15 DIY Ways to Rep Your Fave State

Chocolate Mocha Martini

Take a sweet break from those busy fall weekdays with this decadent mocha martini that's made with Baileys Chocolate Liqueur, espresso, vodka, and simple syrup. (via Brit + Co.)

Fall Aperol Spritz

To craft this fall cocktail, you'll combine Aperol with pear juice, sparkling wine, cinnamon, and more – each ingredient works to bring forth those warm and cozy flavors you love! (via Kelly Pettit for Brit + Co.)

Pomegranate Ginger Beer Cocktail

This cocktail is *so* fit for the season. It's delicately balanced with dry vermouth, pomegranate juice, orange bitters, and ginger beer to make a boozy play at seasonal flavors. (via Brit + Co.)

Butterscotch Bourbon Milk Punch

This sweet drink is sure to follow you through the fall and winter seasons, as it provides a warming sip with the addition of bourbon! (via Brit + Co.)

This festive cider packs quite a – you know – punch. You would never guess that it only has three ingredients! (via Not Without Salt)

Apple Pie Moonshine Hot Toddy

Five minutes is all it takes to whip up this warming cocktail that uses apple pie moonshine. One sip, and you'll be leaning into the fall vibes. (via Barley & Sage)

Pumpkin Spice Martini

Vodka, pumpkin spice liquor, pumpkin puree, vanilla and more join forces for a full-on dessert drink. (via Mixop)

Pumpkin Head Punch

Mix lemon, spiced pumpkin butter, vodka, cinnamon, ginger beer, and a few more ingredients for this stunning, sparkling autumn punch. (via Half Baked Harvest)

For this drink, throw in some brown sugar, cinnamon, butter... wait... are these cookies we're talking about, or a favorite fall cocktail? (via Not Without Salt)

Good Morning Sunshine

Missing that summer sun already? Keep it shining all fall long with this unique bev that carries notes of coffee and orange juice. To make it, combine 1 part Sunshine Punch with 1 part cold brew coffee over ice. Stir it, then garnish the mix with a cinnamon stick and an orange slice. (via Sunshine Punch)

Filthy Cherry Apple Punch

Grab your punch bowl, and prepare to please a crowd with this fall cocktail. You'll make a concoction with 750ml bourbon, 12 oz fresh-squeezed (store-bought's way easier) apple juice, 12 oz Filthy® Black Cherry Syrup, and 12 oz cider before garnishing with 2 red apples, cinnamon sticks, and a few Filthy® black cherries. (via Filthy)

Sidral Sparkling Apple & Berry Refresher

This apple-berry combo couldn't be more of a fit for fall. To make it, combine .5 oz fresh lime juice, 2 slices of fresh ginger, and 6 blackberries into a shaker and muddle together. Then, add 1.5 oz unsweetened cranberry juice and 1 bottle of Sidral Mundet before shaking it all together. Optionally, add some vodka or gin to make it a complete fall cocktail! (via Sidral Mundet)

Fall Margarita

Batch cocktails always win people over. To make this pitcher, you'll start by crafting your own fall simple syrup: boil 1 cup of water, then add 3 cinnamon sticks, ½ cup of brown sugar, ½ cup of sugar, and stir vigorously for about 2 minutes until sugar dissolves. Let cool. The rest of the recipe is simple: combine 9 oz Flecha Azul Blanco, 6 oz orange juice, 4 oz lime juice, and 2 oz of the fall simple syrup. (via Flecha Azul Tequila)

Hot Toddy

The ultimate warm-up drink, this hot toddy mixes plenty of lemon juice and honey into whiskey and adds nutmeg, cinnamon, and lemon slices. (via Culinary Hill)

Caramel Apple Martini

The ingredients for this fall cocktail are truly simple — apple schnapps, butterscotch schnapps, Baileys, and your choice of milk. Make a large amount to share at brunch! (via HGTV)

Refreshing Persimmon Cocktail

Persimmon season begins in October, meaning it's the perfect time to mix together this drink made of persimmon puree, lime juice, creme de cassis, and Champagne. (via Salt & Lavender)

Bourbon Salted Caramel Milkshake

If there's booze in it, it's a cocktail. No matter if it's in milkshake form! (via Love & Olive Oil)

Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini

For the *pumpkin allspice syrup:

1. Boil 2 cups of water with 1 tbsp pumpkin spice on high for 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes and remove from the stovetop.
2. In a jar or bowl, measure out the reduced liquid, it will be less than 2 cups because of evaporation during the boiling process.
3. Measure out the same quantity in sugar for a 1:1 ratio, and add the sugar to the pumpkin spice liquid. Mix until dissolved, and keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

For the **coffee concentrate:

1. Mix 1 cup of cold brew (or store-bought iced coffee) and mix with 1 tbsp instant espresso powder.

Mundet Appletini

Get a sip full of harvest flavors by mixing up this martini: first, vigorously shake 1.5 oz vodka over ice for 10 seconds and strain it into a chilled glass. Then you'll top things off with cold Sidral Mundet Green Apple soda and an apple slice. Fresh!

Teacher's Aid Cocktail

This fall cocktail is dripping in apple flavors, which recall seasonal trips to the orchard. (via Camille Styles)

Apple, Pear + Gin Cocktail

Juice two pears and an apple together. Add honey, lemon juice, and soda water, garnish with rosemary, and voila! That was easy. (via Naturally Ella)

Regent's Punch

Pineapple meets a new season when it's mixed with orange, nutmeg, and — an unlikely addition — green tea. Don't forget the cranberries on top! (via Saveur)

Proper Apple Pie Martini

To make this pie-inspired martini, shake 2 oz Proper No. Twelve Irish Apple with 2 oz of Irish cream liqueur in a shaker with ice and a dash of cinnamon. Once shaken, strain into a martini glass rimmed with crushed graham cracker. Get ready for dessert in a drink! (via Proper No. Twelve)

Sparkling Fig Cocktail

Made with fresh figs, vodka, and Champagne, this sparkling cocktail is quite the refreshing nod to harvest season. (viaBarley & Sage)

Brandy Apple Cider Slush

Mix some frozen apple cider with brandy, and top it off with hard apple cider (or sparkling water) for a frozen fall cocktail. Gotta love an adult slushy. (via Culinary Hill)

Sleepy Hollow Cocktail

Mix pomegranate juice with tequila, bitters, cinnamon, rosemary-infused orange honey simple syrup and top it off with sparkling water and a smoking sprig of rosemary to create this Halloween-ready brew. (via Half Baked Harvest)

Boozy Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate

We like to celebrate all the possible ways to add pumpkin to our drinks. Our favorite method is through this white hot chocolate. (via Minimalist Baker)

Sidral Mundet Crisp Mezcalrita

This seasonal take on a margarita will provide fun times and fall vibes. First, rim a glass with brown sugar and cinnamon. To the glass, add 1 bottle of Sidral Mundet, 2 oz of mezcal, and 2 oz of triple sec. Add a squeeze of lemon and ice before mixing it together. Finally, garnish with a star anise piece!

Cider Jack Cocktail

Friends forever: hard cider and apple jack liqueur. (via Intoxicology)

Tequila Vanilla Sour

Indulge in a fancy fall cocktail by following this recipe: shake 1.5 oz Dulce Vida Anejo Tequila, .5 oz Licor 43, .5oz vanilla liqueur, 1 oz lemon juice, .5 oz agave, and 1oz egg whites together before straining into a sour glass! (via Wyn Vida for Dulce Vida)

Vanilla Chai White Russian

A chai tea simple syrup made with chai tea, honey, and vanilla extract is added to a classic white Russian for this autumnal spiced cocktail. (via Half Baked Harvest)

Apple Mule

Make a twist on your go-to mule with this seasonal offering. Over ice, combine 1.5 oz Proper No. Twelve Irish Apple and 3 oz of ginger beer. From there, garnish with a lime wedge for a special touch! (via Proper No. Twelve)

Negroni Upgrade

Let this smooth cocktail engage your senses with each sip. (Via Aviation American Gin)

Ingredients

1.5 oz Aviation American Gin

0.75 oz Bitter Aperitivo Liqueur

0.75 oz Sweet Vermouth

Orange Twist

Combine all ingredients into mixing glass with Ice. Stir, then strain into Rocks glass with Ice. Garnish with Orange Twist.

NY Juniper Sour

Give your taste buds a jolt with this amazing cocktail. (via Aviation American Gin)

Ingredients

1.5 oz Aviation American Gin

1 oz Lemon Juice

0.75 oz Ginger Syrup

Top with Red Wine

Combine all ingredients except Red Wine into cocktail shaker with Ice. Shake, then strain into Rocks glass with Ice. Carefully top with Red Wine.

Tom Collins

Keep everything easygoing with a Tom Collins. (via Aviation American Gin)

Ingredients

1.5 oz Aviation American Gin

1 oz Lemon Juice

0.75 oz Simple Syrup

Top with 2 oz Club Soda

Combine all ingredients except Club Soda into cocktail shaker with Ice. Shake, then strain into Collins glass filled with Ice. Top with Club Soda and garnish with Lemon Slice.

Gin Espresso Martini

When you combine nutmeg, espresso and Aviation American Gin, you're bound to fall in love with a Gin Espresso Martini. (via Aviation American Gin)

Ingredients

1.5 oz Aviation American Gin

0.75 oz Coffee Liqueur

0.75 oz Espresso

0.5 oz Simple Syrup (optional)

Coffee Beans or Nutmeg

Combine all ingredients into cocktail shaker with Ice. Shake, then strain into chilled Martini glass. Garnish with 3 Coffee Beans or grated Nutmeg.

Recipes To Make With Pumpkin Guts

Spiced Pumpkin Cider

Swap out the pumpkin puree with your own pumpkin goodness to make this luscious Halloween drink. (via Brit + Co.)

Pumpkin Rolls

These luscious pumpkin rolls make for the ultimate cozy weekend breakfast! To make use of your pumpkin leftovers, swap the canned pumpkin puree for your own homemade version. (via Brit + Co.)

Pumpkin Pasta

Get us a spoon! Nothing says comfort food like mac and cheese, but this pasta takes things up a notch. Fall is no better time than fall to nosh on homey eats that carry *all* the fall flavors. (via Brit + Co.)

Pumpkin Curry

Make this pumpkin-packed curry however spicy you'd like it for a *totally* warming bite when it's chilly out! (via Brit + Co.)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These paleo-friendly baked bites scream fall, especially when you decorate them in jack-o'-lantern fashion. (via Brit + Co.)

Pumpkin Juice

Whip up your very own pumpkin puree to dress up this seasonal drink! (via Brit + Co.)

Chocolate Pumpkin Banana Bread

Freshly-baked banana bread is made for the fall season, so why not doctor things up with some pumpkin? Leverage your leftovers for a sweet little treat! (via Brit + Co.)

Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Grab your pumpkin and get to work, because the good stuff is on the inside. Slice, scoop and de-seed your way to homemade pumpkin puree that'll knock *any* canned pumpkin product out of the patch. (via The Pioneer Woman)

The Perfect Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Once you've spilled the guts, work on gathering all of those pumpkin seeds. Not only do pumpkin seeds have nutritive value, they're excellent for munching on their own. (via Oh She Glows)

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

So, yeah… pumpkin, cinnamon and maple cream cheese all infused into a warm, sticky bun. We'll take two, please. (via Taste & Tell)

Overnight Pumpkin Butter

Once you've had the sweet and spicy taste of warm pumpkin butter hit your taste buds, you'll never look at a pumpkin the same way again. Grab a pumpkin and get digging, because these guts make something quite grand. (via A Beautiful Mess)

Hard Squash Hummus

Creamy chickpeas and raw pumpkin (instead of squash) combine for a flavorful spin on the classic dip. Reap the rewards of the pumpkin and score some 'oohs' and 'ahhs' by roasting the seeds for a crunchy garnish. (via Modern Farmer)

Honey Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins

If you're a pumpkin lover, get on this recipe! They're perfect for dunking into chilis and stews, or if you like your cornbread on the sweet side, add a drizzle of melted butter and warm honey. (via Ambitious Kitchen)

Pumpkin Bisque

Learn how to use a pumpkin as a serving vessel and flavor enhancer for superb dishes like this crisp fall bisque. (via Pizzazzerie)

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Filling

Martha knows a thing or two about pumpkin… like how excellent it is when you bake it into pillowy cookies sandwiched around sweetened cream cheese. (via Martha Stewart)

Pumpkin Ice Cream

It's October, and that means pumpkin-flavored everything hits supermarket shelves. If you live in a warmer area, you can forget the fuzzy sweaters and hot apple cider. Get your fall fix with this creamy sherbet that's perfectly spiced, made with milk, pumpkin puree, and spices. (via Skinnytaste)

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

You're drooling, right? This pumpkin dessert just might make it into your regular rotation. (via She Wears Many Hats)

Pumpkin Pie Fudge Truffles

For the love of pumpkin and chocolate! These bite-sized truffles are basically magic in the mouth. Bibbity-bobbity-boo, do spread the love for a treat, and share this recipe with your friends. (via Purely Twins)

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Frappuccinos

Starbucks is life, but if you want to save some money this week, whip up this delicious pumpkin spice Frappuccino recipe at home! Mash up your leftover pumpkin guts to make a puree that'll serve as the base for this fall drink. (via The Girl On Bloor)

Black Bean Dip with Roasted Squash, Garlic, Pumpkin Seeds and Chipotles

Your nachos are waiting for you to dip them into this delectable black bean dip with roasted squash, garlic, pumpkin seeds and chipotle peppers. (via The First Mess)

6-Ingredient Spiced Pumpkin Butter

Step up your pumpkin butter game with this recipe. It's a perfect alternative if you want to have a spiced buttery spread to top your breakfast toast or croissant. (via Half Baked Harvest)

Vegan Pumpkin Smoothie with Ginger and Cardamom

This vegan pumpkin smoothie with ginger and cardamom is the fall drink you didn't know you needed to make. (via The First Mess)

Pumpkin Stuffed Shells

Let your pumpkin's guts help you create the creamy puree that gives this stuffed shell recipe a burst of fall flavor. (via Barley & Sage)

Pumpkin and Cauliflower Soup with Ginger

This pumpkin and cauliflower soup with ginger is great comfort meal on the cold, rainy fall days. (via Salt & Lavender)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Let your kids help you scoop out out the guts of your pumpkins so you can bake this sweet treat. They'll love eating this yummy twist on a traditional dessert. (via Fancy Peasant)

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Crumb Cheesecake

Bake this gluten-free pumpkin crumb cheesecake for Thanksgiving, and watch as it slowly becomes your family's favorite dessert. (via Rachel Mansfield)

Dog Birthday Cake

It's time to celebrate your fur baby's birthday with this delicious cake. It's filled with yummy and safe ingredients like pumpkin, peanut butter and apple sauce! (via Takes Two Eggs)

Recipes For Your Dog, Made With Leftover Pumpkin

Pumpkin Dog Treats

Ifyour dog is as sweet as pumpkin pie, why not give him a bone that's packed with the flavor and nutrients of pumpkin? (via White on Rice Couple)

DIY Self-Care With Pumpkin Guts

Pumpkin-Honey Baking Soda Scrub

Welcome the fall season and brighten your skin without the aid of sunshine with this pumpkin body scrub. Rich in vitamins A and C and various enzymes, raw pumpkin is the secret ingredient to radiant skin. (via Brit + Co.)

Pumpkin Sugar Body Scrub

Want to try something magical on your skin? DIY thisbody scrub packed with natural enzymes that fight free radicals, slough away dead skin, and leave you feeling rejuvenated. Get to the kitchen and begin mixing nutrient rich, raw pumpkin with coarse sugar or salt, a bit of honey and sweet almond oil for a body scrub that packs a punch. (via Freutcake)

As a Power of Women honoree, Mariska was recognized in regards to her work as an advocate for sexual assault survivors. She took the stage and used her platform to discuss rape and assault conviction reversals, shining a light on the recent overturned ruling in Harvey Weinstein's landmark NYC case. Here's what she said:

Today I want to talk about reversing convictions, and more specifically I want to talk to you about how impossible it is to reverse mine. It’s impossible to reverse my conviction that survivors matter. It is impossible to reverse my conviction that what happens to us matters, and that our society must respond to survivors with a more a compassionate, holistically, deeper, and more nuanced understanding of what healing means.

It is impossible to reverse my conviction that after a trauma, survivors can reclaim lives of hope, of possibility, of audacious risk, beautiful intimacy, and glorious, glorious abundant joy. And I stand before you as evidence of that statement.

It is impossible to reverse my conviction that we must listen to survivors as experts on what justice means. It is extraordinary how little their voices are consulted, let alone incorporated, in the process of deciding how to repair harm. Justice is not a one-size-fits-all journey.

It is impossible to reverse my conviction that patriarchal impunity has to end. Patriarchal impunity is when a male-dominated system exempts perpetrators from punishment. Studies show that only 20% of all rape cases in the U.S. are reported to the police, and that between 5 and 0% of all rapes result in a guilty plea or a conviction. So why do 80% of victims not report? Because they're met with a system that grants impunity to perpetrators; a system that blames victims; a system that accepts only those victims who are experienced as "real" rape; a system that completely misunderstands the neurobiology of trauma, which causes behavior in women that doesn't fit the picture of how a "real victim" would act.

Is that change needed that victims should just pull themselves together? Just buck up and report anyway? No. No, it's the system that receives them that needs to change

It is impossible to reverse my conviction — and the conviction of my extraordinary team, The Joyful Heart — that the backlog of untested rape kits can be brought to zero; that the testing of all new kits must be mandated; that we need a statewide kit tracking system; and that survivors have the right to access the status of their kits.

It is impossible to reverse my conviction that grammar — yes, grammar — that we use when we speak about rape must change. In the sentence, "A woman is raped," there's a crime and there's a victim, but there's no perpetrator. Where's the perpetrator? Where is he? Statistically, as we know, most likely he's walking free. He's so free that he doesn't even appear in the language about the crime that he committed. Is that not extraordinary? It's extraordinary that in the very grammar, the perpetrator goes free. Reintroducing perpetrators in the language of rape will make some very unwieldy grammar, but that's the nature of change. It's unwieldy, it's messy, it's uncomfortable, but it's necessary.

Hargitay continued on in her prolific speech to describe that rape shouldn't be considered a "crime of passion" because it's "not simply the next step in the trajectory of his passion" when a man takes a consensual hookup too far and assaults a woman against her will. She stated that it's "an exercise of power," doubling down that the language we use is important.

The speech went on to address that rape is both about power and control, as a "construct" that was "built, and assembled, and reinforced over time." She noted that there are people with these positions of power — and she specifically called out those in the entertainment industry — that could make a difference and aligned themselves to victims and survivors.

After this and some other remarks, Hargitay specifically called out the Weinstein conviction reversal. She said:

I do want to say something about the Harvey Weinstein conviction, specifically about the reason that it was overturned: too many women's voices. Too many women's voices were allowed to speak. Hallelujah! Amen! I can't imagine anything more beautiful than that. The Daily podcast episode talked about how it was so risky for the prosecution to have that many women testify. Risky to let women speak? You're damn right it is!

Too many women speaking brings change. Too many women speaking shakes the establishment. Too many women means we get listened to more, and people might actually hear what we have to say. Look what happened when women started saying just two words, right? Me too — just as an example — a tidal wave of change. Me too.

And then of course, there was the response: the Me Too Movement. The backlash. The examination of whether the changes that have come are lasting, or are even positive. Of course there's a backlash! What did they expect? For women to speak repeatedly, loudly, together, with a purpose — for there to be no backlash? The backlash is evidence of how powerful those voices were, how powerful those voices ARE.

Watch Mariska Hargitay's Full Speech Here

Turns out that your TV heroes really can be your IRL heroes after all. Long live Olivia Benson! Long live Mariska Hargitay!