweetness. Either way, this cocktail delivers some deep, warming and complex flavours that are bang on for autumn. And it’s a tricky one to mess up, with just a quick shake and strain into a glass (we love it in a coupe).

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11. Sumo in a Sidecar

Smooth, zesty and with a touch of sour, the Sumo in a Sidecar puts a twist on the traditional Sidecar cocktail with both sake and apricot liqueur. The sake keeps things fresh and light, and we think a junmai ginjo ensures this drink is dry, crisp and balanced. With just three ingredients – and interesting ones, at that – this is a great pick for when friends pop over as it’s something different and oh-so easy to make.

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12. Danhattan

We couldn’t resist putting our own twist (and name) on the classic Manhattan, so we enlisted the help of Melbourne drinks master Dan Docherty to do just that (it was a popular order at our pop-up Dan’s Diner at MFWF 2024). Here, the Manhattan’s rye whiskey and sweet vermouth make way for Aussie-made expressions, but with the addition of a local macadamia liqueur and the all-important bitters that ties this drink together.

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13. Whiskey Sour

We know we already included a riff on this classic (see #9), but purists will argue that you shouldn’t tweak recipes until you perfect the OG. So, with that in mind, we bring you the timeless Whiskey Sour. This is a fine, frothy balance of whiskey, lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white (or aquafaba, if that doesn’t appeal). The trick is in giving it a good shake without ice before adding cubes to bring it all home.

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14. Fireball Smash

If you’ve only ever seen the much-loved cinnamon whiskey Fireball served up in a shot glass, you’re in for a treat with this enticing cocktail. Here, lemon juice cuts through the sweetness of the spirit, while maraschino liqueur, sugar syrup and mint leaves join the party to add complexity and freshen things up – all while still letting Fireball’s warming spiced notes shine. Think of it as a cinnamony, citrusy, cherry smash. Delish!

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15. Clarified Piña Colada

The Piña Colada might scream summer, but this clarified version was made for autumn. And never fear – you don’t need a science degree to clarify cocktails; it’s not as tricky as it sounds. Plus, cooler weekends are ideal for a little home project. Clarifying turns this cocktail from a creamy resort fave into a silky smooth, sophisticated sipper. Brilliant for cosy evenings with friends, the extra effort will make it taste even better.

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16. Cable Car

The cinnamon-sugared glass rim of this modern classic was enough to win us over, but its mix of spiced rum, orange curacao, sugar syrup and lemon juice takes it to the next level. This is a modern classic, although, having been created in the ’90s, that probably makes this vintage by now. Expect sour and subtly sweet in a combo that manages to fuse contrasting flavours in the most delicious way.

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17. Mexican Mule

This list continues to prove that, sometimes, the simplest cocktails really are the best. The Mexican Mule – a tequila detour from the age-old Moscow Mule – is another three-ingredient winner, with the bold, spicy kick of ginger beer bringing depth to the grassy tequila and the addition of lime juice rounding it all out. This cocktail is just as refreshing in the peak of summer, but we love its gingery goodness any time.

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18. Melon Apple Fizz

Midori will always trigger a little nostalgia for us, but when put to use in creative cocktails like this, it more than proves its place in our bar carts. Almost fluorescent, the Melon Apple Fizz turns up the dial on Midori’s signature flavours, combined with tequila’s citrus, peppered notes, and it’s finished with cloudy apple juice, lemon juice, sugar syrup and soda, creating bright and fizzy refreshment.

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19. Imperial Cantarito

No fruit quite shouts “autumn” like mandarin, so of course we’ve included the Imperial Cantarito in this list. Apart from a little prep ahead of time to make an easy mandarin syrup (it’s just mandarin juice and sugar), this is a simple cocktail to make at home. Combining tequila, syrup and lime soda, or just soda and fresh lime juice, and paired with a salt rim, this is sweet and fruity, but with a little bite.

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20. Pisco Sour

The Pisco Sour is another take on the classic Sour cocktail we know and love, but with the unique flavours from the South American grape brandy. Sticking to the tried-and-tested Sour format of citrus juice, sugar and spirit, and, in this case, egg white, too – or aquafaba to make it vegan – the Pisco Sour is a cinch to make. It also makes a great circuit-breaker from your usual repertoire if you’re newer to pisco.