5 Classic Cocktails to Get You Through Fall

Summer is over. Deal with it. We are now in the reality of leaves crunching under your feet, pumpkin spice lattes, Uggs and (Canadian) Thanksgiving just a few days away. Time to put away your sweet summery beverages and break out your heavy hitters. The ones that you cozy up with reading a book or the ones that will warm you up and give you a buzz at the same time.

I wrote a post earlier about whiskeys that will get you through fall (it's a good list!), but what if you don't like sipping on straight booze? Are their cocktails for you? Absolutely there are! Personally I try to stick to the classics for the simple reason that the ingredients are readily available and you don't have to have a curly mustache with a waxed apron behind an ironic bar to make them. Full disclosure, I do own a waxed apron. The list below are drinks that you can make at home with very little skill and tools. Like my dad told me early on "If you can read, you can cook." Classics are good for that because they are typically very simple to make, and, lets face it, they are classics for a reason.

1) The Cosmopolitan:

But Daren I thought you said to put away your summery beverages? I did. However every once in a while you are going to have to remind yourself each day that passes is a day closer to the warm glow of the sun. Why not remind yourself with this tart and sweet beverage.

Ingredients:

• 2oz Citron Vodka

• 1oz Cointreau

• 1oz Cranberry Juice NOT cranberry cocktail, do better than that.

• 1oz Lime Juice, fresh is ideal

How To:

Add all ingredients to a shaker, add ice, shake for 10-15sec, double strain into a chilled coupe, garnish with a lime and serve.

2) The Negroni:

Damn it Daren, ANOTHER summer drink?! Get out of here, the Negroni is good at anytime of the year. As the patron saint of this blog, Anthony Bourdain, once said "A Negroni is a perfect drink as far as I'm concerned.". Is it more suited for summer? Who cares; just drink the damn thing.

Ingredients:

• 1oz Gin

• 1oz Campari

• 1oz Sweet Vermouth (Rosso)

How To:

Add all ingredients into a mixing glass, stir until chilled (about 60 revolutions), strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice, garnish with an orange peel and serve (or drink it for yourself!)

3) The Manhattan:

The Manhattan is the warm hug everyone needs while they read a book by the fire just before a lovely roast beef dinner. Sorry, let my fantasies get the best of me there. This is the Old Fashion's bolder and more complex brother, the one that can do no wrong.

Ingredients:

• 2oz Rye

• 1oz Sweet Vermouth (Rosso)

• 2 dashes of Angostura bitters

How To:

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice, stir until chilled (about 60 revolutions), strain into a chilled cocktail coupe, garnish with a lemon twist or Luxardo cherries and serve.

4) The Sazerac:

A good Sazerac can change you, it's that good. When the weather turns into that drizzly, windy, cool weather that's when you should break this one out. You have the time to make a good drink at that point, so you may as well make this. Top tip, do not use a refined (white) sugar cube for this one, try to find a raw cube, it'll make a difference.

Ingredients:

• 1 sugar cube

• 2 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey

• 2 dashes Peychaud's Bitters

• 1 dash Angostura Bitters

• Absinthe rinse

• Lemon peel

How To:

In a mixing glass or old fashioned glass muddle the sugar cube with the dash of Ango until pasty, add the rye and peychaud's, add ice and stir until chilled (about 60 revolutions). Add Absinthe to your glassware and rinse around glass, once rinsed take left over Absinthe out of glassware (Hell, toss it back if you want!). From the mixing glass strain drink into glassware over a large cube and garnish with a twist of lemon peel.

5) The Vesper:

"Once you have tasted it, you don't want to drink anything else." If James Bond can't sell this drink to you, I don't know who can. The Vesper is good anytime of the year but really shines in fall. It's a martini riff for the person that doesn't know if they want a gin or vodka martini. The Lillet Blanc just adds another dimension to the drink that rounds it out. This a drink that you can play around with the gin to make it your own. Personally I'll just stick with London dry.

Ingredients:

• 3oz London dry gin

• 1oz Vodka

• 1/2oz Lillet Blanc

How To:

Add everything to a mixing glass, add ice and stir briskly until chilled, strain ingredients into an ice cold glassware (I cannot stress this enough!), serve with a large thin cut lemon peel.

Well! It's that time of year to get oh so cozy with a well made drink and enjoy it however you want. Personally you'll probably find me cozied up with a Negroni while playing Stardew Valley. Please enjoy responsibly and never drive after drinking.