Spiced Pumpkin Cocktail Recipe

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.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/22/22
Spiced pumpkin cockails

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

The Spiced Pumpkin is a very simple pumpkin martini. It features a fun vodka for the fall and holiday season and is a cocktail you'll definitely want to share. 

The vodka is Pinnacle Pumpkin Pie ​and this recipe is one of the brand's signature drinks for the seasonal liquor. Traditional pumpkin pie spices round out the vodka and they're the perfect complement to the Irish cream and half and half. The three ingredients combine to create a creamy dessert drink that will have you coming back for more.

Ingredients

  • Cinnamon sugar, for rimming

  • 2 ounces pumpkin vodka

  • 1 ounce Irish cream liqueur

  • 1 splash half-and-half

  • Cinnamon stick, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for spiced pumpkin cocktail
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck 

  2. Rim a chilled cocktail glass with cinnamon sugar: Pour either the vodka or liqueur into a shallow dish, dip the rim into the liquid, then roll in a dish of cinnamon sugar.

    Rim glass
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add the vodka, Irish cream, and half-and-half. Shake vigorously to ensure the creams are thoroughly mixed.

    Cocktail shaker
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck 

  4. Strain into the prepared glass and garnish with a cinnamon stick. Serve and enjoy.

    Put into cocktail glass
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Tips

  • To make this cocktail even prettier, try a cinnamon sugar rim. Simply mix 1 part ground cinnamon with 2 parts sugar until it becomes a uniform brown. Place this in a tray or flat dish. Wet the rim of a glass with a lime or a touch of half-and-half and roll the rim around in the sugar to get an even coat. Shake off any excess in the sink or over the garbage.
  • Another fun rimming option is to use finely crushed graham crackers to give it more of a pumpkin pie feel. Mix this in with cinnamon and sugar if you like.

How Strong Is a Spiced Pumpkin Cocktail?

Pinnacle Pumpkin Pie is bottled at a relatively mild 70 proof. It and the Irish cream make up most of this cocktail, so it's as strong as any the majority of liquor-only martinis. The alcohol content should fall in the 25 percent ABV (50 proof) range. Keep in mind that the sweet taste can mask all that alcohol, so go slow.

Finding the Pumpkin Vodka

Any pumpkin drink lover who gets an autumnal craving for the flavor knows that finding pumpkin-flavored liquor can be a challenge. The good news is that Pinnacle's vodka is one of the most reliable on the market. Since its release in 2012, it has made a regular appearance each autumn and many liquor stores choose to stock it through the December holidays.

Granted, that might change in the future. This is an extremely seasonal flavor and because of that, many companies won't invest the time and money into it. There is also the possibility that you'll come across another pumpkin vodka from time to time. When you discover a new one, give it a try. Just don't hold your breath that you'll find it again next year!

Make Your Own Pumpkin Vodka

When a search at the liquor store fails, consider making your own pumpkin vodka. The pumpkin infusion used in Belvedere Vodka's spiced pumpkin martini is a great place to begin and can be done in just one day. It doesn't have the sweet pie-like flavor of Pinnacle's, but that can be fixed.

To sweeten a DIY pumpkin vodka, take the homemade liqueur approach. This amaretto recipe, for instance, uses a brown sugar syrup that would be a fantastic base for pumpkin. It's incredibly easy to make and adds just one more step to the infusion.

Add the syrup while blending the pumpkin water with the vodka, sweetening it to taste. If you have leftover syrup, refrigerate it and use it to sweeten your tea, coffee, or other cocktails.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
250 Calories
2g Fat
19g Carbs
1g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 250
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 2%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 5mg 2%
Sodium 13mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 19g 7%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 16g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 3mg 14%
Calcium 44mg 3%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 169mg 4%
*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.)