Thanksgiving is around the corner and you’re still trying to figure out what to do with all those pumpkins still lying around from Halloween…give thanks for owning a cocktail shaker! Fall is the perfect season to enjoy creamy, cool concoctions that are flowing with spices and spiked with the right amount of alcohol to get any party started. Whether you’re hosting a mega bash or simply want to kick back before Black Friday weekend, it’s time to celebrate the most delicious harvest flavor. Here are our picks for the top rich and decadent pumpkin cocktails that’ll revive you from a turkey coma.
Top Pumpkin Cocktail: Brazilian Pumpkin Frappe
Things are always hotter down south, so it only makes sense that a fall elixir from Rio would be as enticing as the barely-there bikini. This autumn, enjoy mixologist Tim Cooper’s Brazilian Pumpkin Frappe, a luscious cocktail blended with maple syrup, real pumpkin pie mix, Brazilian cachaca, and Jamaican rum. Too many of these may lead to the dreaded hangover, yet it’s so downright heavenly that you won’t care.
Ingredients
1 ½ oz. Cachaca (We used Cabana Cachaca)
½ oz. Jamaican Rum
1 Whole egg
½ oz. Half and Half
½ oz. Maple syrup
2 Dashes of Aromatic bitters (We used Fee’s Aromatic Bitters)
1 tsp. Pumpkin pie mix
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Preparation
Add all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake once without ice and once with. Strain into a cocktail glass. Top with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Top Pumpkin Cocktail: Kastel’s Pumpkin Punch
When a cocktail costs $18, you know it has to be worth it, especially when it can only be found at Trump Soho, a nightlife haven for New York City’s fashionistas. Kastel Lounge at Trump Soho doesn’t fail to impress with their monstrous Pumpkin Punch, a colossal mix of spiced pumpkin puree, date molasses, aged rum, and freshly squeezed fruit juices. Not only is Kastel's Pumpkin Punch easy to make, but you can prepare enough for a large party…or for yourself.
Ingredients
2.5 oz. Aged rum (We used Bacardi 8 Year Aged Rum)
1 oz. Pineapple juice
¾ oz. Lemon juice
¾ oz. Orange juice
.5 oz. Spiced pumpkin puree
.5 oz. Date molasses
1 dash Bitters (We used Fee’s Original Bitters)
Nutmeg
Preparation
Add all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously. Serve in a burgundy glass and garnish with nutmeg.
Top Pumpkin Cocktail: Smashing Pumpkin
Sorry ladies (and some gents), this drink isn’t a tribute to Billy Corgan, but while you’re waiting for your beloved grunge band to hit the road, you can savor this tasty creation. The Smashing Pumpkin from Summit at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs is made by lead bartender Robert Leavey and it’s always a hit among patrons. The Smashing Pumpkin includes pure pumpkin puree, ice cold bourbon, and some tangerine zest to awaken those taste buds still recovering from Thanksgiving dinner.
Ingredients
1 ½ oz. Bourbon (We used Maker’s Mark Bourbon)
1 oz. Pumpkin puree
3 segments Tangerine with peel
½ oz. Grand Marnier
½ oz. Brown sugar simple syrup
Nutmeg
Preparation
First, make brown sugar simple syrup by mixing two parts brown sugar with one part water. Bring to a boil and then let cool down before mixing into drink. Afterwards, muddle tangerine pieces in glass with brown sugar simple syrup. Add remaining ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake. Garnish with nutmeg.
Top Pumpkin Cocktail: Pumpkin Spice
Whatever happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas, all thanks to this delicious, tantalizing concoction that’s just too good to keep to yourself. The Pumpkin Spice cocktail from McFadden’s Restaurant and Saloon at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino is a heavenly mix of Kahlua, hearty pumpkin schnapps, and two shots of rum served on a tall six ounce glass. Did we also forget to mention the mountain-sized whipped cream? It’s no wonder patrons are happily passing up their slices of pie for this liquid treat.
Ingredients
½ shot Kahlua liqueur
½ shot Pumpkin schnapps
2 shots Rum (We used Malibu Rum)
Milk
Cinnamon
Whipped cream
Preparation
Add shots of Kahlua, pumpkin schnapps, and rum in a six ounce glass. Top with milk. Garnish with cinnamon and then top with whipped cream.
Top Pumpkin Cocktail: Pumpkin Pie
This past month, Manhattan’s Haru Sushi was serving their variation of a pumpkin pie: a cool concoction that’s worth drinking in one gulp. Their Pumpkin Pie cocktail is a festive blend of wintry pear-infused vodka, fresh pumpkin puree, and Cointreau. Talk about revamping a classic.
Ingredients
1.5 oz. Pear-infused vodka (We used Absolut Pear Vodka)
1.0 oz. Pumpkin puree
0.3 oz. Cointreau
0.2 oz. Simple syrup
Splash of bitters
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Preparation
Pour all contents in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake thoroughly. Pour drink in a Cosmo glass straight up. Garnish with nutmeg and cinnamon.
Top Pumpkin Cocktail: Pumpkin Margarita
For a Latin twist, make a yummy Pumpkin Margarita, which is certain to jumpstart any holiday fiesta. This delicious remake on one of the most popular Latin cocktails features orange liqueur, lime juice, as well as brown sugar and pumpkin puree. We dare you to not make another batch all for yourself.
Ingredients
2 oz. Tequila (We used Camarena Resposado Tequila)
1 can Pumpkin puree
½ cup Brown sugar
¼ cup Sugar
1 Tbsp. Cinnamon
1 pinch Nutmeg
2 cups Water
½ oz. Orange liqueur
½ Lime juice
Preparation
Make pumpkin simple syrup by combining pumpkin puree with brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and water in a saucepan over low heat. Stir for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, cool, and strain. Combine the juice of half a lime, tequila, and 2 oz. pumpkin simple syrup. Shake well and serve on the rocks.
