Fall is here. The temperature is dropping and its time to start thinking about those whiskey cocktails that keep us warm when a chill is about.With the help of a few industry friends of mine,  I’ve managed to compile a list of some fun and unique concoctions to get you through the Fall and Winter months.

The Amari Manhattan

A delicious twist on a classic, this cocktail has it all, Amaro, sweet vermouth and a bitter delight. I know it seems complicated, but aren’t the most complicated cocktails sometimes the most nuanced and unique? Imbibe while staring at a fire (in a pit, fireplace, or bonfire).

2oz. Bulleit Rye

.25oz  Campari

.5oz Sweet Vermouth

Splash of J. Rieger Cafe Amaro

Splash of Aperol

Dash of Angostura bitters

Dash of Peychaud’s

Process: Add ice and all ingredients into a pint glass, stir and strain over ice. Garnish with a cherry or orange twist and if you’re feeling crazy do both. Enjoy on a chilly fall day as you watch the leaves change.

For the classic recipe click here.

The Blood Orange Old Fashioned

An old fashioned is as classic as they come. And as most innovative bartenders know, finding the right ingredients to make it your own is all about the seasons and what’s available. We had so many blood oranges that we made a simple syrup to preserve this delicious citrus.

2oz Jim Beam Rye

.75 oz Blood Orange Simple Syrup

drop of vanilla extract

splash of Angostura Bitters

splash of Peychaud’s bitters

Process: Combine all ingredients in a pint glass with ice, stir until chilled then strain over ice garnish with a blood orange slice, or a cherry or both. Inhale the sweet citrusy orange and the smooth creaminess of the vanilla then enjoy!

Originally, this cocktail was barrel-aged and contained a personal blend of bourbons and ryes, but for your enjoyment, I managed to simplify this delicious twist!

For a more traditional old fashioned click here.

The Italian Frenchmen

My friends and I are constantly in search of new and fun things to play with. Which is how we discovered this gem of a cocktail. A simple play on the classic Boulevardier. It is best imbibed on a crisp fall day with a beret and a black scarf.

1oz Larceny

1oz Montenegro

1oz Aperol

splash lemon juice

Process: Add all ingredients and ice in a glass and stir until well chilled. Strain over ice in a rocks glass or up in a coupe, garnish with a lemon peel and enjoy!

For a more traditional approach to this classic French beverage click here!

The Green Wall

Every once in a while a cocktail comes along that is perfectly nuanced, with hints of juicy sweetness and sharp bitterness. My friends, allow me to introduce you to The Green Wall. I have always had a strong love of Green Chartreuse, a favorite amongst bartenders and patrons alike.  So, one night instead of shooting it as we service industry folk tend to do, I decided to make a cocktail inspired by my love of the New Orleans classic, the Sazerac.

3oz Templeton Rye

.5 simple syrup

.25 Green Chartreuse

3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters

.25 Absinthe

Process: Chill a rocks glass with ice and club soda. While the rocks glass is chilling, add the Green Chartreuse, Peychaud’s, and Templeton Rye to a pint glass filled with ice. Stir the ingredients in the pint glass until well chilled. Dump the rocks glass and pour in the absinthe. Rinse the glass with the absinthe and dump out the remainder. Strain the pint glass into the rinsed rocks glass (with no rocks). Garnish with a lemon peel. A savory, botanical version of the beloved Sazerac, enjoy in your home bar, at the kitchen table, or on the sofa like a boss.

For a more traditional take on this classic, click here!

A Berry Sour Day

Did you know traditionally whiskey sour’s and any other “sour-esque” cocktail contained egg whites? No? Me either until I began my career behind the bar. For those of you unfamiliar with the classic concoction, have no fear, eggs are so pasteurized these days, it is perfectly safe to imbibe the whites of these protein-packed parcels.

2oz Missouri Spirits Bourbon Whiskey

1oz fresh lime juice

1oz fresh lemon juice

1oz simple syrup

1oz macerated blueberries and blackberries (courtesy of my friends at The Gin Room)

1 egg white

Process: Separate the egg white from the egg yolk into a shaking tin. Add remaining ingredients and dry shake (NO ICE!) for 8 seconds (otherwise, it might explode!). Add a few cubes of ice and shake again for 10 seconds then strain either up in a coupe without ice, or over ice in a rocks glass. Either way, imbibe and enjoy!

Classic is as classic does click here for the old school.

Interested in more cocktail twists? Check out our friends over at liquor.com for their 5 Twists on Classic Bourbon Cocktails

It took a village to make this list. Photographer Patrick Gioia not only took these beautiful photos but was the genius behind a few of these concoctions. My beloved friends at The Gin Room (but Clara! this is a whiskey site!) supplied a few of the more unique ingredients.

The beauty of whiskey and cocktails is that it is all about what you like. So go shopping, find what makes you happy, experiment and imbibe!!