28 Fall Wedding Cocktail Ideas for Your Autumnal Celebration
Hosting fall nuptials? You definitely should consider incorporating fall wedding cocktails into your catering plans. Signature drinks can add a delicious touch to your cocktail hour bar menu and give guests a treat to enjoy as the party kicks into full gear after the ceremony. While you can always serve up your drink of choice, it's a fun idea to incorporate a seasonal flair with the recipes and help set the ambiance for the celebration.
As you are looking for a bartending team to add to your vendor list (psst…The Knot Vendor Marketplace is a great spot to start your search), you should discuss with potential hires the possibility of creating a unique signature fall cocktail for your event. Discussing ahead of time allows them the ability to stock the bar with the right ingredients to make enough of the drink for guests to enjoy.
Need a few ideas of what signature fall wedding cocktail you should serve? Read ahead to learn a few seasonal recipes and get ideas for your own celebration.
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Mixologist's Fall Wedding Cocktail Recipes
To start, you may want to learn a few recipes for excellently crafted fall-themed drinks. Manoj Rajaguru, Banquets Director at Hotel Effie in Miramar Beach, Florida, shared a few fall signature cocktails from their mixology team. "The fall cocktails that we create are a mix of warm libations with rum, brandy, and bourbon, while also mixing something that suits our location like yuzu and gin," he shares. "They're very versatile and personify the season."
Golden Rum Delight
Fans of rum will love this colorful cocktail with boozy berries. The rich hue of the drink is perfect for a moody autumnal color palette.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz. Golden Falernum Rum Liqueur
- 1 oz. Diplomatico Rum
- Three dashes of Augusta Bitters
- 1/2 teaspoon Demerara sugar
- 1 cherry (for muddling)
- 1 drop of club soda
- 1 large ice cube
- Drunken blackberries and raspberries (for garnish)
How to make:
In a mixing glass, muddle the Demerara sugar with a drop of club soda and the cherry to release the cherry's flavors. Add Diplomatico Rum to the muddled mixture. Follow with the addition of Golden Falernum Rum Liqueur. Add ice to the mixing glass and stir well to chill and mix the ingredients. Strain the mixture into a glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with drunken blackberries and raspberries for an extra burst of flavor and visual appeal.
Candied Apple Bliss
Hosting a wedding near Halloween? Channel a seasonal candied apple with your specialty cocktail.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz. Coquerel Calvados Apple Brandy
- 0.5 oz. caramel syrup
- 1 egg white
- Apple slice (for garnish)
- Demerara sugar (for torching and dampening)
- Ground cinnamon (for garnish)
How to make:
In a cocktail shaker, add the egg white. Follow with the Coquerel Calvados "The Original Apple Brandy" and caramel syrup. Dry shake without ice vigorously to froth up the egg white and mix the ingredients. Add ice to the shaker and shake again to chill and further froth the mixture. Strain the cocktail into a chilled glass of your choice. Carefully torch the apple slice until it caramelizes and becomes golden brown. Dampen the torched apple slice with Demerara sugar. Garnish the cocktail with the torched and candied apple slice, and sprinkle a pinch of ground cinnamon over the top.
Citrine Dreamscape
If you want to serve up a refreshing cocktail with a hint of fall flavors, check out this unique recipe. Yuzu citrus combines with whiskey, apple, and cinnamon sugar for a delicious cocktail hour treat.
Ingredients:
- 0.5 oz. Yuzu Citrus Fruit Liqueur
- 1 oz. Suntory Whisky Toki
- 1 oz. St. George Spirits California Citrus Vodka
- 0.5 oz. honey syrup (1:1 honey and water)
- Green apple slice (for garnish)
- Cinnamon sugar (for sprinkling)
How to make:
In a cocktail shaker, combine the Yuzu Citrus Fruit Liqueur, Suntory Whisky Toki, St. George Spirits California Citrus Vodka, and honey syrup. Add ice to the shaker and shake well to chill and mix the ingredients. Strain the cocktail into a chilled glass of your choice. Garnish with a green apple slice. Sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon sugar over the apple slice for a delightful aroma and taste.
Berrylicious Bourbon Sip
There's something so perfectly autumnal about a bourbon cocktail. Paired with blackberry, raspberry, and cherry, this sip is a sweet take on an Old Fashioned.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Basil Hayden Bourbon
- 4 dashes of Angostura Bitters
- 0.5 oz. blackberry syrup
- 1 black cherry (for muddling)
- Drunken blackberries and raspberries (for garnish)
- 1 large ice cube
How to make:
In a mixing glass, muddle the black cherry to release its flavors. Add Basil Hayden Bourbon, Angostura Bitters, and blackberry syrup to the mixing glass. Fill the glass with ice and stir well to chill and mix the ingredients. Strain the mixture into a new glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with drunken blackberries and raspberries for a burst of flavor and visual appeal.
Autumn Breeze
Seasonal herbs like sage and rosemary can bring in delicious aromas into a fresh tequila cocktail. Couples who love margaritas should definitely consider this fall recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz. Tequila Ocho Reposado San Jeronimo
- 1 oz. Grand Marnier
- 1 oz. lime juice
- 0.5 oz. maple syrup
- Sage leaves (for garnish)
- Rosemary sprig (for garnish)
- Lime wheel (for garnish)
- Pebble ice
How to make:
In a cocktail shaker, combine Tequila Ocho Reposado San Jeronimo, Grand Marnier, lime juice, and maple syrup. Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously to chill and mix the ingredients. Strain the cocktail into a glass filled with pebble ice. Garnish with a sage leaf and a small sprig of rosemary for a fragrant and herbal aroma. Place a lime wheel on top of the cocktail for an attractive garnish.
Rum and Rye Autumn Harmony
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Hard Truth Distilling Rye Whiskey
- 1 oz Golden Falernum Rum Liqueur
- 0.5 oz pear syrup
- Drunken pear slice (for garnish)
- Drunken blackberries (for garnish)
How to make:
In a mixing glass, combine the Hard Truth Distilling Rye Whiskey, Golden Falernum Rum Liqueur, and pear syrup. Fill the glass with ice and stir well to chill and mix the ingredients. Strain the mixture into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a drunken pear slice and a few drunken blackberries for a burst of flavor and visual appeal.
Fall Wedding Cocktail Ideas
Want some more ideas for your fall signature drink? We rounded up some incredible autumnal ideas to inspire your seasonal sip. With these pretty recipes behind the bar, we're sure you'll get the party started.
1. Blood Orange Delight
Blood orange has a vibrant color and flavor that will absolutely fit in with your fall wedding aesthetic. We love how the mixologist at this wedding slightly burnt the slices to give the cocktail a smoky feel.
2. Classic Whiskey Ginger
Want a fall signature wedding cocktail that won't break your budget? Whiskey gingers are an excellent choice that won't aggressively increase your alcohol spend.
3. Maple Bourbon Blend
Bourbon, maple syrup, black walnut, and orange bitters combined at this wedding to create a fall signature drink full of flavor. Even better? The couple named it after one of their dogs.
4. Whiskey Neat
While you can keep things simple by serving up a delicious whiskey for guests, try taking it a step further with a bit of personalization. Have your bartenders brand large ice cubes with your joint monogram for an elegant touch.
5. Make It Muddled
Add some serious flavor and color to your signature wedding cocktails by requesting a drink with muddled fruits. Flavors like cranberry and orange are the perfect combo for the season.
6. Decorative Welcome Drink
Make your seasonal cocktail part of the decor at your fall affair. With the help of table numbers on stirrers, these orange cocktails do double-duty as escort cards.
7. Play With Garnishes
Whether you're serving a simple signature drink or a creative mixology creation, think about what garnishes could lend an autumnal element to the presentation. Mini clothespins with dried fruit could be a fun way to add style to your sip.
8. Try a Trio
Don't leave your guests with only one signature cocktail option to choose from. This wedding offered three delicious seasonal drinks for guests to try during cocktail hour.
9. Lemon Mint Julep
A mint julep is a great bourbon cocktail that blends refreshing flavors with warm whiskey. Served them up at your wedding with a lemon twist for an extra fresh addition.
10. Make a Mule
Gift your guests a copper mule mug and lead them with signs towards the bar to make a mule of their choice. Supply bartenders with ginger beer, lime, and options of vodka, whiskey, and tequila to create everyone's favorite blend.
11. Decorate With Florals
Edible flowers in your wedding bouquet colors can make such a sweet statement in a signature wedding cocktail. Pair it with a burnt orange slice for an extra autumnal accent.
12. Couple Cocktails
Have each newlywed-to-be pick out their favorite cocktail to serve as a signature drink at the celebration. Here, a whiskey sour and a cranberry cocktail were the perfect pair.
13. Add Some Spice
With cooler temperatures in the fall, you might want to heat things up with your cocktails. Try a spicy margarita with a tajin rim for a colorful signature sip.
14. Berry On Top
One way to garnish your signature fall wedding cocktails is with vibrant blackberries. The fruit adds the perfect rich hue to complement this Kentucky mule in a copper mug.
15. Blackberry Bliss
You can also go all in and create a cocktail where blackberries are the star of the show. This delicious fall wedding drink paired the fruit with vodka.
16. Spiked Apple Cider
Is there anything more autumnal than apple cider? Ask your mixologist to craft a cocktail infusing the delicious drink.
17. Infuse Rosemary
Herbaceous rosemary can bring an aromatic touch to your cocktails and serve as a pretty garnish. We recommend pairing it with a cranberry-based cocktail for a seasonal sip.
18. Brew Butterbeer
Fans of Harry Potter and Halloween will love this specialty fall cocktail for an October wedding. Butterbeer is a delicious butterscotch-based drink (which can be made alcohol-free) that warms the senses and will give millennial guests a sense of nostalgia.
19. Mini Espresso Martinis
Espresso martinis are a very trendy wedding drink, but they can take a while to make. Instead, serve them up as mini shots to begin the party with an energizing jolt of caffeine.
20. Hot Cocktails
A warm cocktail is the perfect complement to an outdoor wedding in the fall. From spiked hot apple cider to mulled wine to Irish coffees, there's plenty of delicious options to warm up guests.
21. The Bees Knees
If you and your spouse-to-be love gin, consider serving bee's knees to your guests. Infused with honey, this cocktail is a delicious crowd pleaser.
22. Cheers With Champagne
Only planning to serve wine and beer at your wedding? Have a special start to your celebration by offering champagne to guests at cocktail hour or when you're serving cake.