Get into the Fall spirit with a Bourbon Pumpkin Cocktail. Discover how to mix it with chocolate liqueur for a festive twist.
I have a ton of Christmas decorations but Halloween, Thanksgiving and Fall in general have been ignored by me for the most part. I decided to get with the program and wanted something beautiful but did not plan on how perfect it would look with this Bourbon Pumpkin Cocktail with Chocolate Liqueur!
I prefer cooler colors; and most definitely not a big fan of orange. That’s right, poor orange. I have a friend who loves orange and I wonder what is wrong with her; it simply assaults my senses!
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Adding black to orange for a holiday that is supposed to be scary for decor in a house of someone who NEVER…and I really mean NEVER EVER watches scary shows? It’s not at the top of my list of things that’s for sure. So I normally wade through this period just preparing for Christmas when I might go a bit nuts with burgundy and forest green; they are definitely more my style!
I decided a couple of years ago to ignore convention and decorate my way. A big plum colored glass pumpkin, another of clear glass. I found a beautiful white ceramic pumpkin at Home Goods; the silly mouth and eyelashes disappeared by turning them to the back and I brought in a couple of dusty pink little glass guys and a green paper mâché pumpkin I’ve had for years.
I even bought these gold dotted martini glasses to work with all of this other glassware and as luck would have it, the Bourbon Pumpkin Cocktail is the perfect virgin experience…everything glitters!
Two of my favorites are a wire frame pumpkin with a battery operated candle and these sparkly twinkle lights twined through everything. It really turned into a bright spot in my kitchen that I’ll enjoy through Thanksgiving; every day is festive!
Those grapes? One of my favorite Christmas decorations for many years; they were a garland with lights but they no longer lit up. I decided to separate them into bunches and add them to the forest of Fall, further accentuating the colors I love.
The Bourbon Pumpkin Cocktail was suggested to me by a friend and she said it was amazing. I worried it would be too sweet and she promised me that the bourbon was pronounced and made all the difference. She was right; it’s a great blend of what seem to be disparate ingredients….but then haven’t you had pumpkin bread with chocolate chips? Adding bourbon does not hurt, promise. 🙂
I only made one change and I think it was distinctive and a necessary addition. The original recipe called for simple syrup and I didn’t have any available when I got ready to do some cocktailing. Normally no big deal; simple syrup is well, simple. Combine equal parts water and sugar and boil until the sugar dissolves. The only problem for me is that it’s hot and needs time to cool down to at least room temperature.
I’ll make it sometimes using half the water that’s typical and then add ice cubes to the mix to give me a quick cool down but the other day I wasn’t even in the mood for that; time was getting away from me and I didn’t want to lose the light.
Fall sort of creeps up on me and I need to change my entire schedule to make sure I get to photos on time The change in time and the location of the setting sun creates a major shift in the light in my studio…I had to get on it right away.
For some drinks, especially margaritas, I would pull out a bottle of agave but for this Bourbon Cocktail with Pumpkin and Chocolate Liqueur, I had a brainstorm and decided that maple syrup would be perfectly complementary with bourbon and pumpkin.
To be honest, the final cocktail was so perfect I’m sticking with the maple syrup, but if you have none in the house go with simple syrup; it will be just as delicious.
It’s hard to describe but the bourbon is what makes this cocktail so outstanding. It gives a nice little kick to a cocktail I expected to be more cloying. Definitely sweet…but not too much. If you want to dial back the sweetness a bit more for yourself; try it first without the maple syrup and add a bit at a time for your taste.
No need to spend the afternoon baking for guests; hand them one of these and they will love you forever!
More Great Cocktails for Fall
PIN IT! ‘Bourbon Pumpkin Cocktail with Chocolate Liqueur’
Bourbon Pumpkin Cocktail with Chocolate Liqueur
A fantastic Fall cocktail with bourbon, pumpkin puree, and chocolate liqueur.
- 2 ½ ounces bourbon
- 2 ounces half and half
- 1 ½ ounces pumpkin puree Plain pumpkin, not pumpkin pie puree
- ½ ounce maple syrup
- ½ ounce chocolate liqueur
- 1 Pinch cinnamon
- 1 Pinch salt
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Chill cocktail glasses in the fridge or freezer for 10-15 minutes.
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Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Fill shaker with ice and shake hard for 15-20 times until container is ice cold.
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Pour into martini glasses and serve.
Nutrition Facts
Bourbon Pumpkin Cocktail with Chocolate Liqueur
Amount per Serving
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
