Salted Caramel Cocktails

What is it about fall that makes a night spent at home so epically satisfying? As the leaves start to change in earnest and the nights get dark and chilly, I find myself wanting to spend the days outside, enjoying the last bit of warm sun, then holing up on the comfiest corner of the couch for the evening. A new book, a scary movie, a board game, good conversation – all of these things feel very fall to me, and all deserve an equally autumnal drink to accompany them.

Even if you're not in a part of the world with a full-on change of season, the produce and popular dishes of autumn cry out for robust spirits and richer drinks. This cocktail is definitely in the dessert category, but it won't leave you with a toothache – it’s not incredibly sugary. In fact, you might want to add a splash more caramel than the recipe calls for if you reeeeally want your sweet tooth satisfied. We all have different preferences when it comes to sweetness, so this is a fall drink recipe that definitely benefits from some wiggle room in that area.

I prefer Applejack (which you can read about in this post) as a base spirit here; it’s smooth, but has enough punch to stand up to the richness of the cream and caramel. You can try it with bourbon as well, if you’re looking for something on the boozier side of the flavor spectrum.

Most Moscow Mule mugs, like this gorgeous one from Oggi, are actually quite large, and can hold two full servings of this cocktail. I like to pour a double batch and serve it with two straws for sharing. You can also use a metal julep cup, which tend to be smaller, instead.

My favorite garnish for these salted caramel cocktails, if you can find them, are mini stroopwafels. If you haven’t had the buttery, caramel-y goodness that is a stroopwafel, stop what you’re doing and track one down immediately. The big ones are truly mind-blowing when you let them sit over a cup of hot coffee and warm up. I found these tiny ones at Trader Joe’s and promptly polished off half a dozen. If you can’t get your hands on them, a nice fat salted caramel will do just fine it its place – or you could just go ahead and use both.