Your Fall Cocktails Need A Touch Of Caramel. Here's How To Do It

Pumpkin spice and apple are two of the most ubiquitous fall flavors, and they never fail to make an appearance on a fall cocktail menu. Whether it be a pumpkin spice White Russian or a boozy apple cider, these classic autumnal drinks are guaranteed to get you in the fall mood. After a few weeks of indulging in them, though, you might be ready for something new, but before moving on to peppermint and gingerbread, we suggest you give caramel a try. It's a sweet, nostalgic flavor that deserves a spot in your regular cocktail rotation, but especially so during the fall. Chris Cusack, owner of Houston's Betelgeuse Betelgeuse cocktail bar, gave us his tips on how to incorporate this underrated ingredient into all your seasonal cocktails for the absolute best results.

Caramel is a quintessential fall flavor, Cusack says, and it's a great way to sweeten your fall cocktails via a variety of methods. "I first imagine a caramel apple. You can do a simple caramel rim or an interior drizzle — these will get the job done when you're making cocktails at home or for a party," he continued. For both of these options, you can use a store-bought sauce from a company like Ghirardelli, but we especially love our easy-to-make salted caramel sauce. Depending on the drink, dip your sweet caramel sauce in some flakey sea salt or a bit of cinnamon sugar. Cusack recommends making an elevated appletini with Grey Goose vodka, Calvados, Granny Smith apple puree, lemon, and a caramel rim or drizzle for a drink that truly screams caramel apple.

If drizzling caramel over your drink or adding it to your rim feels a bit too over the top, try infusing it into your liquor for a more toned-down and sophisticated flavor. "Caramel can also be more subtly used in something boozier like an old fashioned by cold infusing bourbon in caramel," Chris Cusack said. "The key is to infuse it at room temperature and then separate the mixture by putting it in the fridge or freezer."

Infusing bourbon is a great way to give it a personal twist. Just remember that if you want to infuse it, you'll want to allocate a day or two to allow it to soak up as much flavor as possible. While we like infusing it with vanilla beans for a sweeter touch, doing the same with caramel and adding an ounce or so of apple cider takes it to a whole new level. Add a few apple slices as a garnish to enhance its visual appeal, and you're on your way to impress your guests with your unique fall cocktails.