Fall is more than pumpkin spice lattes and Halloween. Throughout the Ann Arbor area, the city becomes a hotbed for fall cocktails, crafting creative and flavorful beverages for you to try.Â
Explore the area’s tastiest seasonal cocktails from Union Rec’s Spicy Apple Cider Marg to the Raven’s Club’s ten different seasonal selections! Read on to see some of the new beverages you should try. All of them are fall-approved and undeniably delicious.
Peridot
Drink: Reapers GiftÂ
Made by restaurant bartender Alex Schantek, Reaper’s Gift is nothing short of a seasonal treat for you to experience. Made with St. George spiced pear with allspice bitters, this drink offers a unique kick with every sip. Enjoy it alongside one of the restaurant’s delicious small plates.Â
Rabbit holeÂ
Drink: Caramel Apple Moonshine Slush
One of Ann Arbor’s newest nightclubs enters autumn with a unique twist on their seasonal beverages, opting to make a cocktail slush instead of a typical beverage. For their drink, known as the caramel apple moonshine, this $5 is sweet and refreshing, made from two Michigan-sourced ingredients, Michigan-made moonshine and apple cider. Grab one of these and hit the dance floor.
Hanjan Pocha
Drink: Honey Magkeolli Â
HanJan Pocha is a new treat for the Ann Arbor populace, offering sharing-sized portions of Korean street food-inspired dishes. During your trip to the restaurant, enjoy their honey makgeolli cocktail, made with honey bear stir lollipops and the Korean alcohol makgeolli.Â
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The Ravens Club Â
Drink: Son of Man
The Raven’s Club remains a treat for seasonal drink enthusiasts, as they rotate their drink menu every two to four months. For this season, the downtown restaurant offers a selection for everyone with their ten seasonal beverages. For our pick, while you can’t go wrong with any particular drink, we recommend the Son of Man. Made with apple brandy, rye, pear liqueur, cinnamon, lemon, egg white and whiskey.
Blue Tractor BBQ & Brewery
Drink: Smoked Apple and Honey CocktailÂ
The Blue Tractor enters the seasonal beverage race late with their new smoked apple and bourbon cocktail. The new drink uses house honey and goes well with the extensive BBQ menu.Â
Union Rec
Drink:Â Spicy Apple Cider MargaritaÂ
The downtown restaurant is known for its Mexican-American BBQ twist. During the season, try their Spicy Apple Cider Marg, where every sip comes with a spicy jalapeño kick. Carefully crafted with reposado tequila and a salted caramel rim rolled in Tajin seasoning, Union Rec finds a way to make its seasonal drink match its signature food items like their union Mac and Cheese or Smoked Brisket.
The Garage Bar Ann Arbor
Drink: The Rumkin RussianÂ
The Garage Bar has always been a destination for drink innovation. For their Fall experiment, the tasty Pizza House bar wants everyone to try their Rumkin Russian. Made with Kahlúa and their Pumpkin spice rumchata, You will have your fall in a cup. However, I recommend stopping by the delicious Pizza House restaurant before enjoying this seasonal treat.Â
LIVE Nightclub
Drink: Live Bulldog
Along with having fun music and one of downtown’s more impressive rotating roster of DJs, LIVE Nightclub’s beverages now include a fall flavor drink called the Live Bulldog to spice up their night-time party. Featuring salted caramel whiskey, Kahlúa, cream and Hennessy spiced cider, this cocktail will keep you in the seasonal mood while you hit the dance floor and two-step to your favorite song.Â
While the city has a number of bars, each debuting its new seasonal menu, you can go explore these beverages to find your new favorite. Autumn treats are only available for a limited time, so experience the bold flavors at Union Rec or the smoothness at Blue Tractor while the items are still on the menu.Â
Antonio Cooper is a freelance journalist from Detroit, Michigan. His coverage of music festivals and interviews with local celebrities appeared in The E-Current Magazine, The Detroit Metro Times, XXL Magazine, RichMagDigital, The Ann Arbor Observer, and Pop Magazine.
