If you're looking for something more complex and warming than apple cider, but more imaginative than a classic Thanksgiving wine pairing menu, our fall sangria recipe is for you. Effervescent sparkling cider and rich red wine lay the foundation, juicy fig puree adds lusciousness, vibrant apple and orange slices add freshness, and baking spices leave an aromatic finish. Whether you're creating a fall drink special or catering alcohol at a fall event, our quick and easy fall sangria recipe is the perfect seasonal autumn drink.
Fall Sangria Recipe
Made in a batch and sure to please a crowd, this Thanksgiving sangria recipe is loaded with fall flavors. It includes enough classic elements to be approachable and enough unexpected elements to stand out.
Approximate Yield: 6-8 servings
Total Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 bottle light red (we used pinot noir, but select the type of wine you prefer)
- 4 ounces orange liqueur (we used Cointreau)
- 16 ounces sparkling cider
- 4 ounces of fig puree
- 1/2 cup apple slices (1 apple sliced)
- 1 orange sliced
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- Optional: dried fig for garnish
Directions
- Cut apple and orange into slices. Add to pitcher.
- Pour red wine into pitcher.
- Measure and pour orange liqueur into pitcher.
- Add fig puree, cinnamon sticks, and ground ginger to pitcher, then stir.
- For stronger fruit flavor, chill pitcher in fridge overnight.
- When ready to serve, add sparkling cider.
- Garnish with skewered dried fig.
Please note: Whether you're serving this sangria by the glass or by the pitcher, don't add the sparkling apple cider until just before you are ready to serve. If you add it too soon, the sangria will lose the bubbles and go flat.
Not just for charcuterie boards, figs are a beloved early fall fruit that adds a jammy, honeyed berry flavor to our fall sangria recipe. You can serve it by the pitcher, as part of your holiday takeout packages, or by the glass. This unexpected Thanksgiving sangria pairs perfectly with alternative Thanksgiving meals that play into flavors of the season but suit guests with alternative diets or those seeking unique takes on holiday classics.
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Best Fall Beers of 2025
As the leaves begin to change color and the crisp autumn air settles in, it's time to welcome the season of cozy sweaters, pumpkin patches, and, of course, the best fall beers. For bar owners, embracing the flavors and trends of each season is essential to keeping customers engaged and satisfied. It's time to retire the beers of summer and explore the top fall beers of 2025 that every bar owner needs to know about. Check out our recommendations for the best fall beers to drink in 2025: 1. Oktoberfests 2. Hard Ciders 3. Pumpkin Beers 4. Amber Ales 5. Porters 6. Stouts 7. Big IPAs 8. Non-Alcoholic Beer 9. Fresh Hop Beer Fall Beer Tap List Fall brings about a whole new array of flavors and aromas that bar owners should consider when creating a tap list. To help get you started, we put together a list of the most recommended fall beers to try in 2025. 1. Oktoberfest Beer One cannot talk about fall beers without mentioning Oktoberfest. This traditional German beer style is known for its rich maltiness and smooth, clean finish. Brewed specifically for the annual Oktoberfest celebration, these beers are a must-have for any bar owner looking to embrace the fall spirit. With their amber hues and notes of toasted bread and caramel, Oktoberfest beers are sure to be a hit among beer enthusiasts. Another key characteristic of Oktoberfest beers is their smooth and clean finish. Unlike some other beer styles that may have a lingering bitterness, Oktoberfest beers are designed to be incredibly drinkable. This makes them the ideal choice for those long days of celebration at the festival, where you want a beer that you can sip on all day without feeling overwhelmed. Give These Popular Oktoberfest Beers a Try: Ayinger Brewing: Oktober Fest-Marzen (Ayinger, Germany) 5.8% ABV La Cumbre Brewing Company: Oktoberfest (Albuquerque, NM) 5.4% ABV Great Lakes Brewing Company: Oktoberfest (Cleveland, OH) 6.5% ABV Founders Brewing Company: Ultimate Oktoberfest (Grand Rapids, MI) 10% ABV 2. Hard Cider Beer purists tend to have strong feelings about hard cider. No, it’s not beer, but it’s a smart choice to include in your seasonal offerings. Providing an alternative to the hoppy, malty flavors of beer ensures you have an option for everyone. Many hard ciders are also gluten-free, just double-check the label to be sure. It's a misconception that all hard ciders are sweet. There are actually different styles of cider with varying degrees of sweetness. For example, dry cider has very little sugar and could be compared to a dry, acidic wine. There are also still versions of cider that contain no carbonation for smooth sipping. Give These Popular Hard Ciders a Try: Wyndridge Cider Company: Pumpkin Spice Cider (York, PA) 6% ABV Cigar City Cider and Mead: Homemade Apple Pie (Tampa, FL) 5.5% ABV Lost Boy Cider: Ciderbier (Alexandria, VA) 6.9% ABV Armageddon Brewing: Ichabod's Bane (Somerdale, NJ) 6.7% ABV 3. Pumpkin Beer The minute September 1st rolls around, pumpkin domination begins and doesn’t truly end until winter is over. Pumpkin beer is a popular part of this trend, and although not every beer lover is on board, you should offer at least one pumpkin spice beer style for those who can’t get enough. Just like pumpkin spice, pumpkin beers don't necessarily contain any pumpkin. The pumpkin flavor that many start to crave around this time of year is less from the pumpkin itself, and more from spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Pumpkin beers and yam beers feature a blend of the fall spices that fans of the season associate with pumpkin spice. Give These Pumpkin Beers a Try: Southern Tier Brewing Company: Pumking (Lakewood, NY) 8.6% ABV Elysian Brewing Company: The Great Pumpkin (Seattle, WA) 8.1% ABV Cigar City Brewing: Good Gourd (Tampa, FL) 8.8% ABV Saint Arnold Brewing Company: Pumpkinator (Houston, TX) 10% ABV 4. Amber Ale Amber ale is a type of beer with a reddish color that ranges from light copper to dark amber. This style originated in the Pacific Northwest and California during the 1980s, but it's become popular in Europe and Australia as well. Also called red ale, amber ales are a type of pale ale brewed with specialty malts. American red ale contains American hops, but it's set apart from other pale ales by the sweet flavor of the malts used in the brewing process. Crystal malts, named for the crystalized sugars they contain, are responsible for the amber color and caramel notes this beer style is known for. Give These Red Ales a Try: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company: Flipside Red IPA (Chico, CA) 6.2% ABV 3 Floyds Brewing Company: Amber Smashed Face (Munster, IN) 7.8% ABV COAST Brewing Company: Carnie Fire (North Charleston, SC) 5% ABV Pipeworks Brewing Company: Blood Of The Unicorn (Chicago, IL) 6.5% ABV 5. Porters When autumn sets in, light summer beers are moved aside in favor of darker and more filling options. Porters are top-fermented ales made with malted barley, which gives them a dark brown color and a smooth sweetness from the sugar in the malt. These beers are known for a chocolate or caramel-like flavor. Porters were first brewed in England in the 1700s. The name "porter" is believed to have originated with the street porters, men who performed a variety of working-class jobs. Porter beers were more filling than other ales and provided a source of much-needed calories for the hard-working porters who carried heavy loads all day. Give These Popular Porters a Try: Funky Buddha Brewery: Maple Bacon Coffee Porter (Oakland Park, FL) 6.4% ABV Anchor Brewing Company: Anchor Porter (San Francisco, CA) 5.6% ABV Kane Brewing Company: Sunday Brunch (Ocean, NJ) 9.2% ABV Deschutes Brewery: Black Butte Porter (Bend, OR) 5.2% ABV 6. Stouts Stouts are another popular dark beer with rich flavor and an ABV that will warm up your customers on brisk autumn days in the beer garden. These beers evolved from the porter style and tend to have more of a coffee flavor and fuller body. Stouts and porters are very similar, and many brewers today blur the lines between the two. The one characteristic that is commonly used to differentiate stouts is the use of roasted, unmalted barley which gives stouts a darker, smokey flavor profile with less sweetness than porters. Give These Popular Stouts a Try: High Water Brewing: Campfire Stout (Lodi, CA) 6.5% ABV Dogfish Head: Wake Up World Wide Stout (Milton, DE) 18% ABV Goose Island Beer Company: Bourbon County Brand Stout (Chicago, IL) 14.3% ABV Lawson's Finest Liquids: Fayston Maple Imperial Stout (Waitsfield, VT) 10.1% ABV 7. Big IPAs The crisp ales of summer are now being replaced by stronger IPAs with bold, hoppy flavors. These big, intense beers usually have an alcohol percentage of around 8% to 10%, which is sometimes twice as much as a summer session ale. Fall beers with high ABVs are perfect for hunkering down at your favorite bar while you watch a game or enjoy a meal. They're meant to be savored, and they pair much better with the heavy comfort foods we crave when the weather gets cooler. Give These Popular IPAs a Try: Devils Backbone Brewing Company: 16 Point Imperial IPA (Roseland, VA) 9.1% ABV South County Brewing Co: Liminal Moment (Fawn Grove, PA) 7.5% ABV Russian River Brewing Company: Pliny the Elder (Santa Rosa, CA) 8% ABV Trillium Brewing Company: Really Big Bird (Boston, MA) 9% ABV 8. Non-Alcoholic Fall Beers Non-alcoholic beers are a great way to celebrate the flavors of fall without the alcohol content. These brews offer a unique twist on the traditional pumpkin beer, making them a popular choice for those who prefer non-alcoholic options or are looking to cut back on their alcohol consumption. Non-alcoholic fall beers come in a variety of styles and flavors, ensuring that there's something for everyone's taste preferences. Whether you're a fan of malty amber ales, spiced ales, or refreshing wheat beers, you can find a non-alcoholic option that captures the essence of fall. Give These Popular NA Beers a Try: Athletic Brewing Company: Dark and Gourdy (Milford, CT) 0.5% ABV Atmos Brewing Company: Oktoberfest! NA Marzen (Hailey, ID) 0.5% ABV Wellbeing Brewing: Hellraiser Dark Amber (St. Louis, MO) 0.3% ABV Bravus Brewing Company: Oatmeal Dark (Anaheim, CA) 0.5% ABV 9. Wet Hop Beer Most beer is made with hops that have been harvested and dried. Wet hop beer is made with hops that are freshly harvested and still full of moisture. This beer is truly seasonal because the harvest only comes once a year, around the end of August, and the wet hops must be used within 24 hours of being picked. Fresh hops produce a beer with earthy notes, a pronounced citrus flavor, and a floral aroma. The contrast between wet hops and dried hops can be compared to the difference between fresh herbs and dried herbs. Many wet hop beers are only offered on draft because they are best enjoyed fresh. Give These Popular Fresh Hop Beers a Try: Victory Brewing Company: Harvest Ale (Downingtown, PA) 6.5% ABV Deschutes Brewery: Chasin' Freshies (Bend, OR) 6% ABV Fremont Brewing Company: Cowiche Canyon Organic Fresh Hop Ale (Seattle, WA) 6% ABV Austin Beerworks: Heavy Machinery Wet Hop IPA (Austin, TX) 7% ABV When you update your tap list with fall beers, consider trying some of our seasonal recommendations. Our comprehensive list has something for everyone, from die-hard pumpkin fans to cider lovers.
Good Witch Bad Witch Halloween Cocktails
Are you a good witch or a bad witch? Offer a little light and dark magic this Halloween with our good witch and bad witch cocktail recipes. Whether customers want to tap into their wicked desires or play into their magical daydreams, these cocktails are sure to be popular. To create a special Hallows Eve menu, check out our scary Halloween menu ideas. Good Witch Cocktail Recipe Help your patrons float through Halloween like they’re riding a magical bubble with this effervescent pink cocktail. Not all frills, the rose cocktail bitters add depth and complexity. Don’t skip the lustre dust and wand (aka rock candy stick), they add the magic that unlocks the good witch in us all. Yield: 1 cocktail Total Time: 5 minutes Ingredients 1/2 ounce grenadine 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice 3 dashes rose bitters 1/2 cup prosecco Pinch pink lustre dust Pink rock candy stick Directions Chill coupe glass and prosecco. Add rose bitters to coupe glass. Swirl to coat glass. Add grenadine, lemon juice, prosecco, and pinch of pink lustre dust to coupe glass. Stir gently with cocktail stirrer to combine. Garnish with pink rock candy stick. Bad Witch Cocktail Drink this green elixir and release your inner bad witch. This spooky green cocktail is the perfect witches' brew to sip on Halloween night. The Midori creates a green hue, and the lustre dust adds a little green sparkle because it’s fun to be wicked. Yield: 1 cocktail Total Time: 5 minutes Ingredients 1.5 ounce Midori 1 ounce white rum 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice Ginger beer Pinch of green lustre dust Amarena cherries Cocktail skewer Ice Directions Fill cocktail shaker with ice. Add Midori, white rum, and fresh lemon juice to shaker. Shake to combine. Fill goblet glass with ice. Strain cocktail shaker over ice. Top glass off with ginger beer. Add pinch of luster dust. Stir gently with cocktail stirrer. Skewer cherries and garnish. Good Witch and Bad Witch Cocktail Tutorials <iframe width="342" height="607" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RWvB7ty_NSs" title="good witch cocktail recipe" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> <iframe width="342" height="607" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xn_FO9yDPBg" title="bad witch cocktail recipe" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> Cast a spell on your customers and keep them coming back for more with our good witch bad witch cocktails. Offering specialty, seasonal drinks is a great way to gain a social media following that translates into sales. Like with any major drinking holiday, operators want to create a safe environment for their patrons to cut loose. Consider instituting angel shots to protect your patrons as they enjoy the revelry on Halloween night.
How to Make an Apple Cider Mimosa
If you're looking for a fall beverage option that's easy to make and requires minimal ingredients, try our apple cider mimosa. This union of sweet apple cider and bubbly prosecco is a winning combination that appeals to a wide range of tastes. Whether you're hosting a holiday brunch, a fall-themed event, or simply looking to offer something unique to your customers, this apple cider mimosa is a crowd-pleaser. Apple Cider Mimosa Recipe Trade the orange juice for fresh apple cider and whip up this straightforward cocktail. We've used a glass rimmer to add an indulgent caramel rim to the glass for extra sweetness. Yield: 1 serving Total Time: 5 minutes Ingredients Caramel sauce 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon (or apple pie spice) 3 ounces apple cider 4 ounces chilled prosecco Directions Add caramel sauce to glass rimmer plate. Combine sugar and cinnamon and add to second plate. Dip rim of glass or flute into caramel sauce. Gently dip into spice mixture to coat rim of glass. Add 3 ounces apple cider to glass. Top off with 4 ounces chilled prosecco. Garnish with dried apple slice and serve! Can I Make This by the Pitcher? Yes, you can make a batch of apple cider mimosas for large tables or parties. Chill a 60-ounce pitcher beforehand. Add 24 ounces of apple cider to the pitcher. Just before serving, top off the pitcher with 32 ounces of chilled prosecco. This apple cider mimosa pitcher contains 8 servings. Can I Make an Apple Cider Mimosa Mocktail? Yes, absolutely! You can turn this drink into a mocktail by substituting a non-alcoholic sparkling wine for the prosecco. Adding apple cider mimosas to your menu can help attract customers looking for something special and unique to enjoy. This seasonal drink offers a cozy and comforting taste that perfectly complements the cooler weather and holiday season. By offering this festive beverage, you can create a memorable experience for your guests and set your establishment apart from the competition.
