Fall has begun in earnest in many parts of the Northern
Hemisphere, with crisp morning temperatures, crystal clear days,
and gorgeous displays of color. Along with the change of the season
comes a change in foods, with warm comforting items taking center
stage. In addition to entrees, appetizers, and desserts, the
flavors of fall can be extended to cocktails too. Chowhound
explains how to incorporate fall's best tastes into seasonal
cocktails.
The article is grouped by ingredient. Naturally, the list begins
with pumpkin - both pumpkin spice flavors and actual pumpkin. They
suggest using pumpkin butter to stir into cocktails, and offer a
recipe for a pumpkin syrup if the texture of the pumpkin butter
isn't to your liking.
The second ingredient is my favorite for adding to fall
cocktails: maple syrup. Unless you are in the same camp as Mimi Sheraton, you might enjoy
the subtle flavor and sweetness that maple syrup brings to drinks
like the Rye and maple
fizz from Australian Gourmet Traveller pictured
above.
Fall fruits such as apples, pears, figs, and cranberries are
also excellent flavor boosters for cocktails. You can use apple
cider or juice to great effect or infuse spirits with fruits like
figs and cranberries to add subtle notes. Herbs and spices get
their due in the article, as well as one item you might not expect
- smoke. There's nothing like a warm fire on a cool night, so why
not add a bit of that aroma to your drink?