5 Essential Cocktails for September 2026

# Why these five drinks September's calendar of spirit observances gives clear prompts: celebrate Brazil's national spirit, indulge a peanut-day novelty, mark white chocolate and coffee holidays, and finish the month with a warming cider. These five recipes selected by Chilled Magazine map directly to those dates and show how to lean into autumnal textures and spices without reworking every classic.

# Quick list of the five cocktails

• Sept. 13 — Copacaña (National Cachaça Day): Avuá cachaça, bourbon, banana liqueur, warm bitters.
• Sept. 13 — Peanut Butter Espresso Martini (National Peanut Day): espresso, Skrewball Whiskey (peanut-butter flavored), rich and dessert-like.
• Sept. 22 — White Chocolate Ube Martini (National White Chocolate Day): white chocolate liqueur, ube syrup for earthy-sweet color and texture.
• Sept. 29 — PSL Espresso Martini (National Coffee Day): espresso base infused with pumpkin-spice baking spices, a seasonal riff by mixologist Matthew Izaguirre.
• Sept. 30 — Hot Mulled Cider (National Hot Mulled Cider Day): spiced apple cider, Cointreau, fresh citrus, whole warming spices served as a batch-friendly warm cocktail.

# How these recipes approach September flavors

# Serving and occasion notes

# Practical shopping checklist Buy or verify you have: Avuá cachaça (or similar cachaça if unavailable), bourbon, banana liqueur, warm bitters, Skrewball Whiskey (peanut butter whiskey) or equivalent, good-quality espresso or cold-brew concentrate, white chocolate liqueur, ube syrup, pumpkin-spice blend, Cointreau or orange liqueur, apple cider, and whole spices (cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise). Fresh citrus is used for the mulled cider.

# Short prep tips Shake espresso martinis hard to generate creamy foam. For the Copacaña and other stirred/spirited cocktails, adjust dilution with ice to match strength preferences. For mulled cider, simmer spices gently—avoid boiling—to preserve bright citrus notes.

# Bottom line These five recipes give a straightforward way to follow the National Drink Day Calendar for September: two inventive espresso martinis, one tropical-spiced spirit-forward cocktail, a dessert-forward white chocolate option, and an easy, aromatic mulled cider for crowds.