5 Cocktails to Make With Allspice Dram

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The Serious Eats Team
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Updated Aug. 09, 2018
A bottle of allspice dram.
Allspice dram is the key to packing your cocktails with a bit of autumn spice. Photo: Liam Boylan

There are a few quick-and-dirty methods for making your cocktails feel more fall-appropriate. We've mentioned a few ways to incorporatean apple drink a dayinto your autumn routine, and we highly encourage mixing a fewConcord grape cocktails, too. But if you're going for booze and spice and everything nice this fall, a bottle of allspice dram is a worthwhile purchase.

Having trouble tracking down St. Elizabeth's allspice dram at your local liquor store? No worries, you can also whip upa homemade versionusing rum and allspice berries, plus cinnamon and brown sugar.

Once you've scored (or made) a bottle of allspice dram, what should you mix with it? Try these five cocktails to start.

Jalisco Pear

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Named for the Mexican state of Jalisco, this Gramercy Tavern cocktail is the ideal fall drink for margarita lovers. It's delicately spiced with allspice dram, and made perfectly pear-y with the fresh pear flavor of Rothman & Winter pear liqueur.Get the Recipe ». Photo: Alice Gao

Pear spirits and allspice dram are a natural pairing, the way you'd spice a pair before poaching or baking it. This pear cocktail from Gramercy Tavern in NYC is a bit like an autumn margarita, made with silver tequila and lemon, plus rich pear liqueur. The allspice dram completes the picture, and the final result is both elegant and delicious.

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Fall Fruit Punch Cocktail

A fall fruit punch cocktail with allspice dram.

Here's another pear drink, this time mixed with quince and lemon. Use both light rum and dark rum in this cocktail for complex flavors that complement the allspice dram.

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The Wildest Redhead

The Wildest Redhead ($14) at Raines Law Room
Photo: Linda Xiao

This Scotch drink from New York's Raines Law Room is made with allspice dram, honey, and a little Cherry Heering. The end result has a little bit of spice, a little bit of sweet, and plenty of kick.

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The Lion's Tail

The Lion's Tail cocktailPhoto: Jason Swihart on Flickr" data-caption="" data-expand="300" id="mntl-sc-block-image_1-0-25" data-tracking-container="true">
Photo: Jason Swihart on Flickr

Rich and spicy bourbon is a natural for the allspice pairing. In this cocktail, the richness is cut with fresh lime, for a result that's both fresh and autumnal.

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The Ancient Mariner

The Ancient Mariner
Photo: Jessica Leibowitz

Allspice dram (also called pimento dram) shows up frequently in tiki drinks, like this one, made rich with two kinds of rum. Tart lime and grapefruit juice keep things bright, and the allspice latches in nicely to the boozy core.

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