Snuggle Up with Our 19 Irresistible UK Autumn Cocktails

If you love the sight of autumn leaves falling from the trees, celebrate your favourite season with some of the best autumn cocktails. We’ve got all the recipes you need to take full advantage of this season’s iconic flavours for a comforting taste of autumn. 

1. Hot Buttered Rum

This is a classic American drink and one of the best autumn cocktails you can whip up on a breezy day. Irresistibly warm and sweet, Hot Buttered Rum is comfort in a mug that will get everyone’s cheeks glowing. Made with rum, brown sugar, butter, hot water and a smorgasbord of spices, these easy fall cocktails are great for Thanksgiving. One word of warning? They’re downright delicious, so be sure to make a batch. 

2. Apple Cider Margarita

This spin-off on the Classic Margarita keeps the same ingredients (tequila, lime juice, and orange liqueur) but adds sweet apple cider. The result is a beautifully balanced sweet and zingy cocktail. Add some extra autumn spice and serve these autumn party cocktails with a cinnamon sugared rim. The Apple Cider Margarita is perfect for a crowd, and you can easily change the quantities to fill a jug (or two).

3. Apple Cider Mimosa

Say hello to your autumn brunch table’s latest addition. While the traditional Mimosa will always remain a classic, it doesn’t exactly scream ‘autumn.’ Apple cider, on the other hand, does. To make an Apple Cider Mimosa, you’re going to swop out the orange juice for apple cider and top it with your favourite bubbly. It couldn’t be easier.  

4. Apple Cider Sangria

If you have a lot of guests milling around, we’ve got some autumn cocktail recipes that you can batch-up to please them all. First up is the crowd-classic Sangria, with an apple cider twist. Best made ahead of time so the flavours can really mingle, this autumn-themed Sangria is easy create.

You’ll need a bottle of white wine, apple cider, brandy, fresh orange juice, chopped apples and oranges, cinnamon sticks and a big pitcher or punch bowl. You can make your Apple Cider Sangria as fancy as you’d like as long as its colourful, boozy and deliciously fruity.

5. Mulled Wine

Speaking of tasty things, if you’ve never tried it, we highly recommend Mulled Wine for autumn, winter, and any day that calls for something that will warm you from the inside out. To make Mulled Wine simply combine red wine, baking spices, brandy, fresh oranges, and sugar in a pot, cover and simmer for up to 3 hours. Serve in warmed mugs with garnishes of your choice. This spiced wine is easy to make in a batch, so it’s perfect for budget-friendly Christmas parties.  

6. Apple Cider Hot Toddy

This is one of the best autumn cocktails on our list. Even though it’s very simple to make, this hot sipper is packed with those iconic autumn apple flavours. To make an Apple Cider Hot Toddy you’re going to warm up fresh apple cider, honey, lemon and spices, add whiskey and pour it into mugs. Simple, soothing and perfect on a cold evening with friends.

7. Maple Old Fashioned

The rich and dark flavours of bourbon mingle with the golden sweetness of the maple syrup in this Maple Old Fashioned. These autumn cocktails originated in Scotland and they’re quite strong, so take it easy. Have one too many and ye might just look like something the cat dragged into the house the next morning.

8. Pumpkin Spice White Russian

Calling all pumpkin spice latte lovers! This cocktail was made for you! A traditional White Russian is made with coffee liqueur, vodka, and double cream. To make a Pumpkin Spice White Russian you’re going to give it a delicious autumn twist by adding some pumpkin spice and a crushed biscuit rim. Scrumptious and indulgent, this decadent drink is no doubt one of the best autumn cocktails you’ll mix up this season. 

9. Manhattan

An unforgettable drink and easy to master, the 3-ingredient Manhattan is a classic. Make this bourbon-based cocktail as a comforting and warming after-dinner drink. It’s surprisingly mellow and sweet, with hints of vanilla, vermouth, and bitters. The perfect serve for chilly autumn evenings.  

10. Boulevardier Cocktail

The roaring 20s were a time of music, excess, and the Boulevardier cocktail. Invented by Erskine Gwynne, it was named after the French magazine that he founded. It might have been a clever bit of marketing at the time, but the Boulevardier has stood the test of time. It’s basically a Negroni, but instead of gin, it uses bourbon. It’s a melange of oak, vanilla, caramel, bitter Campari, and floral notes.

11. Sloe Gin Fizz

Sloe gin Christmas cocktails are synonymous with the silly season, and with good reason—they are utterly delicious. Sloes are sour berries that grow on blackthorn bushes and are infused with gin to create a typically English, purplish-red gin-based liqueur that has become a winter staple around the globe. To make a Sloe Gin Fizz, you simply add some lemon juice and sugar syrup, shake it up, decant it into a glass with fresh ice, and then top it up with soda water.

12. Gin Bramble Cocktail

The Gin Bramble cocktail ingredients list reads like the who’s who of classic drink elements. Featuring dry gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup, crème de mûre, and crushed ice, it’s tart and dry, and has a clear gin character.

13. Whiskey Sour

If you’re hosting a dinner party this autumn, add a bit of pizzazz with a sophisticated Whiskey Sour, one of the oldest cocktails in the world. Old-school and very cool, these iconic but easy autumn cocktails are made with only three ingredients: good-quality bourbon, simple syrup, and bitters. Elevate it to dinner party level by adding egg white to the mix to create that iconic white foam on top.

14. Espresso Martini

Coffee lovers will adore the rich, creamy flavours of the Espresso Martini recipe. A smooth, bittersweet cocktail, it brings together fresh espresso and coffee liqueur with a rewarding foam layer on top. Perfect for when you need perking up, it makes for a great after-dinner cocktail.

15. Mudslide

The iconic Mudslide cocktail is made with creamy Irish cream liqueur, smooth vodka, and a generous splash of coffee liqueur—the perfect way to unwind after a busy autumn day of leaf crunching and pumpkin picking. Each sip is a decadent blend of creamy, chocolatey goodness, with a lovely kiss of SKYY Vodka lingering at the end.

16. Bourbon Apple Cider Cocktail

Give your apple cider a grown-up twist with this Bourbon Apple Cider Cocktail recipe. Mixed with apple cider, ginger beer, and all the spices, it’s the perfect drink to warm you up on a cosy autumn evening. Choose your favourite bourbon, and make sure you get fresh apple cider and cinnamon sticks to nail the fall flavours.

17. Autumn Spiced Rum Cider Cocktail

No list of cosy autumn cocktails would be complete without the Autumn Spiced Rum Cider cocktail. Our tried-and-tested version features Maison Le Mauny VSOP rum, apple cider, cinnamon, and fresh ginger. This is all simmered together in a saucepan for 5 to 10 minutes, after which the spices are removed with a slotted spoon, and the drink is garnished with a slice of apple or your favourite baking spices.

18. Hot Pumpkin Pie Cocktail

If you love the taste of warm pumpkin pie, then you’ve got to try the Hot Pumpkin Pie cocktail. Vodka, Irish cream, pumpkin pie puree, spices, and whipped cream make for a decadent dessert sipper—a comforting drink that warms you from the inside out.

19. Hot Apple Cider Cocktail

A classic Hot Apple Cider is made with fresh cider, dark rum, sugar, spice, and all things nice. For the best result, use fresh apples (no excuses—they’re in season!) and juice them yourself. You’ll be so happy you did. Yum!

For more seasonal inspiration, sign up for our newsletter. Let us deliver the freshest recipes, cocktail stories, and party-planning tips right to your inbox.