'The Headless Horseman' Starts With An Egg White And Ends With The Most Impressive Fall Cocktail

For the culinary chef and the mixologist both, the shift into autumn is the most exciting change of season. Sure, there are wonderful seasonal foods in the springtime and the winter, and it's always fun to see what folks declare "the cocktail of the summer" — but nothing quite matches the abundance of flavors that arrive come fall. If you're one of those folks who enjoys celebrating the arrival of fall with a hefty dose of pumpkin and warm spice, well, the Headless Horseman is the cocktail for you. 

The standard Headless Horseman recipe brings together bourbon and pumpkin butter to make a silky drink. It may sound a bit strange, but pumpkin butter is actually a secret ingredient for easy fall drinks. With just a spoonful, it adds a creamy texture, a bit of sweetness, and a healthy dose of those pumpkin spices — and in no place is it on better display than in the Headless Horseman cocktail. The drink begins with an egg white shaken until foamy before adding bourbon, lemon juice, triple sec, ice, and a touch of pumpkin butter to the mix. 

Up until the addition of the pumpkin butter, this cocktail is pretty close to a classic frothy whiskey sour, but that one ingredient transforms the drink — giving it an extra creamy smoothness, a delicate depth, and an aroma that is delightfully autumnal. But if that isn't enough for you, there are ways you can give this drink an extra seasonal spin.

You wait all summer for these fall flavors — slogging through countless Aperol spritzes and watermelon "mezcalitas." So, when fall finally does come, nobody should stop your from going all in on the season flavors. To give the Headless Horseman an extra dose of autumn, one thing you can do is garnish it with extra pumpkin spice seasoning. While the pumpkin butter likely has some of those warm spices in it, a dust of pumpkin spice on the top before serving can really skyrocket that aroma — especially if it's freshly ground pumpkin pie spice. 

For even more fall flavors, you might also want to consider swapping out the triple sec for something more seasonal. Orange is a part of many fall and winter recipes, but if we're trying to maximize the flavor of fall in this drink, you have to be ruthless — and why use orange liqueur when you could double down with pumpkin spice liqueur? You might lose some of the nuance, but it will certainly turn the festive flavor up a notch. However, if sky-high pumpkin spice isn't your main objective, you could give apple brandy or applejack a shot. 

Apple brandy and applejack can be used in this cocktail as either a replacement for the triple sec or as the spirit of choice instead of the bourbon. Either way, the apple flavor will bring sweetness, aroma, and another autumnal touch to this impressive fall cocktail recipe.