You don't need a calendar or changing temperatures to tell you when fall has arrived. You just need to look around and note the pumpkin spice lattes on coffee shop menus and firmly clutched in the hands of everyone around you. At its worst, the unofficial drink of fall is a sickly sweet approximation of something resembling that orange gourd. At its best, it contains bourbon. The Pumpkin Spice Old Fashioned comes from Scott Allen, bar manager at Copper Lounge in Los Angeles. He improves on the standard artificially sweetened formula by making a homemade syrup featuring pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar and vanilla extract that tastes like liquid pumpkin pie. That syrup is joined by Breckenridge bourbon, a Colorado-made whiskey with aromas of butterscotch and candied orange and flavors including chocolate, vanilla and spicy white pepper. Allen muddles an orange slice in the cocktail, a choice that is controversial when making the classic Old Fashioned but in this case adds a welcome touch of bright citrus flavor that pairs deftly with the bourbon. A couple dashes of orange bitters provide even more citrusy depth and help meld the ingredients into a cohesive and delicious package. Pumpkin Spice Lattes Are Not the Right Way to Use Squash in Drinks