Pumpkin Fever Cocktail

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 05/6/21
Pumpkin Fever Cocktail
Rob Palmer / Photolibrary / Getty Images
Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
328 Calories
3g Fat
33g Carbs
1g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 328
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 2g 9%
Cholesterol 9mg 3%
Sodium 11mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 33g 12%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 27g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 18mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 41mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

The pumpkin fever is an easy-to-make dessert cocktail that is filled with flavor and has a delightful, creamy mouthfeel. It is an ideal drink when you get those autumn cravings for all things pumpkin.

The recipe's two spirits add all of the seasonal flavors: Bols Pumpkin Spice has a sweet and spicy pumpkin and Sailor Jerry's brings in a tingling spiced rum taste. When the two come together, you get the taste of a very spicy pumpkin pie. The milk and cream help tame that down a bit and make the drink silky and smooth.

You'll find it to be a well-balanced, delicious drink and ideal for dinner parties. However, it may not be the best pairing for pumpkin pie. Even for the most die-hard pumpkin lover could find it to be too much.

Ingredients

  • Granulated sugar, for optional rim

  • 1 ounce spiced rum

  • 2 ounces pumpkin liqueur, plus more for optional rim

  • 1/4 ounce cream

  • 1/4 ounce milk

  • Grated cinnamon, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. If desired, rim a chilled cocktail glass with sugar: Dip the rim into a shallow dish of pumpkin liqueur, then roll the wet rim in a small pile of sugar.

  3. In a cocktail shaker, pour the spiced rum, pumpkin liqueur, milk, and cream. Fill with ice.

  4. Shake well to ensure the dairy is fully mixed into the drink.

  5. Strain into the prepared glass.

  6. Sprinkle the top with freshly grated cinnamon to garnish. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

  • This recipe was created by Sailor Jerry Rum, so it's only natural that it is the recommended spiced rum for the pumpkin fever. It is a very good choice, though almost any spiced rum will make a fine substitute.
  • Pumpkin liqueurs can be tricky. It's a very seasonal liqueur and one that many liquor companies choose to avoid, despite its popularity. However, Bols Pumpkin Spice has been available for a number of years, and it is one of the best options on the market. It tends to start appearing on liquor store shelves in September and generally sticks around through the winter holidays.
  • You'll notice that the recipe calls for two dairy products. Cream is very heavy and thick while milk is relatively thin, so they balance out the cocktail's texture. You can replace these two ingredients with 1/2 ounce half-and-half (half cream and half milk) without altering the drink.
  • Cinnamon is a natural complement to the flavor of pumpkin, and it's a perfect garnish. Instead of grated cinnamon, you can also lay a whole cinnamon stick in the glass for a nice presentation. Also, mixing ground cinnamon into the sugar is a great way to upgrade the sweetened rim, if you choose to go that route.

Recipe Variations

  • An aged rum can be used if you don't like the extra spices of spiced rum. Pouring aged rum will give the drink a nice depth of flavor and allow the pumpkin liqueur to take over for the missing spices.
  • As an alternative to a liqueur, you can use a pumpkin spice syrup. It is typically easy to find in the coffee sweetener section of larger grocery stores during the autumn months because it's the key ingredient for pumpkin spiced lattes. It may be a little sweeter than a liqueur, though, so consider pouring just 1/2 to 3/4 ounce in the pumpkin fever.

How Strong Is a Pumpkin Fever Cocktail?

The pumpkin fever may be delicious and creamy, but it's also a rather potent drink. It actually stacks up to other drinks in the martini family with an average alcohol content of 22 percent ABV (44 proof).