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The La Manzana cocktail from Mi Vida
Darlin Kulla/official photo

15 Fall Cocktails to Sip Right Now

Mulling spices, beets, and bacon fat are all in the mix

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The La Manzana cocktail from Mi Vida
| Darlin Kulla/official photo

A flurry of D.C. bars have recently unveiled a range of comforting cocktails engineered to warm up guests during colder months.

The drinks below are worth a taste, because they’re brand new, they have a creative presentation, or they celebrate fall flavors by packing in dehydrated fruits and cinnamon. Some bars have gone the opposite direction, running away from seasonal themes with bright concoctions and tiki-inspired designs.

For our guide to D.C.’s hottest new bars, check out this list. For a broader view of the drinking landscape, check out this list of essential bars.

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Turn The Sage at Jack Rose Dining Saloon

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Designed to be sipped on the heated, glass-enclosed roof at Jack Rose, this drink features George Dickel rye, Del Maguey Vida mezcal, Orchard Peach liqueur, Averna Amaro, lemon, maple, and sage. It gets garnished with a sage leaf and dehydrated citrus wheel ($10).

Turn The Sage at Jack Rose Dining Saloon
Jack Rose/official photo

Cider House Rules at The Fainting Goat

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This super-spiked cider ($13)  mixes unfiltered apple juice with Hamilton 151 Rum and Bitter Truth Golden Falernum. It’s mulled with clove, cardamom, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange and lemon peel. The “bow” wrapping up the drink is an orange peel, and another dash of cinnamon is added on top.

Cider House Rules at The Fainting Goat
The Fainting Goat/official photo

Mambo Diablo at The Royal

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This new fall-inspired tiki cocktail ($13), served in a clay “cantarito” cup, is made with Colombia’s national spirit, aguardiente. That gives the drink warming anise notes to go with cachaca, pineapple, guanabana, panela (unrefined sugar), and warming spices. Garnishes include pineapple fronds and a skewer of brandied cherries.

Mambo Diablo at The Royal
The Royal/official photo

Ivy City Old Fashioned at City Winery DC

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The new winery’s first taste of fall names an Old Fashioned after its neighborhood in Northeast. The cocktail features cinnamon-infused Old Forrester bourbon, orange and aromatic bitters, and a Luxardo cherry. It’s ideal for sipping in the cozy Barrel Room restaurant or the ivy-covered Wine Garden.

Ivy City Old Fashioned at City Winery DC
City Winery/official photo

Rye Beet-ween the Lines at Buffalo & Bergen

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Mixtress Gina Chersevani relies on root vegetables for this complex elixir ($12). She combines Redemption Rye, Dolin Sweet Vermouth, roasted beets, and bitters. Some of Chersevani’s other savory concoctions for the fall contain pickled shiitake mushrooms, sassafras, and fennel. 

Rye Beet-ween the Lines at Buffalo & Bergen
Buffalo & Bergen/official photo

Yellow Brick Road at Espita Mezcaleria

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Beverage director Megan Barnes named this spicy and smoky blend ($13) after Elton John’s seventh studio album. The drink combines Espadín mezcal, Mexican fernet, velvet falernum, pineapple-and-chile syrup, and corazón bitters. Other musically-inspired drinks this season at Shaw’s Oaxacan-influenced restaurant honor Drake and Leon Bridges.

Yellow Brick Road at Espita Mezcaleria
Espita Mezcaleria/official photo

The Seasonal Buck at High Street Cafe

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The new restaurant in Georgetown aims to create a lively bar scene with this Alabama-style whiskey drink, filled with fall spices, apple cider, and ginger beer ($12).

The Seasonal Buck at High Street Cafe
Carl Townsend/official photo

Tiki in the Mountains at Bourbon Steak

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For Sarah Rosner’s first season as lead bartender at Bourbon Steak, she’s introducing a color-soaked cocktail ($18) to brighten up dark nights. The impeccably dressed drink features cinnamon-honey syrup, lime yellow chartreuse, grapefruit, and Virginia Highlands Cuvee Cask Whisky, garnished with a cinnamon stick, mint sprig, and cherry.

Tiki in the Mountains at Bourbon Steak
Four Seasons/official photo

Best Thing About The Holidays at Fancy Radish

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This smoky, strong, and spicy cocktail brings the holiday spirit at H Street’s critically acclaimed vegan restaurant. It features Ardbeg 10-year Islay Scotch, El Dorado 12-year demerara rum, Pail Beau VS brandy, and spiced cranberry ginger cordial ($15). The zero-waste cocktail repurposes the cranberries used to make the cordial as garnishes.

Best Thing About the Holidays at Fancy Radish
Fancy Radish/official photo

Medicinal Cocktails at Stable DC

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This quad of cocktails ($11-$12) at the Atlas District restaurant takes note of Swiss ski culture, relying on spirits to combat everything from stress to pesky coughs. The Mountain Xanax features chamomile-infused gin, Genepy Herbal Alpine Liquor, and dry vermouth. The Flu Fighter stirs Bonal Quinine with Fernet Branca, Lyon aged rum, orange, and honey.

Medicinal cocktails at Stable DC.
Stable DC/official photo

Scarlett Sunset at Succotash

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With a hue reminiscent of changing leaves, this new cocktail at celebrity chef Ed Lee’s Penn Quarter restaurant trades typical fall flavors like cinnamon or apple for yellow chartreuse, orange, and honey to make cooler months more comforting ($14).

 

Scarlett Sunset at Succotash
Darlin Kulla/official photo

On Horseback at Dirty Habit DC

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Bacon fat-washed Basil Hayden bourbon, mission figs, maple, and mint make this hotel bar cocktail ($14) fitting for guests craving savory over sweet.

On Horseback at Dirty Habit
Dirty Habit/official photo

Gypsy Wedding at Baba

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Clarendon’s cozy subterranean cocktail bar conjured up this festive-looking drink for the fall. It features a deep pear flavor and smoky finish thanks to Hubert 1924 pear rakia, Del Maguey Vida Miguel mezcal, lime juice, cinnamon syrup and pear purée. The $17 order comes with a sweet perk: a pineapple dessert.

Gypsy Wedding at Baba
Baba/official photo

La Manzana at Mi Vida Restaurante

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At the Wharf’s resident Mexican restaurant, apples are roasted with piloncillo brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and clove. Brown butter serves as a base. Tequila is infused with those same ingredients to play up its warm spices.

 

La Manzana at Mi Vida Restaurante
Darlin Kulla/official photo

Beet’s Knees at the The Salt Line

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This pink drink at the Navy Yard seafood spot is a throwback to warmer days, combining Barr Hill gin, Bitter Truth Elderflower liqueur, caraway-beet cordial, lime, celery bitters, and Port City Optimal Wit. That all gets topped off with a dragon fruit garnish ($12).

Beet’s Knees at the The Salt Line
The Salt Line/official photo

Turn The Sage at Jack Rose Dining Saloon

Designed to be sipped on the heated, glass-enclosed roof at Jack Rose, this drink features George Dickel rye, Del Maguey Vida mezcal, Orchard Peach liqueur, Averna Amaro, lemon, maple, and sage. It gets garnished with a sage leaf and dehydrated citrus wheel ($10).

Turn The Sage at Jack Rose Dining Saloon
Jack Rose/official photo

Cider House Rules at The Fainting Goat

This super-spiked cider ($13)  mixes unfiltered apple juice with Hamilton 151 Rum and Bitter Truth Golden Falernum. It’s mulled with clove, cardamom, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange and lemon peel. The “bow” wrapping up the drink is an orange peel, and another dash of cinnamon is added on top.

Cider House Rules at The Fainting Goat
The Fainting Goat/official photo

Mambo Diablo at The Royal

This new fall-inspired tiki cocktail ($13), served in a clay “cantarito” cup, is made with Colombia’s national spirit, aguardiente. That gives the drink warming anise notes to go with cachaca, pineapple, guanabana, panela (unrefined sugar), and warming spices. Garnishes include pineapple fronds and a skewer of brandied cherries.

Mambo Diablo at The Royal
The Royal/official photo

Ivy City Old Fashioned at City Winery DC

The new winery’s first taste of fall names an Old Fashioned after its neighborhood in Northeast. The cocktail features cinnamon-infused Old Forrester bourbon, orange and aromatic bitters, and a Luxardo cherry. It’s ideal for sipping in the cozy Barrel Room restaurant or the ivy-covered Wine Garden.

Ivy City Old Fashioned at City Winery DC
City Winery/official photo

Rye Beet-ween the Lines at Buffalo & Bergen

Mixtress Gina Chersevani relies on root vegetables for this complex elixir ($12). She combines Redemption Rye, Dolin Sweet Vermouth, roasted beets, and bitters. Some of Chersevani’s other savory concoctions for the fall contain pickled shiitake mushrooms, sassafras, and fennel. 

Rye Beet-ween the Lines at Buffalo & Bergen
Buffalo & Bergen/official photo

Yellow Brick Road at Espita Mezcaleria

Beverage director Megan Barnes named this spicy and smoky blend ($13) after Elton John’s seventh studio album. The drink combines Espadín mezcal, Mexican fernet, velvet falernum, pineapple-and-chile syrup, and corazón bitters. Other musically-inspired drinks this season at Shaw’s Oaxacan-influenced restaurant honor Drake and Leon Bridges.

Yellow Brick Road at Espita Mezcaleria
Espita Mezcaleria/official photo

The Seasonal Buck at High Street Cafe

The new restaurant in Georgetown aims to create a lively bar scene with this Alabama-style whiskey drink, filled with fall spices, apple cider, and ginger beer ($12).

The Seasonal Buck at High Street Cafe
Carl Townsend/official photo

Tiki in the Mountains at Bourbon Steak

For Sarah Rosner’s first season as lead bartender at Bourbon Steak, she’s introducing a color-soaked cocktail ($18) to brighten up dark nights. The impeccably dressed drink features cinnamon-honey syrup, lime yellow chartreuse, grapefruit, and Virginia Highlands Cuvee Cask Whisky, garnished with a cinnamon stick, mint sprig, and cherry.

Tiki in the Mountains at Bourbon Steak
Four Seasons/official photo

Best Thing About The Holidays at Fancy Radish

This smoky, strong, and spicy cocktail brings the holiday spirit at H Street’s critically acclaimed vegan restaurant. It features Ardbeg 10-year Islay Scotch, El Dorado 12-year demerara rum, Pail Beau VS brandy, and spiced cranberry ginger cordial ($15). The zero-waste cocktail repurposes the cranberries used to make the cordial as garnishes.

Best Thing About the Holidays at Fancy Radish
Fancy Radish/official photo

Medicinal Cocktails at Stable DC

This quad of cocktails ($11-$12) at the Atlas District restaurant takes note of Swiss ski culture, relying on spirits to combat everything from stress to pesky coughs. The Mountain Xanax features chamomile-infused gin, Genepy Herbal Alpine Liquor, and dry vermouth. The Flu Fighter stirs Bonal Quinine with Fernet Branca, Lyon aged rum, orange, and honey.

Medicinal cocktails at Stable DC.
Stable DC/official photo

Scarlett Sunset at Succotash

With a hue reminiscent of changing leaves, this new cocktail at celebrity chef Ed Lee’s Penn Quarter restaurant trades typical fall flavors like cinnamon or apple for yellow chartreuse, orange, and honey to make cooler months more comforting ($14).

 

Scarlett Sunset at Succotash
Darlin Kulla/official photo

On Horseback at Dirty Habit DC

Bacon fat-washed Basil Hayden bourbon, mission figs, maple, and mint make this hotel bar cocktail ($14) fitting for guests craving savory over sweet.

On Horseback at Dirty Habit
Dirty Habit/official photo

Gypsy Wedding at Baba

Clarendon’s cozy subterranean cocktail bar conjured up this festive-looking drink for the fall. It features a deep pear flavor and smoky finish thanks to Hubert 1924 pear rakia, Del Maguey Vida Miguel mezcal, lime juice, cinnamon syrup and pear purée. The $17 order comes with a sweet perk: a pineapple dessert.

Gypsy Wedding at Baba
Baba/official photo

La Manzana at Mi Vida Restaurante

At the Wharf’s resident Mexican restaurant, apples are roasted with piloncillo brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and clove. Brown butter serves as a base. Tequila is infused with those same ingredients to play up its warm spices.

 

La Manzana at Mi Vida Restaurante
Darlin Kulla/official photo

Beet’s Knees at the The Salt Line

This pink drink at the Navy Yard seafood spot is a throwback to warmer days, combining Barr Hill gin, Bitter Truth Elderflower liqueur, caraway-beet cordial, lime, celery bitters, and Port City Optimal Wit. That all gets topped off with a dragon fruit garnish ($12).

Beet’s Knees at the The Salt Line
The Salt Line/official photo

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