Autumn Cocktails: Spirited drinks for Halloween & Thanksgiving

Story and photos by JANNA ZEPP

The autumn holidays are upon us and that means lots of gatherings, whether it’s a costume party for Halloween or the annual family Thanksgiving dinner. Give your private fete a boost with these four cocktails that can easily be turned into delicious mocktails with the right non-alcoholic spirits.

Sparkling Apple Cider Sangria

An elegant twist on a traditional sangria, this sparkling apple cider sangria will be a hit at your Thanksgiving gathering this year.

Ingredients
1 lemon wedge
1/4 cup cinnamon-sugar
1 (24 fluid ounces) bottle sparkling cider, chilled
1 bottle white wine, chilled – Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Verdejo or a dry Riesling are best.
1/3 cup fireball
2 apples, thinly sliced, some reserved for garnish
Cinnamon sticks, for serving

Directions: Rim each of your glasses with lemon wedge and dip in cinnamon-sugar.

In a large pitcher, combine cider, wine, and fireball. Add sliced apples and stir to combine.

Serve into prepared glasses and garnish with an apple slice and cinnamon stick.

Appletini

An Appletini, or sour apple martini, only has four ingredients and is easy to make. This drink is delicious whether you use gin or vodka. Apple juice or apple cider works well in this recipe. Store clean martini glasses in your freezer so you have a chilled glass ready for when you need it.

No cocktail shaker? No problem. Use a mason jar with a lid. Shakers come with strainers, but if you’re using a mason jar, keep a strainer handy and use that.

Ingredients
1.5 ounces of vodka or gin
1 ounce apple juice or cider
1 ounce of sour apple schnapps
½ ounce lemon juice

Directions: In a cocktail shaker, add all ingredients. Then add ice. Shake vigorously until the shaker feels ice-cold in your hand.

Black Magic Margarita

This witchy concoction might be just what is needed to get into the Halloween spirit.

Ingredients
Black sugar-salt
1 1/2 ounces silver tequila
1 ounce Cointreau
1 tablespoon agave nectar
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 ounce red wine, black food coloring (or red/purple/brown).

Directions: Make sugar-salt rim: Add 1 tablespoon black sugar and 1 teaspoon sea salt in a small bowl. Run a piece of cut lime around the rim of the glass. Dip generously into the sugar-salt. Fill the glass with crushed ice. Into a shaker, add ice, tequila, Cointreau, and agave. Set aside.

Squeeze lime into a small bowl or measuring cup. Dye to a dark purple-black color. Add to shaker. Shake it up!

Pour contents of shaker into glass and garnish with a lime wedge. Makes one cocktail.

Ginger Cranberry Whiskey Sour

An autumnal twist on a classic cocktail, this one fits in perfectly with your traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

Ingredients
2 ounces whiskey
1 ounce cranberry juice
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce ginger syrup (recipe below)
Ice cubes
Cranberries and lemon slices, for garnish

Ginger Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced (1-inch long)

Directions: In a cocktail shaker, combine whiskey, cranberry juice, lemon juice and ginger syrup.

Fill the shaker with ice cubes and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds to chill the ingredients.

Strain the cocktail into a glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with cranberries and a lemon slice.

Ginger Syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar and ginger slices. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the ginger syrup cool completely.

Strain the syrup to remove the ginger slices and transfer it to a glass jar or bottle for storage.