Autumn is officially upon us, and while it brings with it a wealth of anticipated ingredients, there is perhaps none as comforting as the one that comes from within the color changing trees themselves: maple syrup. Sugaring season may technically be a few months away, but thanks to the cold climates it thrives in, maple’s flavor is firmly rooted in sweater weather — beginning with breakfast and, now thanks to the talents of NYC drink aficionados, ending at the bar. Here are just five maple cocktails across town worth tapping into.

DR. DAVE'S 'SCRIP PAD at ALDER: At Alder, maple meets yuzu and whiskey for the Dr. Dave’s ‘Scrip Pad, a tangy coming together of flavors that span the seasons. While the cocktail is served on tap, it requires some pre-shift legwork: Beverage director Kevin Denton smokes maple in a heat-resistant container for 30 minutes before letting it cool and combining it with rye, yuzu, and Ramazotti.

THE SMOKE SHOW at NITECAP: At Nitecap, bartender Natasha David reaches for maple to impart some sweetness into the Smoke Show, a spicy and bright concoction featured in the menu’s aperitif section. David shakes Adwai Pomegranate Molasses with Vida Mezcal, Ancho Chile infused Moscatel Sherry, and fresh lemon juice before straining the drink into a double rocks glass with mounds of crushed ice.

THE HUCKLEBERRY CIDER SMASH at MARKET TABLE: It is beverage director David Giuliano who spearheads Market Table’s drink list, which highlights the ingredients as much as the menu does — right down to putting them first in written form via cocktail names (think rhubarb shrubs and blood orange mimosas). Giuliano honors autumn with the Huckleberry Cider Smash, a shaken, strained, and on-the-rocks dose of huckleberries, maple syrup, Race Farms apple cider, Berkshire Mountain Bourbon, and cherry bark bitters.

THE GREAT MAPLE PUMPKIN at THE LIBERTY: At The Liberty, bartender Niccole Trzaska came at fall from multiple angles — and gave a certain spiced latte a run for its money — with the Great Maple Pumpkin, a frothy and spicy shaking of Crown Maple syrup, pumpkin puree, egg white, Maker’s Mark Bourbon, Sugar Island Spice Rum, and cream. To best incorporate such different elements, Trzaska first dry shakes the ingredients before shaking them again with ice, straining the drink into a lowball, and topping it with pumpkin spice.

THE MAPLE LEAF at THE FLATIRON ROOM: Leave it to the team at The Flatiron Room to defy the changing of the seasons with The Maple Leaf, a coupe-full convergence of summer and fall. For the offering, bartender KJ Williams shakes Crown Maple syrup with grapefruit, Pamplemousse liqueur, lemon juice, and rye whiskey before straining the bright orange libation into a lofty coupe glass.

By Nicole Schnitzler

(Photos From Left: The Huckleberry Cider Smash; Dr. Dave's 'Scrip Pad; The Great Maple Pumpkin; The Maple Leaf; The Smoke Show ~ Photo Credit Shannon Ponche)