Our Favorite Pumpkin Spice Cocktails This Fall
- Kate Carr
- 9 minutes ago
- 3 min read
We make a lot of fall syrups around here, but pumpkin spice is the one that keeps finding its way into everything. It started as one batch meant for a single cocktail, and by the end of the week we had used it in a bourbon sour, an espresso martini, and three drinks in between. The syrup comes together on the stovetop in about ten minutes, and once it is strained and chilled it works across almost any spirit in the cabinet.
We linked every full recipe so you can go straight whichever pumpkin spice cocktail calls to you.
Pumpkin Spice Syrup Recipe
Syrup Ingredients:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt
How to Make It:
Whisk the brown sugar, water, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, and salt together in a small saucepan.
Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat and let steep for 15 to 20 minutes.
Strain through a fine mesh sieve and refrigerate until chilled.
This syrup keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks, and it makes enough for several rounds of cocktails. Double it if you are hosting.
Our Favorite Pumpkin Spice Cocktails
Pumpkin Spice Bourbon Sour
The Bright One
Bourbon, fresh lemon juice, and pumpkin spice syrup, shaken hard and strained over fresh ice. The lemon keeps this one from tipping too sweet, so it drinks more like a proper sour than a dessert. A bourbon with real caramel and baking spice character, like Woodford Reserve, makes the syrup sing.
Bourbon · Pumpkin spice syrup · Fresh lemon · Orange peel
Pumpkin Spice Carajillo
The Bold One
Reposado tequila, Licor 43, fresh espresso, and pumpkin spice syrup, shaken and strained over ice. This is the most spirit-forward drink on the list, and the espresso needs to hold its own against the tequila. A fresh shot makes all the difference here.
Reposado tequila · Licor 43 · Fresh espresso · Pumpkin spice syrup
Pumpkin Spice Flip
The Silky One
Bourbon, pumpkin spice syrup, and a whole egg, dry shaken first to build a rich, frothy texture before the ice goes in. It looks like a lot of technique for a home bar, but the dry shake does all the work. Reminiscent of pumpkin pie, minus the fork.
Bourbon · Pumpkin spice syrup · Whole egg · Freshly grated nutmeg
Pumpkin Spice White Cuban
The After-Dinner One
Aged rum, coffee liqueur, pumpkin spice syrup, and heavy cream, shaken and strained over fresh ice. Rich, cold, and built for the end of the night, this one has always been a favorite of ours long before the pumpkin spice version existed.
Aged rum · Coffee liqueur · Pumpkin spice syrup · Heavy cream
Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini
The One to Close Out the Night
Vodka, fresh espresso, espresso liqueur, and pumpkin spice syrup, shaken until frothy and finished with a dusting of pumpkin pie spice over the foam. Bold and warm, this is the one we reach for when dinner is done and we are not ready to call it a night.
Vodka · Fresh espresso · Espresso liqueur · Pumpkin spice syrup
A Note on This One Syrup
Five very different drinks came out of the same batch of syrup this fall. Bourbon, tequila, rum, vodka, all of it works, because the syrup brings warmth and body without pulling the flavor in one direction.
If you make one of these, we would love to know. Leave a comment and tell us which one earned a permanent spot in your fall rotation. We read every one.
About Kevin & Kate
We're Kevin and Kate, a husband and wife duo who turned a weekly cooking ritual into something we wanted to share. Date Nite is our subscription experience for couples: one complete evening every week with a curated dinner menu, a cocktail pairing, grocery list, playlist, and all the small details that make a night at home feel like something you actually looked forward to.
If any of these coffee cocktails are calling to you, they'd be right at home on a Date Nite table.
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