As any BU undergrad will be happy to tell you, we are now fully entrenched in what the annals of history will surely record as #PumpkinSpice season. However, we’re more partial to pumpkin’s humbler autumnal brethren, the apple, a more complex and versatile fruit than it appears, as this boozy taxonomy suggests. Leave the pumpkin beer to the coeds and take a bite out of these offerings from local cideries, distilleries, breweries and wineries.

CIDER

Cider Creek’s Hard Cider ($15)

Made from fermented apple juice, cider has been a popular American tipple since pre- Revolutionary times. Nowadays, it makes up one percent of the beer market, but it’s a fast-growing category, with hundreds of varieties and many new players entering the field—like this recently launched hard cider from a Boston couple who funded their family venture through Kickstarter. Produced at a small New York cider press and then shipped directly to their Boston facility, Cider Creek’s two offerings—an original Farmhouse Cider and a Saison Reserve—are made from a blend of five to seven varieties of hand-inspected apples and clock in at 6.9  percent ABV.

Blanchard’s 103 Harvard Ave., Boston; American Provisions 613 East Broadway, Boston

BRANDY

Nashoba Valley Winery’s Oak-Aged Apple Brandy ($24)

Looking for something sweet with a touch of heat? As the name suggests, Nashoba’s brandy is aged in oak casks and offers warm yet crisp citrus, floral and herbal notes. Fill up a flask and sip this spirit around a late-autumn campfire or for liquid courage on a haunted hayride. Brandy not your spirit of choice? Nashoba also triple-distills its own vodka, made from its farm-grown apples.

Nashoba Valley Winery 100 Wattaquadock Hill Road, Bolton

BEER

Night Shift Brewing’s Fallen Apple ($13)

This seasonal golden ale from Everett’s Night Shift is brewed from fresh Massachusetts apple cider and aged in rum and brandy barrels. Warmly spiced with nutmeg, coriander and cinnamon, a cider facsimile it’s not—Fallen Apple’s flavor is rounder and bolder than a typical hard cider, with notes of caramel and oak. Suggested pairings from the Night Shift crew: pork chops, meatloaf. Yes, please.

Visit nightshiftbrewing.com for locations.

WINE

Russell Orchards’ Baldwin Apple ($10)

All the wine is made on premises at this popular Ipswich orchard (pro tip: get the cider donuts). Their Baldwin variety is made from the title apple, a popular red late-bloomer (best picked in mid-to-late October) with a sweet, crisp flavor. The apples are crushed and pressed prior to fermentation; the result is a dry apple wine with a tart kick. For a sweeter take on the seasonal vino, sample the apple blueberry or blackberry apple wines while you’re there.

Russell Orchards 143 Argilla Road, Ipswich

MEAD

Moonlight Meadery’s Kurt’s Apple Pie Mead ($17)

The word “mead” might bring to mind images of burly Vikings hoisting brimming horns of some ancient elixir, but it merits the modern imbiber’s attention. Made by fermenting honey with water and, if desired, various spices and fruits—here, apple—mead is a rich, bittersweet brew. One of the New Hampshire meadery’s top  sellers, this variety is on the sweeter end of  the spectrum and incorporates local apple cider into the mix, spiced with cinnamon and Madagascar Bourbon vanilla. We’ll raise a horn to that.

The Urban Grape 303 Columbus Ave., Boston

APERITIF

Eden Ice Cider’s Orleans  Herbal Aperitif Cider ($32)

Long, cold winters can be a bummer, but they’re a boon for this aperitif, made from fresh-pressed juice that is stored outdoors for weeks at a stretch in the frigid New England temps. The resulting concentrate is then fermented and infused with Vermont-grown herbs, including organic basil and anise, making for a delicate pre-dinner palate opener. Try serving it over ice, with a twist of lime, or in cocktails, to taste.

The Urban Grape 303 Columbus Ave., Boston

FRUITS OF THEIR LABOR

The Hawthorne’s Orchard Smash. Photo Credit: Patrick Marasco

Prefer to let a pro pour your apple concoctions? Drop by one of these bars with expertly crafted seasonal cocktails on offer.

The Hawthorne’s Orchard Smash ($13)

Laird’s Bonded Apple Brandy
Cinnamon- and pepper-infused Combier
Honey syrup
Mint
Lemon

Russell House Tavern’s  Jumpin’ Jack Smash ($11)

Laird’s Applejack
Lemon juice
Honey simple syrup
Cinnamon syrup
Mint
Topped with Blatant IPA & Downeast Cider
Garnished with mint frond

Bronwyn’s Fünfzehn ($9)

Luxardo Amaretto
Sauerkraut
Lemon
Pure Apple Cider
Grapefruit Bitters