Nothing gold can stay —always there must be the last pumpkin spice latte order of autumn, the last bite of Christmas cookie of winter or the last margarita sip of summer...
Or so you thought. Margaritas are traditionally bright, tropical, fruity drinks perfect for pool-side sipping, but it’s easier than you might think to give this cocktail an autumnal twist. (Especially in Florida, where iced drinks are never out of season.)
Keep reading for 8 fall margarita recipes with cozy, spiced flavors to serve at seasonal gatherings this year, from Thanksgiving to tailgates to pumpkin carving parties.
In the battle between pumpkin and apple for the best flavor of fall, we’re Switzerland...but this cinnamon apple margarita might just convince us to take a side. This recipe swaps the typical orange liqueur for apple cider to add a bite of fresh fall flavor. Orchard you glad it’s on this list?
The Recipe
Mix of turbinado sugar, salt and cinnamon
2 ounces LALO Blanco Tequila
1 ounce apple cider
2/3 ounce fresh lime juice
2/3 ounce agave syrup
Dash ground cinnamon
Apple slices, cinnamon stick and star anise
Rim a rocks glass with a mix of sugar, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. Combine LALO Tequila, apple cider, lime juice, agave syrup and cinnamon in an ice-filled shaker tin. Shake to chill and dilute. Strain into prepared glass. Garnish with apple slices, cinnamon stick and star anise.
If you’re planning to build any tequila-based drinks this fall, Fuegave Cinnamon Tequila is a must. It adds the perfect amount of sweetness and spice to any traditional cocktail recipe for a delicious, autumnal twist. For a flavored tequila, it’s also remarkably smooth on the rocks!
The Recipe
Cinnamon sugar and salt mixture
2 ounces Fuegave Cinnamon Tequila
1 ounce fresh lime juice
¾ ounce Villa Cardea Orange Liqueur
½ ounce agave syrup (or honey syrup)
½ ounce apple cider (optional)
Cinnamon stick and thin apple slices
Rim a rocks glass with a lime wedge and cinnamon sugar and salt, if desired. In a shaker with ice, add the tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, agave syrup and apple cider. Shake and strain into the prepared glass over ice. Garnish with an apple slices and a cinnamon stick.
This is the offering to leave on the ofrenda for those dearly departed who adored a good cocktail this Dia de Los Muertos. It’s made using this special day’s most important flower, the cempazúchitl (marigold) and fresh blood orange juice. Bright, jubilant and tasty, this marg is the ideal libation to share with your loved ones once they cross the veil.
The Recipe
Marigold salt
2 ounces Casa Azul Orgánico Tequila Blanco
1 ounce fresh blood orange juice
½ ounce fresh lime juice
¾ ounce marigold-infused simple syrup*
*Marigold-infused simple syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup fresh marigold petals (Tagetes erecta — “Aztec marigold” preferred for color and aroma) or ½ cup dried petals
Optional: small strip of orange peel or 3–4 coriander seeds (to bring out the citrus-spice notes in the tequila)
For the marigold simple syrup: In a small saucepan, combine water and sugar over medium heat. Stir until sugar fully dissolves. Add the marigold petals and any optional aromatics. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3–5 minutes, just until the color deepens slightly. Remove from heat and let steep for 20–30 minutes. The longer it steeps, the deeper the golden hue and floral flavor. Strain through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a glass jar or bottle. Let cool completely before using. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
For the cocktail: Rim glass with marigold salt (mixture of marigold petals and salt). Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake well for 10-12 seconds until chilled. Strain over fresh ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with a marigold blossom.
Prefer to drink your calories? Skip the slice of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving and mix up this pumpkin spice margarita, instead. Real pumpkin puree adds a touch of creaminess to this citrusy margarita recipe. Opt for maple syrup instead of agave syrup to deepen the fall flavors!
The Recipe
Cinnamon sugar or crushed graham crackers
2 ounces Herradura Reposado Tequila
1 ounce fresh lime juice
1 ounce pumpkin puree (unsweetened)
½ ounce maple syrup or agave syrup
¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove)
Whipped cream, cinnamon stick or star anise
Rim a glass with lime juice and dip into cinnamon sugar or crushed graham crackers. In a shaker, combine tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, pumpkin puree, maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice. Add ice and shake vigorously for 15-20 seconds. Strain into the prepared glass over fresh ice. Top with a cinnamon stick, a dollop of whipped cream or a sprinkle of extra spice.
Not everyone’s idea of “spice” is pumpkin spice...and that’s perfectly fine with us. Rim this grapefruit margarita with chili salt for a kick stronger than your favorite team’s kicker can deliver this football season. Shake it with coins of fresh chilis for even more spice!
The Recipe
1 pinch chili salt, plus more for rimming glass
½ ounce fresh lime juice
½ ounce grapefruit juice
2 ounces LALO Blanco Tequila
Grapefruit slice
Dried or fresh chili
Rim a glass with chili salt, if desired. Set aside. Add chili salt, triple sec, lime juice, grapefruit juice and tequila to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into the prepared glass. Garnish with a grapefruit slice and/or a dried or fresh chili.
If you can appreciate a cocktail with nutty notes, this pumpkin spice margarita is for you. It’s made with almond liqueur and reposado tequila, a tequila variety with notes of oak, caramel and nougat. The added spice in the recipe will only deepen the spirits’ complex flavor profiles.
The Recipe
1 ½ ounces Casamigos Reposado Tequila
½ ounce almond liqueur
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
¾ ounce honey syrup*
2 heaping bar spoons organic canned pumpkin puree
1 pinch cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
2 dashes orange bitters (optional)
Dehydrated orange slice
2 charred sage leaves
Nutmeg
*Honey syrup:
2 parts honey
1 part water
For the honey syrup: Combine honey and water in a small saucepan and bring to a medium heat. Stir until fully dissolved, then let cool. Once cool, pour syrup into a glass container with lid and keep at room temperature.
For the cocktail: Add tequila, liqueur, lemon juice, honey syrup, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange bitters to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a glass over fresh pebble ice. Garnish with an orange slice, sage leaves and/or nutmeg.
Chocolate makes everything better – and yes, that includes margaritas. If you doubt us, try this chocolate margarita recipe using dark chocolate liqueur with a chocolate-cayenne rim. Keep this cocoa-coated cocktail recipe on-hand when the trick or treaters have come and gone, but you’ve still got an insatiable sweet tooth.
The Recipe
4 tablespoons coarse sugar
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ cup chocolate syrup plus more for rimming the glasses
6 ounces CavAgave Blanco Tequila
½ cup heavy cream
⅓ cup orange liqueur
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Combine sugar, cocoa powder, and pepper on a small plate. Pour some syrup onto another small plate. Dip the rims of 4 margarita glasses into the syrup and then into the sugar mixture. Set aside. Combine ½ cup chocolate syrup, dark chocolate liqueur, tequila, cream, orange liqueur and cinnamon in a pitcher. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and, working in batches, shake the margaritas with ice and strain into the prepared glasses.
This recipe is intended to be served cold, but hear us out: mulled margarita? Mulled margarita. If you want to go that route, just add everything to a pot on the stove (including the cinnamon stick and apple slice garnish) and simmer until fragrant, then pour into a heat-safe mug. Perfect for nights around the bonfire.
The Recipe
2 ounces 400 Conejos Joven Oaxaca Mezcal
¼ ounce lemon juice
¼ ounce Charles Regnier Triple Sec
½ ounce maple syrup, honey, or simple syrup (to taste)
Juice of ¼ orange
Apple cider
Red wine (optional)
Cinnamon stick and apple slice
Add mezcal, lemon juice, triple sec, syrup and orange juice to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a glass mug. Top with a splash of apple cider and a splash of red wine, if desired. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and apple slice.
