Fall is in the air. It’s the season of change. We put on our hoodies and sweaters, heat up some tea, and swap the aperol spritzes and Proseccos for espresso martinis and Cabernets. Pumpkin and apple are the tried-and-true flavors of fall, but too much of them can get a little basic. So, bartenders across Pittsburgh have come up with inventive ways to infuse libations with the spirit of this time of year in their fall cocktail menu updates.
Fall for These Autumn Cocktail Menu Updates
Lilith
Fall is in full swing at Landon Frame’s bar counter at Lilith. Lilith is one of Pittsburgh’s most varied and exciting bar programs due to Frame’s creativity. The menu changes not seasonally but daily! And you can always stop in to see what custom cello Frame has been infusing lately for an after-dinner drink.
- A highlight is the amaro-forward Lu Rong, named for an ingredient in Chinese medicine that’s the smooth exterior of a deer’s antlers, fitting for the cocktail’s smoothness with vigo amaro, vermouth, and a black walnut liqueur.
- The PSL-tini is a spin on the espresso martini that instead uses pumpkin spice. It’s not overly sweet and is more subtle than the latte itself.
- An as-of-yet unnamed concoction Frame came up with (“I’m just serving it based on vibe,” he told TABLE) features gin, falernum, lime, lychee, and red curry.
Fet-Fisk
Fet-Fisk lays out their cocktail menu based on the drink’s character—Bubbly, Aromatic, Sour, or Bitter, and then changes up ingredients throughout the year .
- Their new Bubbly uses Aperol, olive leaf liqueur, Swedish punch, and Ploughman cider.
- Try the Aromatic with haus aquavit, basil eau-de-vie, and lime sherbet
- The Sour currently features blanco tequila, platinum vermouth, bonal, and lemon bitters
- And the Bitter has La Fuerza rojo vermouth, watermelon, Braulio, ad soda
- A “Crispy Monday Punch” for their weekday special features Aperol, olive leaf liqueur bauchant, and cava.
- For non-drinkers, Fet-Fisk also added a new non-alcoholic option, the Salted Apple Soda, which they call their “own in-house gatorade,” using fermented crimson crisp apple juice + fresh celery juice and garnished with celery leaf.
Fish Nor Fowl
Fish Nor Fowl’s bar team always brings together a cohesive and delicious menu, and this season’s is no exception.
- The Godfather Sour with amaretto, scotch, and house sours balances sweetness and bite through its liquor combination
- Bar lead Mark Thomas recommends the recently developed Blood Oath, a smoky Amaro Sfumato to add depth to the mezcal and blood orange cocktail.
Apteka
Like Fet-Fisk, Apteka has a base of cocktail profiles that they swap out the ingredients for overtime. There are a few specialties and then Rum, Gin, and Rye based cocktails that change seasonally.
- One specialty you can currently indulge in is Ziolowka, tarragon, mint, hyssop, lavender, and Gorki.
- Apteka’s fall Rum cocktail is cornelian cherry juice, cherry pit, and Jager.
- The fall Gin cocktail is silverberry gin and orange wine (from Apteka’s diverse and robust wine list).
- The Rye cocktail has multifruit cordial (made in-house) and vermouth
- And, of course, no Polish cocktail menu is complete without Slivovitz, plum juice and akwawit.
Altius
Altius’s menu never disappoints. Their current offerings reflect the autumn season and the flavors we love.
- Wake Up Call combines Tito’s Handmade vodka, La Prima espresso, cold brew vanilla & Arabic coffee liqueur infused cream, bourbon-walnut sugar, and hazelnut bitters.
- For a classic fall flavor, the Apple of My Chai features Rota 48 gold Cachaca, Rittenhouse rye rinse, Allspice syrup, chai tea, orange bitters.
- The Autumn Sangria brings in seasonal spices, Merlot, and brandy for a classic fall drink.
The Commoner
Cheers to the changing seasons at the Commoner! Their renowned cocktail and mocktail program has both sweet and bitter.
- The Absolutely Conkers features Glenfiddich 12yr, Amontillado Sherry, Nocino, plum bitters, and candied walnut.
- For a little bit more spicy and sweet, try the Stay Puft for Fall. This drink is brown butter-washed Bacardi Ocho, allspice squash, sage bitters, topped with a house made ginger snap marshmallow.
Esquina Cantina
Current cocktail staples include the deep, rich flavors of fall with the infusion of Latin ingredients.
- The smokey, sweet, and spicy Furiosa features Hornitos Plata, pineapple, Piment d’Espelette, and jalapeño.
- Esquina Cantina also has their own fall take on the Espresso martini beyond the PSL, the El Jefe (pictured in the header image) featuring Patrón Reposado, espresso, Cantera Negra Café, grapefruit bitters, and agave.
Khalil’s
Khalil’s combines heritage Middle Eastern cuisine aesthetics with trending cocktail preparations each season, and this year’s are a winner.
- Warm up during cooler nights with the Pom Fig Martini featuring fig vodka and imported pomegranate juice from Turkey/Azerbaijan.
- For some caffeine, try the Damascus Fall Nights made with Arabic coffee, cardamom, vodka, and rose.
- And for a sweeter drink, sip on the Salted Caramel Tahini Martini made with vodka, vodka, tahini, salted caramel, almond milk, and garnished with sugared cashews.
Story by Emma Riva / Photo courtesy of Esquina Cantina
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