Best Wines, Beers, and Cocktails for Fall

Our customers know best: there's a lot to celebrate about Fall in the city. Rooftops are still open, and you get to toss on your favorite vest first. There are holidays and parties (and yes, you already made and broke the promise that you'd stop drinking after Halloween).

But with all those celebrations, comes an important question: what should I be drinking to celebrate Fall in all its glory? Can I hold on to my Rose and fresh mint for mojitos for those 75-degree November days? Is it too soon to be breaking out the red wine, whiskey and sweatpants?

Don't worry, our Night Inn Expert Sommeliers, Mixologists and Cicerones have you covered. Check out some of our favorite wines, beers and cocktails below for any and all Fall celebrations, Thanksgiving, and other holidays:

"Warm up Your Fall" Cocktails with Spice-infused Syrup

Impress your friends with a homemade infused simple syrup to add new flavors to old classics. 

• Make a specialty "Fall Syrup" by placing a combination of cloves, star anise, and cinnamon in a squeeze bottle with Simple Syrup (equal parts sugar and water, or store-bought is fine!)
• Leave in bottle for at least 30 minutes, but preferably 2 hours+
• Use the syrup to make a Fall Old Fashioned, or a Fall Sour
• For Fall Old Fashioned, combine 2oz Whiskey or Bourbon with 1oz syrup, and 3 dashes Angostura bitters. Stir over ice, and then strain into a glass with one large ice cube, garnishing with an Orange Peel
• For Fall Sour, in a shaker with ice, combine 2oz Whiskey or Bourbon with 3/4oz of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/2oz of syrup, and optionally 1 egg white. Shake well and pour into a glass, optionally garnishing with Angostura bitters

P.S., you can learn how to make the syrup and drinks with one of our Mixology Experts here.

Thanksgiving Wine and Food Pairings

At least when you show up to the liquor store 30 minutes before your Thanksgiving dinner plans start, we have you covered.

• Turkey: Zinfandel (California, USA) - A perfect, jammy red with some spices and smoke that will bring out the best in both the turkey and its sides
• Green Beans: Sauvignon Blanc (Sancerre, France) - Crisp with bright acidity, this will cut through a fatty casserole, and compliment the beans with herbaceous notes
• Apple Pie: Gewurztraminer (Alsace, France) - The flavors of honey and rich, tropical fruits will be a beautiful sip to complement any bites of dessert you still have room for

For a lot more Sommelier tips and tricks, find some of our Experts here, or book a special Thanksgiving or Holiday wine tasting here

The Best Fall Beers you Didn't Try During Oktoberfest

Our friends at Torch and Crown have the best selection in NYC, and our Cicerones have a few favorites for the Fall 

• "Super Nice" Imperial Stout: This maple pecan stout was inspired by the outrageous maple pecan donuts made by our friends at Super Nice Coffee & Bakery here in NYC, and it’s a stout as satisfying as their donuts...rich, ultra-smooth, and dangerously easy to consume
• "Look Up" Hazy IPA: A moment of affirmation in a city too busy to put down their damn phones and take a moment to be present. Look Up is super creamy, fresh, and aromatic, with a big nose of tangerine and berries and a lightly bitter, balanced finish
• "Whimsy" Fruited Sour: We love that NYC still gives us a sense of whimsy even though we've already spent thousands of hours walking around. Whimsy is juicy as hell with a puckering finish, with apricot, grapefruit, and cara cara orange all over the place

To try these beers yourself with an Expert-guided tasting, check out our experiences here

 

We'd love to hear from you about what else you're looking to try or learn about this Fall and Winter when it comes to the world of food and beverage. Our Experts create new wine tasting, cocktail making, beer tasting and spirit tasting experiences almost daily. So drop us a line and let us know what we can do for you, whether you're looking for the perfect team event, Friendsgiving celebration, holiday party experience, or just a fun hang-out!