5 Drinks to Make This Weekend

If you're looking for fall drinking inspiration, you've come to the right place. This weekend's the time to play around with a little pumpkin and pear, to drink some brown spirits and maybe even unpack your sweaters.

Here are five drinks to get mixing straightaway.

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

Sure, Jamba Juice has theirpumpkin smoothiefor sale again, but you can make a better version at home using pumpkin purée and frozen banana, plus rich almond milk as the base. The amount of spices and sweetness is under your control, so you can customize to your personal taste.

Get the Recipe »

Negroni Classico

We love Campari drinks, but we also love subbing out the red stuff for Gran Classico, a subtler bitter liqueur from Tempus Fugit. Here it's used in a slightly lighter Negroni to wonderful effect.

Get the Recipe »

The Devil's Backbone

While you have the Gran Classico ready, here's another one to try, from Chris Lane, formerly of San Francisco's Lolinda. (He's pouring drinks at Oakland's Ramen Shop these days, making that spot even more of a delicious destination.) The cocktail's made with Gran Classico, smoky Scotch, spicy rye, and Averna to smooth things out. Sip slowly.

Get the Recipe »

Dark Skies Ahead

An autumn beer cocktail, made with brown ale to lighten a mix of rye and Averna that's been spiced up with a spoonful of pumpkin butter. A little lemon juice lets you peek through the clouds.

Get the Recipe »

DIY Pear Liqueur

This homemade pear liqueur is easy to make, easy on the wallet, and better-tasting than the store-bought stuff. The recipe calls for Bosc pears, but you can experiment with whatever fresh local pears you have on hand—or even head to your local orchard and make a few different versions to compare! Once you're done infusing, try it with sparkling wine and a squeeze of lemon.

Get the Recipe »

Got drinking plans this weekend? What's in your mixing glass?