Duvet season is upon us! The warm Summer days have melted into chilly Autumn nights, and if I'm being 100% honest, I'm not mad about it. As a self-professed basic girl, I'm unabashed about my love for the Autumn season and all the little indulgences it affords. So this October, take some time to yourself, bundle up tight, stick on a cosy comfort movie and enjoy one of our favourite autumnal cocktails!

1/ Dark Delight

You'll Need
  • Ice cubes 
  • 1 ounce orange liqueur
  • 1 ounce whisky
  • 200ml stout
  • Chocolate orange shavings to garnish
Directions
  1. Drop a few ice cubes, if using, into a short glass and pour over the orange liqueur and whisky.
  2. Top up the drink with the stout, then garnish with the chocolate orange shavings, if you like.

2/ Goldwyn Follies

You'll Need
  • 1 1/2 ounces gin
  • 1 ounce apple juice
  • 1 ounce cranberry juice
  • 1 ounce brewed black tea, chilled
  • 1/2 ounce cinnamon syrup
  • 2 apple slices to garnish
Directions
  1. Add all the ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
  2. Strain into a chilled cocktail or coupe glass.
  3. Garnish with thin apple slices.

3/ Apple & Ginger Mojito

You'll Need
  • 1 1/2 ounces dark rum
  • 10 mint leaves 
  • 15ml lime juice
  • 15ml sugar syrup
  • 3 dashes bitters
  • ice cubes, a small handful
  • 20ml apple juice
  • ginger beer, to top up
  • mint sprig and apple fan, to serve
Directions
  1. Put all ingredients, except for the ginger beer and mint, in a highball glass. 
  2. Gently stir the drink, then top up with ginger beer. 
  3. Garnish with the mint sprig and apple slices to serve.

4/ Forbidden Sour

You'll Need
  • 1 ounce bourbon
  • 1 ounce Pama pomegranate liqueur
  • 1 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1/2 ounce simple syrup
  • Orange wheel to garnish
  • Cherry to garnish
Directions
  1. Add the bourbon, pomegranate liqueur, lemon juice and simple syrup into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
  2. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
  3. Garnish with an orange wheel and a cherry.

5/ Ginger Pomegranate Elixer

You'll Need
  • 1 ounce blanco tequila
  • 3/4 ounce Pama pomegranate liqueur
  • 3/4 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • Ginger beer, chilled, to top
Directions
  1. Add the tequila, pomegranate liqueur and lemon juice to a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
  2. Strain into a highball glass.
  3. Top with the ginger beer.

6/ Pumpkin Buck

You'll Need
  • 1 1/2 ounces applejack or American whiskey
  • Pumpkin soda, to top
  • Candied ginger to garnish
  • Nutmeg, freshly grated to garnish
Directions
  1. Add the applejack or whiskey to a highball glass and fill with ice.
  2. Top with the pumpkin soda and stir gently to combine.
  3. Garnish with a skewered piece of candied ginger and freshly grated nutmeg.

7/ Bees Knees

You'll Need
  • 1/2 c. honey
  • 3 tbsp. water
  • 1/2 tsp. cracked peppercorns
  • 1/4 c. (2 oz) gin
  • 2 tbsp. (1 oz) fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp. (1/2 oz) Honey-Pepper Syrup
  • Rosemary to garnish
Directions
  1. In a small saucepan, simmer honey, water and peppercorns until honey has dissolved. 
  2. Let cool, then strain. Makes a generous 1/2 cup.
  3. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add gin, lemon juice and syrup. 
  4. Shake vigorously, then strain into a coupe and garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

8/ Pumpkin Margarita

You'll Need
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • 1 lime wedge
  • 1 1/2 ounces reposado tequila
  • 1/4 ounce allspice dram
  • 1/4 ounce amaretto
  • 1 ounce pumpkin puree
  • 3/4 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1/2 ounce agave nectar
  • Roasted pumpkin slice to garnish
Directions
  1. On a small plate, combine the ground ginger and sea salt. Rub the lime wedge along half of the rim of a rocks glass and dip the glass in the mixture. (For a finer texture, pound the ginger and sea salt with a mortar and pestle.)
  2. Add the tequila, allspice dram, amaretto, pumpkin puree, lime juice and agave nectar into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
  3. Strain into the prepared glass over fresh ice.
  4. Garnish with a roasted pumpkin slice.

9/ Apple Cider Sangria

You'll Need
  • 2 1/2 c. apple cider
  • 3/4 c. brandy
  • 1/2 c. fresh clementine or orange juice
  • 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1-in piece fresh ginger, peeled and very thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp. orange bitters
  • 4 clementines, thinly sliced
  • 2 apples (Pink Lady, Honeycrisp or your favorite), very thinly sliced pomegranate seeds
  • 1 750ml bottle Prosecco or other dry sparkling wine
  • Pomegranate seeds to garnish
Directions
  1. In a large pitcher, stir together cider, brandy, clementine juice, lemon juice, ginger and bitters. 
  2. Stir in clementine and apple slices (you can refrigerate this mixture for up to a day).
  3. When ready to serve, add Prosecco. 
  4. Serve over ice with a few pomegranate seeds, if desired.

10/ Maple Whiskey Sour

You'll Need
  • 2 1/2 oz. bourbon whiskey
  • 1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 oz. orange juice
  • 1 tbsp. maple syrup
  • 3 dashes orange bitters
  • Citrus wedge to garnish
Directions
  1. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake bourbon, lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, maple syrup and bitters. 
  2. Strain over ice; serve with a citrus wedge.

11/ Spiked Hot Chocolate

You'll Need
  • 2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3/4 c. sugar
  • 8 c. whole milk
  • 2 cinnamon sticks, crushed
  • 8 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
  • 3/4  to 1 cup bourbon or rye
  • Toasted marshmallows to garnish
Directions
  1. In a large saucepan, combine cocoa powder and granulated sugar.
  2. Whisk in 1½ cups milk until fully incorporated (mixture will be a thick paste).
  3. Gradually whisk in remaining 6½ cups milk. Add cinnamon sticks and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until you can smell the cinnamon, 8 to 10 minutes. 
  4. Add chocolate chips and whisk until melted. Strain into a second pot, then stir in bourbon. Serve topped with toasted marshmallows.

12/ Warm Bourbon Cider

You'll Need
  • 16 cups fresh apple cider
  • 5 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 2 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 2 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
  • 3 cups bourbon
Directions
  1. In a stockpot, heat apple cider, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
  2. When mixture is hot but not boiling, remove from heat and add bourbon. Stir to distribute spices and divide cider among 20 mugs.

13/ Apple Cider Mimosa

You'll Need
  • 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 1 bottle prosecco or Champagne
Directions
  1. On a small plate, combine sugar and cinnamon. Dip champagne flutes in water to wet the rims, then dip in cinnamon sugar mixture.
  2. Fill champagne flutes 1/4 full with apple cider, then top off with champagne or prosecco.

14/ Death In The Afternoon

You'll Need
  • 1/4 to 1/2 ounce absinthe
  • 4 ounces chilled Champagne or prosecco
Directions
  1. Pour absinthe into a Champagne flute
  2. Top with Champagne.

- Gráinne