Can you feel a chill in the air, or is that just the busy season blowing in around the corner? Fall is coming, and it's time to put away your bottles of rosé and reach for something a little more structured and in season. This can only mean one thing for bars and restaurants: pumpkin-flavored everything.
Just kidding... thankfully!
Yes, pumpkin can't be ignored, especially pumpkin beer, but there are more fall flavors to add to your menu than just that saccharine sweetness parading as a gourd.
Take a look at these best beer, wine and spirits to include in your fall menu to help offset the flood of pumpkin-spice.
Best Beers for a Fall Menu
Märzen
Märzenbier is a lager originally from Bavaria, Germany, and is reported to be the beer traditionally served at the Munich Oktoberfest. With lighter lagers having a moment right now, this beer is an easy transition from refreshing summer sipping but with slightly more structure. It is fuller in body and darker in color, and it is the perfect pair for these cooler evenings.
Amber Ales
Amber ales are inherently more robust beers resulting from roasted malts, making them a great option for the autumnal seasonal shift. The flavor profile typically balances refreshing with richness and can accompany heavier foods that become more popular in the colder months without weighing down a meal. As far as a seasonal tap line goes, this is a great option for a beer that can carry you through the end of the year.
Schwarzbiers
Two types of German lagers? I know, but hear me out! This beer may wear the title of lager, but its dark brown or black color makes it a seasonal chameleon. Instead of dragging your menu down with heavy stouts or porters that end up being a customer one-and-done, try this deceivingly light yet flavorful option. Since Schwarzbiers are smooth, crisp, and easy to drink, your customers will keep coming back for more.
Best Wines for a Fall Menu
Barbera
This deep-colored, full-bodied grape produces low tannins and high acidity and is claimed to be Italy's "wine of the people." Northwest Italy is the beacon of Barbera's viticulture, but the grape is spread all over, as it's known to provide a spike of freshness when blended. Barbera d'Asti is the standout brand, but you really can't go wrong when adding a bottle of this to your fall menu.
Carignan
Birthed by the Spanish, adopted by the French and exported all around the Mediterranean, this medium-bodied grape eventually found its way all around the globe. Never content to be in one place, this is a grape that shines when blended and helps create wines that are full of flavor and infinitely pairable. What's better than a wine that goes with any of Fall's diverse spices?
Gewürztraminer
Not every fall wine needs to be red! This German grape performs best in colder climes, so shouldn't it be best enjoyed on colder fall evenings? Often showing up in white wines, it helps create flamboyantly floral notes and helps show off alongside spices like ginger and citrus flavors. If you haven't guessed, it's got a sweetness to it that goes well alongside the candied flavors of Fall, or can help offset spicier dishes.
And before we move on to the spirits, when was the last time you updated your cocktail menu? Adding new flavors for fall is always a must, but sometimes your menu can benefit from a deep overhaul. That's where our cocktail menu guide comes in! Find tips and tricks for crafting the best cocktail menu to increase orders and improve your bottom line.
Best Spirits for a Fall Menu
Brandy
Brandy, as well as its sophisticated cousin cognac, are two spirits that were born to be enjoyed in autumn. Carrying the weight and body of many darker spirits, brandy still has plenty of flavor to spare. You'll find everything from caramel to chocolate to candied apple when sampling different brands, and they all feel at home whether you're drinking them neat out of a snifter glass, serving it up in a brandy sour, or pouring it as a glaze over a piece of apple pie.
Tequila
It'd be too easy (and obvious) to mention whiskey for this list. The chances are overwhelmingly high that you already have a great collection of whiskeys on your menu; thus, enter Reposado or Añejo tequila! These varieties have been riding high on the agave trend in recent years and are finally finding their well-deserved footing as premium, high-quality sipping spirits or diverse ingredients for a variety of perfect, spice-leaning fall cocktails.
Shop Añejo or Reposado tequila on Provi
Flavored Vodka
Hear us out! While it's true that vodka is perhaps the quintessential poolside cocktail ingredient, we're not talking about the lime or coconut varieties of flavored vodka for our fall menu purposes. In case you haven't noticed, flavored vodka really does run the gamut, and there are some powerfully tasty yet especially drinkable varieties out there that fit well into fall. Find a bottle infused with pears, apples, butterscotch, or even huckleberry to give your fall dessert cocktails a refreshing yet flavorful and aromatic finish.
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