Trees are turning orange and yellow, the days are getting shorter, and the air smells like campfires and wet leaves. And that means taps are flowing with fall brews, and bartenders are mixing drinks laced with cinnamon, orange, and clove. Here are our picks for the best places to knock back a fall-appropriate drink.
• Canon: The so-called whiskey and bitters emporium feels cozy when it’s cold out, with dark wood shelving behind the bar and moody lighting. Canon’s drinks menu changes seasonally, so right now you can sip cocktails laden with apple, rhubarb, orange, and cinnamon. Try the Campfire in Georgia, made with mescal, peach-habanero shrub, orange juice, and cinnamon French oak; Washington’s Mule, concocted with apple brandy, lime, ginger beer, and bitters; or the Coraje, made with rum, bonal, coffee, and a kiss of orange and angostura bitters.
• Capitol Cider: With apples in season, bellying up to a cider bar seems particularly apropos. The current tap list includes Washington and Oregon ciders like Finnriver’s tart and semisweet Black Currant, Sixknot Organic Semi Dry, Snowdrift Cliffbreaks, Anthem Cherry, and Tieton Dry Hopped.
• RN74: The downtown restaurant and lounge has a few specialty fall cocktails on their list right now. Rise Into Fall mixes a spiced rum with cherries, and the TDH 13 combines dark and dry cider, Overholt rye, maple syrup, and orange and lemon juices. I’m Only Happy When It Rains is particularly fetching, with its Bulleit bourbon, maraschino liqueur, lemon juice, and pinot noir, all served in a burgundy glass.
• The Saint: Because sometimes, when the weather turns cold and the days short, you need to remember what summer feels like. The tropical environs of The Saint are sure to thaw your soul, especially when you order the hermano margarita, which is practically sunshine in a glass.