Your must-sip-on fall cocktail guide

We are toasting to the end of summer with fall-inspired cocktails created by a handful of Charlotte-based bartenders. The crisp days of the season have officially arrived, and we’re looking forward to a merciful break from the dog days of summer.

CREPE CELLAR

“Often at this time of year, I like to work with seasonal dried fruits and make them into syrups because they give a richer mouth feel and a higher viscosity in the flavors,” Colleen Hughes said.

Hughes is the head mixologist at multiple Charlotte restaurants, including Crepe Cellar, Haberdish, Growlers, and Sea Level.

The English Garden ($11): Gin, cucumber-rose syrup, cava, served up with a leon and rose-sugar rim.

Fall Sangria ($10): Autumn flavors of cherry, apple and fig with a little spice on the end, served on the rocks with lemon wheel and fresh sage.

Spiced Fig and Pear Cup ($12): Tito’s Vodka, spiced fig and pear syrup, fresh lemon juice, ginger beer, served on the rocks with lemon and sage.

THE DUNHILL HOTEL + THE ASBURY

Cocktails crafted by Myke Head and Jennifer Villapando.

Ghost Cider ($15): Dalmore 12Y, house made spiced syrup, orange and lemon.

Inspired by the hotel’s mysterious ghost, “Dusty”, this cocktail is the perfect addition to your Halloween festivities.

Flying Pepper Gimlet ($12): Fair Game Flying Pepper Vodka, Vida Mezcal, citrus juice, Cointreau, orange bitters.

“[This cocktail has] depth from the mezcal, heat from the pepper, and freshness from the citrus,” Head said.

Nutty Old-Fashioned ($11): Cathead Pecan Vodka, black walnut bitters, orange, house-marinated merlot cherry.

This cocktail is pretty much fall in a glass because it highlights the pecan and black walnut flavors of the season.

SEA LEVEL NC

This eatery’s fall cocktail menu has many inventive creations.

“Especially the Fish House Punch; I really just wanted to create a sharable drink that has a really old-timey feel,” Hughes said. “This is great to share with the table – It’s fun and playful, and it goes great with seafood.”

Fish House Punch (glass $9; half pitcher $25; pitcher $48): Goslings, Bacardi, Deep Eddy Peach vodka, cognac, lime juice, lemon juice, unsweet tea.

Fall G&T ($14): Sutler’s Gin, fig, sage, house made tonic, lime.

Pumpkin Whiskey Flip ($12): Larceny, lemon juice, pumpkin beer syrup, Angostura bitters, egg white.

204 NORTH

“I have always looked forward to the fall,” 204 North’s head mixologist Amanda Britton said. “Growing up, I loved drinking apple cider, the smell of the herbs in holiday dishes, and warming up with something hot to drink. I took those memories and made them into cocktails.”

Flannel Weather ($12): Bourbon, house made pumpkin spice syrup, lemon, hot chai tea with clove and lemon wheel garnish.

It’s About Thyme ($12): Vodka, pavan, thyme, lemon, prosecco with torched thyme garnish.

Jumping in the Leaves ($12): Spiced Rum, Licor 43, chai syrup, lemon, apple juice with dehydrated apple slice garnish.

GROWLERS POURHOUSE

“We are using a lot of our favorite ingredients for the season, such as cinnamon, sage and thyme to incorporate those fall senses into fresh, aromatic cocktails,” Hughes said.

 The Smoky Pumpkin ($10): Mezcal, pumpkin syrup, orange bitters, lemon, soda, cinnamon stick.

Apple Pie Sipper ($10): Tito’s Vodka, apple syrup, lemon.

Cranberry ginger Gimlet ($10): Death’s Door Gin, cranberry-ginger syrup, lime juice.

Pomegranate Thyme G+T ($10): Sutler’s Gin, tonic, pomegranate-thyme grenadine, soda, fresh thyme, lime juice.

Honey Sage Penicillin ($10): Famous Grouse Smokey Black, honey-sage-ginger syrup, lemon juice, fresh sage.

Fall Cider Shandy ($10): Plantation Dark Rum, maple syrup reduction, cider.

HABERDISH

Wax Poetic ($14): Bees wax washed Lillet Rouge, Sipsmith Sloe Gin, Sipsmith VJOP gin.

“This is a liquor forward cocktail that will warm you up on chilly fall evenings,” Hughes said. “It’s a rich, red color that pairs beautifully with fall.”

Sip Serenity ($12): Bols Genever, orange juice, sweet vermouth, cherry herring, Amaro della sirene (liqueur).

“I created this fusion as a twist on the prohibition cocktail, blood and sand,” Colleen Hughes’ assistant Rhea Buck said.

Photos:  Courtesy of Crepe Cellar, The Asbury, Sea Level,Nii Yartey, Growlers, Haberdish

This story was originally published October 19, 2017 at 1:00 AM with the headline "Your must-sip-on fall cocktail guide."