As we barrel towards the holidays, it’s a great time to discover some easy fall cocktails. When you need the perfect cocktail to pair with your holiday meal, you want a simple-to-make and delightful cocktail perfect for the season. Whether you want a glass for yourself or to impress the family gathering at Thanksgiving, we have some delicious fall drinks to spice up your day.

Apple Cider Bellini Cocktail

A simple cocktail recipe for one or for a group, this drink fits perfectly with the chill in the air and upcoming festivities. Here’s how you can make one serving.

Ingredients:

• 1-ounce apple cider
• One teaspoon of orange liqueur
• One teaspoon of maple syrup
• Chilled Prosecco to fill the rest of the glass
• Rosemary sprigs for a garnish

Shake the apple cider, orange liqueur, and maple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice until chilled. Pour this mixture into your champagne glass and pour in the Prosecco. Then garnish with a rosemary sprig.

For a larger serving, keep the shaken ingredients separate from the Prosecco and keep them chilled until you’re ready to serve.

Cinnamon Maple Whiskey Sour

Perfect for a warming feeling as winter starts in full force, this sour whiskey offers just a touch of sweetness for a delicious drink. For one glass, follow these steps, and multiply by servings desired as necessary.

Ingredients:

• Three tablespoons bourbon
• Two tablespoons of lemon juice
• Three teaspoons of maple syrup
• A pinch of ground cinnamon

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled ⅔ with ice until chilled. Strain the mixture over fresh ice in your glass and enjoy.

Cranberry Sangria

When you know you’ve got a big holiday gathering, this sangria is excellent to serve alongside an incredible meal. Easy to make, put in a pitcher, and refrigerate for a couple of days as you work on the rest of the meal; this drink is easy to make and serve. For about four servings in a medium pitcher, follow these steps.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup whole cranberries
• Two apples, diced, tossed with lemon juice
• 1 cup apple cider
• ¼ cup cranberry juice
• One bottle of white wine
• 1 cup seltzer water

Put the diced apples and whole cranberries into your pitcher, then pour in the apple cider, cranberry juice, and white wine. Stir, then chill in the refrigerator for about an hour. Serve and enjoy!

Nutty Irishman Cocktail

A rich and unique cocktail, this drink is perfect for a cold night, combining creaminess with a nutty liqueur for a decadent holiday drink.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ ounces Irish cream
• 1 ½ ounce hazelnut liqueur
• ½ tablespoon crushed hazelnuts
• Whipped cream

Add the Irish cream and hazelnut liqueur to a cocktail shaker, then fill with ice. Shake until frosty, then strain into a champagne coupe. Add whipped cream and dust the crushed hazelnuts over as a garnish.

Enjoy these simple cocktails this holiday season. Impress friends and family with your recipes, or enjoy them as you settle into the holiday season. Visit your local Payless Liquors today for more fall drink recipes or all the cocktail ingredients you could need.

We’re deep in football season this time of year, and it’s a beautiful excuse to gather friends and family together for a fantastic tailgate. Whether you’re tailgating at a big stadium or from your own home, you want to be sure that the food and drinks are fun and perfect for the day of the big game. You must have go-to options that are fast and delicious and ideally come in cans or a pitcher that you can pass around—cheers to your team, together with a fantastic drink this game season.

Beer isn’t the only option for your football game tailgate. Though it’s an old standard, plenty of other drinks can have you in the festivities if you’re not a beer fan. Hard seltzers are an excellent option for your gathering, and hard ciders are perfect for this crisp fall time of year. Any number of mixed drinks, from screwdrivers to lemonade and whiskey to spiking your favorite brand of sweet tea with vodka or bourbon, offer a perfect spice to your tailgate.

Ready-made cocktails are also a great option if you’re going away from home for the tailgate and cannot whip up your own cocktail. However, if you have the time and means for a leisurely cocktail, there are some great game-day options for a simple cocktail.

Grape Sparkler

Sweet and delightful to look at, this drink is a simple and sweet cocktail for the football bash.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups red seedless grapes, plus 1 cup sliced grapes
• Two tablespoons lemon juice
• Two tablespoons honey
• 2 cups seltzer
• ¾ cup vodka

Blend the whole grapes, honey, and lemon juice, and pour it through a strainer into a pitcher. Add seltzer, vodka, and sliced grapes, and stir. Pour into ice-filled glasses, and garnish with grapes.

Gatorade Margarita

You can use any sports drink for this margarita, and it’s perfect for a long day of cheering and celebration.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup blue decorating sugar
• ¼ cup salt
• 1 20-ounce bottle of blue sports drink, cold
• 1 cup limeade concentrate, frozen and thawed
• 1 cup white tequila
• ⅓ cup blue Curaçao
• Orange slices garnish

Mix sugar and salt, and rim rocks glasses in the mixture. In a large pitcher, mix your blue sports drink, limeade concentrate, white tequila, and blue Curaçao. Stir, and then pour into the rock glasses over ice. Garnish with an orange slice, if you want.

Hurricane Cocktail

For a strong drink for your tailgate, look to this fruity cocktail.

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces light rum
• 2 ounces dark rum
• 1-ounce lime juice
• 1-ounce orange juice
• ½ ounce passion fruit puree
• ½ ounce syrup
• One teaspoon grenadine
• Orange slice and cherry garnish

Add both rums, fruit juices, passion fruit puree, syrup, and grenadine in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until chilled, then strain into a Hurricane glass over ice. Garnish with an orange slice and cherry.

For all the necessary supplies for an incredible tailgate this football season, visit your local Payless Liquor.

It’s the time for crunchy leaves and crisp air, and the perfect Autumn cocktail goes hand in hand with them. Whether for a Halloween party or just looking to cozy up with the ideal feeling of Fall, a spirited cocktail can be the right way to go. From cider drinks to eking out the last bit of sunshine, here are some libations to set you in the mood.

The Sunflower

If you love Fall, chances are sunflowers are one of your favorite flowers. This is the right cocktail for you if that’s the case! Soak up those last precious rays of sun before the weather cools down.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ ounces gin – Stick to the classic Hendricks for this one
• 1 ½ ounces Cointreau
• 1 ½ ounces St. Germain
• 1 ½ ounces lemon juice

Combine all elements in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until entirely chilled. You can use whatever kind of glass you like. Strain the shaker mixture into two glasses. Garnish with a twist of lemon and an actual sunflower petal if you have them.

Spiked Apple Cider

This drink is the definition of fall time coziness. You can relax with this Autumn warmer cocktail with hot apple cider and bourbon.

Ingredients:

• 4 ½ cups apple cider
• 1 orange, sliced
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves, whole
• 1 star anise, whole
• 8 ounces bourbon – We love Makers Mark

Add all the ingredients, except the bourbon, to a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and let the cider mixture simmer. Removing from the heat, strain out all the solids. In a mug, add 2 Ounces of Bourbon, and top with 1 Cup of mulled cider.

Haymaker

For the ultimate relaxer, try this cocktail that really packs a punch. It also works well in a large batch for parties and celebrations.

Ingredients:

• ¾ ounce bourbon
• ¾ ounce Triple Sec
• ¾ ounce dry vermouth
• ¾ ounce lime juice

Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker with a generous amount of ice, and shake until thoroughly chilled. Then, strain it into an Old Fashioned glass.

Brandy and Cider Sidecar

Bring back the cider for this delightful take on a tried-and-true classic. With Brandy as the base spirit, you can’t go wrong with this combination of flavors that are perfect for any Autumnal activity.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ ounce brandy
• 1 ½ ounce Cointreau
• 3 ounces apple cider
• ½ ounce lemon juice
• Angostura bitters to taste

With a shaker full of ice, add all the ingredients. Shake until thoroughly chilled. Strain into a coupe cocktail glass, and garnish with a cherry.

Cran Fizz

While most people dream of apple and pumpkin flavors this time of year, we can’t ignore a good cranberry cocktail.

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces gin—shoot for a classic like Bombay Sapphire
• 4 ounces ginger ale, chilled
• 1 cup simple syrup
• 1 cup cranberries, fresh

Heat the simple syrup to a boil, then reduce the heat and add the cranberries, cooking until they burst. Let the mixture cool. Add the gin and simple syrup mixture to the shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into two glasses, and then top with ginger ale. Garnish with the candied cranberries, and enjoy.

These cocktails will keep you cozy all season long. Visit your local Payless Liquors today!

The Old Fashioned is a classic libation for Fall, and with the season upon us, now is the best time to enjoy this drink. Rich flavors are the best to lean into this time of year, and that’s why we’ve got 4 riffs on your classic Old Fashioned for Fall.

Apple Brandy Old Fashioned

Brandy isn’t your typical spirit for an Old Fashioned, but that’s what makes it perfect for an updated version of this cocktail. Apple flavors punch up this drink and make us feel cozy.

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce apple brandy – We recommend Huber Applejack Brandy
• 1 ounce brandy
• ½ ounce brown sugar simple syrup*
• Angostura Bitters to taste, 2-3 dashes should do the trick.

In a rocks glass, combine all the ingredients over one large ice cube. Stir to fully incorporate all the elements and serve with an orange peel or twist.

*Brown sugar simple syrup is as easy to make as the regular simple syrup: equal parts water and brown sugar. If you’re feeling frisky, add a cinnamon stick to spice it up.

Mezcal Old Fashioned

While so many cocktails use just one spirit as their flavor base, this one takes it up a notch with mezcal and bourbon.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ ounces mezcal – We recommend Dos Tiranos Mezcal
• 1 ounce bourbon – We recommend Makers Mark
• 2 teaspoons Orgeat
• Angostura bitters to taste

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass and stir with ice until chilled. Strain the concoction into an Old Fashioned glass over ice. Garnish your cocktail with an orange twist and grated cinnamon for an extra kick.

Smoked Rosemary Old Fashioned

Rosemary has been having a moment in cocktails lately, so this recipe is timely. With just a little extra work, you can create a cocktail that will change how you drink your Old Fashioned.

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces bourbon – Try Old Forester Bourbon
• ½ ounce simple syrup
• Angostura bitters – A dash or two will do
• 2 sprigs of rosemary

In an Old Fashioned glass, pour bourbon over ice, adding the simple syrup and bitters. Light the rosemary sprigs on fire and put it over the drink while it’s smoking. Cover the drink and the rosemary with a cocktail shaker and let rest for about 10 seconds. Then, take the shaker and the sprig away and enjoy your smoked rosemary-infused Old Fashioned. Cheers!

New Old Fashioned

This one is a complete departure from the classic. With gin as a base, we completely mix up the palate with floral flavors, but this departure will liven up the season.

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces gin – Try Junipero Gin, with its bright, piney flavor
• ½ ounce St. Germain
• Orange bitters to taste

Combine all ingredients over ice and stir. Strain the mixture into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a grapefruit twist to add a little extra flavor to this gin concoction. Enjoy.

The quiet of the season pairs well with a bit of spirit experimentation. Visit your local Payless Liquors today for all your beverage essentials.