Spirits Of The Fall

From time to time, I write some freelance articles on various topics for different companies. They always get first right of refusal before I can publish and share them with you. One of the other projects I was working on right after returning home from Canada was an article featuring fun, festive fall libations. I called the piece “Spirits Of The Fall“. Now I can share it with you as well.

Spirits Of The Fall

Spirits of the fall.  That phrase has a lot of different meanings and connotations, depending on where you are and who you are talking to. 

1.  Does it mean the Halloween spirits coming around since Halloween is just around the corner?  Maybe.  We were touring all around Eastern Canada and New England and the whole area is ready for the spirits of the fall to come, in more ways than one.  

2. Does it mean all the beautiful fall colors and the good spirits the beautiful season brings?  Maybe.

3. Does it mean all the delicious fall spices and flavorings, like pumpkins and pumpkin spice?  Maybe.

4. Or does the phrase “spirits of the fall” mean something completely different? 

Today I am focusing my attentions on the spirited beverages people are drinking all over Eastern Canada and New England at this time of year, as the “spirits of the fall”.  I was on a mission.  I set out to try as many different and tasty ”spirited”  fall beverages as I could while on my vacation.  I could only try so many, but I have a ton of great ideas to offer that you might want to experience this fall season too.

First, I am going to share the spirited beverages I did try.  They were all very good and all very different.  Every region we went to offered something different, which made this a very fun and tasty research project.  I put the local bartenders to the test, and they all came up with some fabulous creations.

In Boston, I had a fall sangria, at the Union Oyster House, the oldest continuous restaurant in North America, operating since 1742.  This delicious fall sangria was made with spiced rum, apple cider, Sprite and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg to spice things up a bit.  It was a delicious start to the fall season.

Another delicious spirited beverage I tried was a Frangelico coffee while in Montreal, at La Buche.  We got soaked in a cold, heavy rain and needed something to warm us up from the inside out.  This delicious Frangelico coffee  hit the spot.  It was a combination of Frangelico, which is a hazelnut liqueur, coffee, and whipped cream, with some chocolate covered espresso beans on top as a bonus.  Spirited coffees of any kind are always a good cold weather favorite.

While in Lunenberg, dining at the seashore, I tried a Lunenberg blueberry lemonade.  It was made with Ironworks rum, Limoncello, vodka, blueberry liqueur and topped with locally grown fresh blueberries.  The sun was shining brightly, it was a beautiful sunny day, and this was a perfect way to relax by the boardwalk, watching life and all the people go by.

Another scrumptious fall creation from Halifax, Nova Scotia, was a cranberry mule, made with ginger beer, vodka, cranberry juice, and lime juice.  It was yet another great adult beverage to enjoy by the seashore on a bright, sunny day.

And one more adult fall lemonade to share from Sussex, Canada – a mango lemonade.  It was made with vodka, Limoncello, mango juice and Sprite, with fresh sprigs of mint on the side.  We enjoyed this lovely libation at Eastside Marco’s.  It was very tasty and very refreshing.

These were just the “spirits of the fall” I tasted and enjoyed, but there were many other options available too.  My dilemma – there were too many spirited libations from which to choose and far too little time to try them all.  Here are some other fall drink options I might just have to sample, the next time I am summoning up some fall spirits.

All of these libations sound luscious and delicious, and are only slightly decadent.  All are perfect to highlight all the fun flavors and colors of the fall season too.  So when hosting your Halloween parties or fall fiestas, you might want to summon up some or all of these “spirits of the fall” to add to your menu.  I’m sure your guests will all be wowed by your choice or choices of the “spirits of the season”.  These are many more reasons to enjoy the beauty of the fall season.  Cheers!