I’ve never been one to mark the arrival of the infamous PSL on my calendar. Don’t get me wrong. I love fall.
Saturdays are meant for football, I look forward to the inaugural airing of a cozy sweater, and I’ve been planning Thanksgiving pie recipes since August.
When it comes to what I’m sipping on during the theoretically cooler temperatures, though pumpkin spice just isn’t my thing. Luckily, Savannah’s current cocktail scene also refuses to be basic and has embraced a multitude of fall flavors.
After the strangest of years, the promise of a glass of normality spiked with autumn is intoxicating even before the first sip.
With that in mind, I set off on a search for Savannah’s top fall cocktails with unbridled enthusiasm. I scrolled social media and saved every mention of ginger or cinnamon, pear or apple, praline or pecans – yes please, count me in, I will take all of the above.
Ultimately, the intention was to find my favorite drink in town, but that proved to be a challenge, though not for lack of effort.
The apple cider margarita and rum fig chai at A.Lure were two early favorites. Perhaps a bit under the radar, the Congress Street spot has done a great job of leaning into seasonal profiles, and I hear their winter drink menu is going to be just as fun.
I paired a fantastic sandwich at Black Rabbit with a no-name bourbon spiced cocktail. The drink I had been eyeing the week before was already off the menu, but sometimes it’s worth trusting a bartender to play with the ingredients they have on hand and make their own seasonal concoction.
Their usual drink menu doesn’t disappoint, either – you can’t go wrong if you order a Bone and Amber instead of (or in addition to) something seasonal.
Water Witch’s tiki bar vibe might not be the first place that conjures an image of autumn, but Halloween scared up a horror movie-themed drink menu. While not available after October, the mezcal-based The Hessian left me planning my next trip back to that Starland escape from reality.
While trotting my dog around in her costume for Wag-o-Ween, we popped into the pup-friendly bar at Emporium. Their Rum Chacha was rich and as much fun to drink as it was to say. A seasonal treat, and one that will leave you satisfied.
Anyone who knows me can preach that Cotton & Rye has long been a favorite spot for me. Their fall dessert menu has been nothing to ignore, but their Pear No Expense was also one of the first drinks that caught my eye this season. Tequila, caramelized pear cordial, ginger, lemon, and mole may indeed be my love language. Who knew?
With many other barstools and outside patios still waiting to offer their best, I can’t help but embrace the pensive mood that earlier dark nights bring. I feel as if this endeavor helped me get to know a new side of Savannah, and I learned a few things along the way.
- When you see a drink you want, get there and fast. Savannah is a town of creative minds, and their sense of experimentation won’t wait for you to wander over before they move on to the next new thing.
2. Atmosphere matters, but not how you may think. The best drinks were often found at unexpected locations and allowing the bartender free rein at that moment to concoct your drink is when you may really find autumn gold.
3. There is no shortage of places to find a cocktail in Savannah, from busy main streets to tucked-away corners, from downtown to midtown to the Islands. We’re a drinking town at heart, a creative town, and a town that loves to welcome visitors and locals alike.
You won’t make it to every place (nor should you!). Maybe the best cocktail is at the restaurant you ate at two months ago, or where you’ll make a reservation for Valentine’s Day 2021, but at the end of the shorter fall day, we’re lucky here in Savannah.
Our restaurant scene is far more open than I think many of us dared hope only a few months ago. We’ve enjoyed some fantastic warm weather well into November. We have a restaurant industry that takes pride in what they offer.
Maybe the ultimate fall cocktail is actually a mix of ingredients that go beyond what’s in the glass: a perfect blue sky, a crowd to watch amble by your sidewalk table, flavors to transport you somewhere cooler – mixed with your choice of rum, bourbon, or even a simple pumpkin beer. And perhaps the experience itself is the best cocktail Savannah offers to us in 2020 – and I’ll drink to that.
