Autumn in Atlanta is no joke. Between false fall, the tail end of hurricane season, and sporadic heat waves, it can be hard to get into the spirit of the season.
Pumpkin spice lattes are all well and good, but sometimes we need something a bit stronger without sacrificing the flavor of fall. These restaurants around town have cracked the code, offering everything from infused Old Fashionds to carrot-based cocktails and spiced espresso martinis.
Here’s where to go to get a boozy taste of fall in Atlanta right now.
The Jade Rabbit, Lazy Betty
In Chinese folklore, a jade rabbit lives on the moon, forever pounding an elixir of immortality. It’s a fixture of the Mid-Autumn Festival, when families gather to celebrate the harvest under a full moon. At this Michelin-starred Midtown restaurant, The Jade Rabbit pays a quieter tribute. Roku gin and Haku vodka meet verjus blanc steeped with Dragon Well green tea, plus a clarified Granny Smith apple gum and a touch of saline. The result is as crisp and bright as moonlight. 999 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, lazybettyatl.com
Bananas Foster Old Fashioned, Lapeer Steak & Seafood
Bananas Foster usually gets set aflame at the table, but at Lapeer it comes as an Old Fashioned instead. Beverage Director Richard Ramirez drops two bananas into a bottle of rye and leaves it for about three days. He then sweetens the drink with a syrup of brown sugar simmered with cinnamon, allspice, and clove. This is a dessert and nightcap rolled into one, warmly spiced for chilly fall nights. 12 N. Broad St., Alpharetta, lapeersteak.com
Smoke & Mirrors, Minero
Smoke & Mirrors drinks like a fall dessert with a mischievous streak. Mezcal lays down the smoke, fig purée adds jammy sweetness, and chocolate liqueur meets ancho chile liqueur in a pairing that echoes mole. Bitters keep everything balanced. Pair this fall sip with tacos on Minero’s tortillas, pressed by hand all day from masa made with heirloom Mexican corn. Ponce City Market, 675 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE, Ste. 136, Atlanta, mineroatlanta.com
Wicked Root, Buena Vida Tapas Bar
Carrot isn’t what most people expect to find in a cocktail glass, but Buena Vida’s Wicked Root makes a convincing case for it. Bacardi Spiced Rum lays a warm foundation for carrot and turmeric, two earthy, golden-orange ingredients that taste like harvest season. Coconut and condensed milk smooth it into something creamy, almost like carrot cake you can sip. It’s only around through Saturday, October 31, so grab one on the patio overlooking Historic Fourth Ward Park and the BeltLine while you can. 385 N. Angier Ave. NE, Ste. 100, Atlanta, buenavidatapas.com
Velvet Vinyl, Marcus Bar & Grille
Not every fall drink needs pumpkin spice, and Marcus Bar & Grille general manager Tia Barrett would be the first to tell you so. She calls Velvet Vinyl her answer for anyone who tastes autumn in apple spice and orchard fruit instead. It’s a strong, stirred riff on the Boulevardier, pairing spiced pear brandy with rye whiskey for a slow sipper that leaves the gourds out entirely. 525 Edgewood Ave. SE, Atlanta, marcusbarandgrille.com
Espresso Martini Flight, Bizarre Coffee
Can’t pick just one fall flavor? Bizarre Coffee’s Roswell shop doesn’t make you choose. Its fall Espresso Martini Flight brings three martinis together: a classic warmed with cinnamon vodka and vanilla, a pumpkin spiked with cinnamon, and a miso caramel finished with sea salt for a sweet-and-salty sip. The cocktail menu is served only at the Roswell location, around the corner from a free parking deck on Green Street. 1090 Alpharetta St., Roswell, bizarrecoffee.com
Figment, Boone’s
The Bee’s Knees is a summery Prohibition-era classic of gin, honey, and lemon, and Boone’s has dressed it up for autumn. Figment starts with barrel-aged Bluecoat gin, which brings notes of toasted oak, caramel, and vanilla, then swaps plain honey for a fig honey syrup. Lemon keeps the whole thing lively. Take yours out to the veranda around golden hour, when the light settles over the greens of the historic Bobby Jones Golf Course. 2205 Northside Dr. NW, Atlanta, boonesatl.com
Guayabita, Botanico
For Beverage Director Andres Martinez, guava tastes like childhood. He grew up on guava paste with cheese, caramel-laced turrones, and aborrajados, which are guava-filled pastries. Guayabita brings those memories to Botanico’s bar this fall. Gin and Fino sherry keep it crisp, cachaça adds a grassy edge, and fresh lime and coconut milk round it out into something bright and silky. Pay attention to the garnish, too; Martinez designed it as part of the story. 1106 Crescent Ave. NE, Atlanta, botanicoatlanta.com
Caramel Apple Margarita, Sweet Auburn BBQ
Caramel apples usually come on a stick at the county fair, but at Sweet Auburn Barbecue, the flavor lands in a margarita glass. The Caramel Apple Margarita is the sweetest of the restaurant’s three fall cocktails, and it makes a natural pairing with a plate of smoked meats. Siblings Howard and Anita Hsu built this spot on Southern barbecue with an Asian twist, so pair your drink with an order of the pimento cheese wontons. 656 N. Highland Ave. NE, Atlanta, sweetauburnbbq.com
The Prraty Old Fashioned, Pataaka
Those who love a fall candle will swoon over this one. The Prraty Old Fashioned arrives under a curl of cinnamon smoke, a clear signal that Pataaka has given the classic an Indian twist. The spirit is infused with chai, cinnamon, and star anise, spices you might find steeping in a pot of masala chai on a chilly morning. 1020 Spring St. NW, Atlanta, pataakaatl.com
Fallen Leaves, Rumi’s Kitchen, Sandy Springs
Persimmons are a favorite fall and winter fruit in Iran, so when the Rumi’s team stumbled upon a persimmon liqueur, it was a natural fit for the seasonal menu. The result is Fallen Leaves, a riff on the paloma that mixes the liqueur with tequila, lemon, and grapefruit. It’s topped with pimento dram for what COO Stephen Kaplan calls “that fall spice,” then garnished with dried persimmon. Now, you can try it during the new lunch service at the Sandy Springs location. 6112 Roswell Rd., Atlanta, rumiskitchen.com
Caramel Appletini, Puttshack
Hidden at the bottom of Puttshack’s Caramel Appletini is a little reward for patient sippers. This Halloween-season special (poured only through Nov. 1) combines Tito’s vodka, sour apple liqueur, apple juice, and a squeeze of lemon strained over a pool of caramel in a cinnamon sugar-rimmed glass. A caramel-drizzled apple slice floats on top. Let the fruit soak between holes, and by the end of your round, a boozy caramel apple is waiting at the bottom of your glass. Multiple locations, puttshack.com
Plantain Old Fashioned, Heritage Supper Club
Fall is roasting season, when everything from squash to sweet potatoes ends up caramelized and golden. Heritage Supper Club, Summerhill’s new celebration of Caribbean and Afro-American food and culture, adds plantains to that list. The bar roasts them, then cooks them down with demerara into a syrup with the brown-sugar depth of a sweet potato casserole’s crackly top. Mixed with Edmonds Honor Bourbon and poured over an “H”-stamped king cube, it’s a cool-weather sipper with island roots. 63 Georgia Ave. SE, Unit A, Atlanta, heritagesupperclub.com
The Last Negroni, Amore e Amore
Every October, this family-owned Italian spot goes famously over the top with its Halloween decor, and The Last Negroni dresses to match. Empress Gin, tinted violet by butterfly pea flower, takes the lead, while Bitter Bianco and Lillet Blanc stand in for the usual Campari and sweet vermouth. Peach bitters add a Georgia spin. The dark and eerie drink is the perfect accompaniment to a Night on Highland. 467 N. Highland Ave. NE, Atlanta, amoreeamore.com
Slow Burn, Jagger Suite
Jagger Suite is all Studio 54 sparkle, but its Slow Burn drinks more like a night around the fire pit. Ilegal Mezcal brings the smoke, infused cold brew adds a roasty backbone, and Licor 43 slips in a little vanilla sweetness. A cap of toasted meringue and the bar’s “fireside dust” push it deliciously into s’mores territory. Order one on the rooftop deck atop the Moxy Downtown and watch the skyline light up. 329 Marietta St. NW, Atlanta, jaggersuite.com
Autumn Breeze, The Betty
Picture a night out around 1960: hair set, heels on, and a velvet booth held in your name. That’s the mood The Betty channels inside the Kimpton Sylvan Hotel, and Autumn Breeze brings the vintage fall vibes. It’s a High West bourbon drink at heart, but the fun is in the spice rack, where clove and cardamom tangle with apple and lemon. A little crème de cassis gives it a jammy, dark-berry edge, and a dried apple slice rides on top. 374 E. Paces Ferry Rd NE, Atlanta, thebettyatl.com
Spooky Sangria, LikeMinds
Sangria usually gets shelved once summer wraps, but LikeMinds in the Krog District is keeping it on the menu into the cooler months. The Spooky Sangria starts with Round Trip Vale hard seltzer and gets its seasonal makeover from a fall spice- and orange-infused syrup, trading poolside for fireside. Grab a glass on the dog-friendly patio just off the Eastside BeltLine, or settle in with slow-smoked barbecue and a vinyl set at this sports bar and live-music spot. 112 Krog St. NE, Atlanta, likemindsatl.com
Hard Eight, Blackjack Bar Tapas
In craps, a “hard eight” means rolling a pair of fours, a bet with long odds and a bigger payout. Blackjack Bar Tapas, a late-night Midtown lounge for Asian-inspired small plates and cocktails, makes a similar wager with its Hard Eight. Shochu, carrot, and miso push the drink toward savory instead of sweet, as earthy as a pan of roasted root vegetables. Lemon keeps it lively, and amaretto closes things out with a toasty, nutty finish. Bonus: the bar pours until 1 a.m. on weekends. 1080 Peachtree St. NE, Ste. 1, Atlanta, blackjackbartapas.com
