• Business Insider asked three experienced bartenders to share which drinks are in and out for fall.
• Savory cocktails, nonalcoholic, and low-ABV drinks are becoming popular orders.
• Hugo Spritzes, cucumber drinks, and pumpkin-spice cocktails may be falling out of favor.

From pumpkin spice and apple cinnamon to chai and maple, fall brings to mind plenty of cozy, warming flavors.

These seasonal staples show up in our food as well as our drinks, but some bartenders are also experimenting with unexpected ingredients and fresh takes on classic fall flavors.

To find out which beverages are worth ordering this season and ones you may want to skip, Business Insider spoke with three bartenders about the trends they’re seeing the most from behind the bar.

Savory and produce-forward cocktails are having a moment.

Jenneca Younger, a lead bartender at The Mothership in Milwaukee, said savory cocktails are still very much trending — especially if they’re made with fresh produce.

“I love a savory cocktail. I feel like there’s a big uptick in my social media on all of those tomato martinis,” Younger told BI. Ordering a cocktail “dirty” (with olive brine) is in, too.

Additionally, she said, she’s also seeing bartenders incorporate purées made from fresh produce, like shisito peppers or squash, into classics like margaritas and gimlets.

Darker days call for darker spirits.

As the weather gets colder in the fall, drinkers tend to gravitate toward more whiskey-based cocktails and darker spirits, Younger said.

In contrast to the lighter, crisper spirits that are popular in summer, Younger said whiskey-based cocktails tend to become more popular as temperatures cool.

Some examples include Manhattans (made with whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters) and Boulevardiers (often made with bourbon or whiskey, sweet vermouth, and Campari).

Tea-infusions can add unexpected flavors to fall cocktails.

Chris Hewes, beverage director and bartender at Coast Range in Solvang, California, said he’s been especially loving tea cocktails lately.

He especially enjoys pairing Thai tea with whiskey, cognac, mezcal, or rum to really extract the tea’s vanilla-like flavors.

Espresso martinis with a twist are hitting the spot.

Steve Bell, lead bartender at The Hitchcock in Nashville, said there’s been growing interest in riffing on the classic espresso martini.

Customers are liking them with tequila or rum instead of the usual vodka, he said.

“You can get people wanting bourbon espresso martinis, which honestly doesn’t sound very good to me, but some people like it,” Bell added.

Hewes said he’s also been experimenting with creams and toppers for coffee cocktails after being inspired by a drink topped with Chartreuse (an herbal liqueur) whipped cream.

Low-ABV and nonalcoholic cocktails are only getting more interesting.

Both Younger and Hewes said they’re seeing bartenders find more and more ways to work low-ABV and nonalcoholic drinks into their menus.

For example, Hewes said, wine is being incorporated into certain cocktails to lower their overall alcohol content.

He said those looking to experiment with lower-ABV cocktails can also try ordering a mocktail or nonalcoholic drink as a flavorful base, then add a small amount of alcohol to it.

On the other hand, overly complicated cocktails may be on their way out.

Fat-washing, infusions, molecular gastronomy, and other fancy tricks have made their way into cocktails over the years, but Bell said people are moving away from overly complicated techniques and back toward something simpler.

“People want riffs on classics, not something that feels like Gordon Ramsay sitting in front of you telling you about all the crazy types of techniques,” Bell said.

Let’s give the Hugo Spritz a break.

Younger said she’s over the Hugo Spritz — a popular summertime drink typically made with prosecco, elderflower liqueur, club soda, and mint.

“It just feels watered down to me,” she said. It’s time to replace the light, refreshing drink with something that packs more flavor.

For example, a “more flavorful” and timeless French 75 that uses prosecco and mixes it with lemon juice, gin, and simple syrup in a punchy way.

As an alternative, she also suggests Death in the Afternoon, a bubbly drink “with a little more punch” as it’s typically made with chilled sparkling wine and absinthe.

Pumpkin spice is getting too predictable.

“I really just think the chai pumpkin stuff is not what people want,” Hewes told BI.

Instead of relying on the usual pumpkin-spice flavors, Hewes is looking to seasonal ingredients and desserts for inspiration, including cranberry, rhubarb, sweet potato, and fruit cobblers.

Younger also said using stone fruit, cinnamon, clove, and pimento dram are other more creative ways to bring fall flavors into cocktails.

“Tiny tinis” can be cute, but they may not catch on everywhere.

Mini martinis, sometimes called “tiny tinis,” are smaller versions of the classic cocktail, offering a cute presentation as well as a way to have alcohol in a more controlled portion.

Hewes said some bars are trying to make the smaller pours a trend, but he doesn’t see the mini version of cocktails taking off in most places.

“I think people get more mad at seeing a small martini, to be honest,” Hewes told BI. Those looking to cut back their alcohol consumption may just be better off ordering a lower-ABV drink.

Cucumber cocktails could use an upgrade.

Hewes said he’s ready to move away from cucumber in cocktails and recommends swapping it for a more unexpected ingredient this fall.

He suggests arugula as one alternative, which can even take on a honeysuckle-like flavor when combined with honey. Arugula also pairs well with cranberries and strawberries, he said.

• Watch originals like the Ben Affleck-directed “Animals” and Wu-Tang Clan documentary “The Disciple.”
• Watch all the “Twilight” and “Jason Bourne” movies.
• Also check out “Heat,” “The Sixth Sense,” and “The Prestige.”

Check out the best movies to watch on the streaming giant in October.

“Call Me by Your Name” (October 1)

Directed by Luca Guadagnino with a screenplay by James Ivory, we follow a teen (Timothée Chalamet) as he has a sexual awakening when a twentysomething (Armie Hammer) enters his life, all set in lush 1980s Italy.

All the “Jason Bourne” movies (October 1)

If you are looking for some action this weekend, Netflix currently has all the “Jason Bourne” movies (yes, even “The Bourne Legacy,” starring Jeremy Renner). Watch as Matt Damon completely beats the hell out of anyone who crosses his path.

“The Menu” (October 1)

This darkly comedic horror follows a group of foodies who expect to get an amazing dinner at an exclusive restaurant. In reality, their chef (Ralph Fiennes) has set up some courses that will shock and, in some cases, kill his patrons.

Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, and John Leguizamo also star.

“The Prestige” (October 1)

If Christopher Nolan has one underappreciated movie, it’s probably this one.

Set in Victorian London, Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman play rival musicians who try to top one another with their illusions until it gets to the point where one of them takes things way too far.

Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Andy Serkis, Michael Caine, and David Bowie also star.

“The Sixth Sense” (October 1)

Need another movie that is going to keep you guessing until the end? M. Night Shyamalan’s masterpiece stars Bruce Willis as a psychologist who tries to help a young boy (Haley Joel Osment) who believes he sees dead people.

All the “Twilight” movies (October 1)

Once you are done watching all the “Jason Bourne” movies, go ahead and run through the “Twilight” franchise. Experience the love between Bella and Edward that captured the nation in the late 2000s.

“Animals” (October 9)

In Ben Affleck’s latest Netflix original writing-directing effort, he plays a L.A. mayoral candidate whose life explodes when his son is kidnapped. Now he and his wife (Kerry Washington) must go into some dark places to get their child back.

“The Disciple” (October 16)

Wu-Tang Clan fans get ready. This documentary chronicles how Dutch-Moroccan rapper Cilvaringz found his way into the inner circle of one of the greatest rap groups of all time.

And not just that, but the doc also explores how Cilvaringz became part of the band’s most mythological album, “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin.”

“Heat” (October 16)

In Michael Mann’s masterful crime drama, Robert De Niro plays the leader of a top-flight team of thieves. Al Pacino plays the gritty LAPD detective who is looking to take down the team.

It all leads to a showdown movie fans had never seen before: Pacino and De Niro on screen together.

Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Amy Brenneman, Ashley Judd, and Jon Voight also star.

“Sacrifice” (October 16)

In this Netflix original, Chris Evans plays an actor who, in his quest for a comeback, gets abducted by a radical group led by Anya Taylor-Joy.

Salma Hayek, Vincent Cassel, Sam Richardson, Charlie XCX, and John Malkovich also star.

“Gladiator II” (October 21)

24 years after making the Oscar-winning original, Ridley Scott returns to the Roman arena, this time with Paul Mescal as his star. But it’s Denzel Washington as the evil gladiator owner with plans to take over Rome, who is the movie’s highlight.

• Vinod Khosla bashed Factory AI, a startup that his VC firm has invested in.
• Khosla’s comments about Factory drew backlash from some founders and tech VCs.
• Khosla Ventures is an investor in two software development startups that are feuding.

In Silicon Valley, investing in competitors is increasingly standard practice. Publicly trashing one of them is not.

Vinod Khosla, the founder of Khosla Ventures, sparked a wave of criticism on Wednesday after publicly taking sides in a spat between Factory AI and Cognition — two rival AI coding startups — even though his firm has invested in both of them.

Khosla sided emphatically with Cognition, calling Factory a “struggling second tier competitor” and accusing its founder of lying out of “desperation.”

Khosla’s comments came after Factory CEO Matan Grinberg said the company was terminating Chris Degnan, its board observer and advisor, for “unethical conduct involving Cognition.” Degnan said he had resigned before any termination and disputed sharing Factory information with Cognition.

Degnan announced shortly afterward that he was joining Cognition as its chief revenue officer. Cognition CEO Scott Wu denied the company had asked employees to gather information about competitors “under-the-table.”

All of this played out in the very public arena of X, and Khosla’s comments were met with disagreement from startup founders and investors.

“If they are struggling second-tier losers, why did you just invest in them a few weeks ago at a multi-billion dollar valuation?” wrote Palmer Luckey, the cofounder of defense technology company Anduril, in a Thursday reply on X.

Khosla Ventures was a key investor in Factory’s $200 million funding round that it announced last month.

Khosla Ventures did not respond to a request for comment.

Spenser Skates, the CEO of product analytics company Amplitude, wrote that it was “another great reason not to raise from Vinod.” He called Khosla “one of the biggest bullies of founders in the VC ecosystem” and added that the investor was doing so to “one of his own portfolio companies no less.”

Khosla Ventures’ managing director, Keith Rabois, appeared to take the side of Factory AI.

“To even sit for an interview while having access to board-level information and without resigning is absolutely insane,” Rabois wrote on X.

Nathan Lands, an entrepreneur and angel investor in Factory, said Khosla had “clearly crossed a line,” adding that founders should not let VCs tell them that conflicts of interest do not matter.

The spat and Khosla’s comments also opened the meme floodgates.

Olivia Moore, a partner at Andreessen Horowitz, joined in with a meme captioned: “VCs ‘adding value.’”

The backlash puts a spotlight on an awkward yet increasingly common practice in the AI boom: venture firms spreading bets across rival startups.

Cognition, the maker of the AI coding agent Devin, is valued at $48 billion after raising more than $2 billion in September. Factory AI, which hit a $5 billion valuation last month, sells AI “Droids” designed to automate work across the software-development process.

At the frontier-lab level, Sequoia Capital and Founders Fund are among the firms that have backed both OpenAI and Anthropic, despite the companies’ fierce competition for talent, customers, and computing.

In June, a Wired analysis of PitchBook data found that roughly 90 investors hold stakes in both labs. Salesforce Ventures has also invested in competing AI labs, Cohere and Mistral AI.

• I went to the New York Film Festival premiere of “You Can See Everything.”
• The documentary was a shocking and funny look at Elizabeth Holmes’ life.
• The festival director swore us to secrecy. But, here’s what little I can share without spoiling it.

My row of Alice Tully Hall was filled with reporters scribbling notes about the buzzy new Elizabeth Holmes documentary. Then, we heard the warning.

“In the interest of trying to preserve a relatively spoiler-free experience for later audiences, we ask that you not film and post this conversation,” said Dennis Lim, the artistic director of New York Film Festival.

Lim recommended shaming anyone who recorded the chat between Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, the directors of “You Can See Everything.” A flock of journalists put their phones away, disappointedly.

The filmmakers had reason to worry: “You Can See Everything” was one of the most shocking, revelatory, and oddly funny films I’ve ever seen. It was twisty and worthy of seeing with fresh eyes. So, I’m not going to spoil it for you. Lim wouldn’t want me to.

Here’s my veiled, semi-secretive attempt to tell you what I saw.

The anticipation was palpable

The line wrapped around the block. One woman, with her marker-written sign, begged for just one ticket by the security scanners.

It’s no surprise that the New York premiere was a hot ticket. “You Can See Everything” is about the story of Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of blood-testing startup Theranos, who was convicted of defrauding investors of hundreds of millions of dollars. Her case became a media sensation, spawning books and a Hulu series.

Fielder himself is a pull, with his alt-comedy shows like “Nathan for You” and “The Rehearsal.” Oppenheim is in the news of late for his eerie take on the Chris Hansen story, “Primetime.”

But, in the lobby of the theater, Holmes was all I heard about. She’s still the fraudster of our public imagination, spurring endless questions. (Holmes maintains that she’s innocent throughout the film.)

The crowd and I eventually filed into the theater. There were lots of journalists, lots of creative types, lots of people involved in the film. I spotted multiple “Now Playing” caps from Film Forum.

Inside the screening

Fielder and Oppenheim introduced the film, receiving rapturous applause. They kept their words brief — sticking with the whole secrecy thing — before thanking Lim and letting the film run.

And then, we watched the documentary. It was shocking, jutting in new directions every 10 minutes and constantly toying with my expectations. It was also laugh-out-loud funny. And, in the end, it was somewhat moving.

The first half of the movie is about Holmes’ days before going to prison. Fielder gets shocking levels of access — hell, he lives in her house at one point — but still seems at a distance. He asks: Is she telling me the truth?

Her pitbull fiancé Billy Evans also gets in Fielder’s way. He’s a major player, and becomes even more so in the film’s unexpected second half.

If you want to learn more, look it up on X. I’m not going to be responsible for spoiling your experience.

The screening ended with a director Q&A. Fielder, a bit groggy after a nearly three-hour screening that started at 8 p.m., explained the film’s origins. Holmes approached A24, he said, who looped him in. Oppenheim also walked through the technical choices, like lighting and aspect ratio.

Fielder also reminded us not to spoil the movie. He understood that we had to write about it, but said that we should be careful with what we say.

A surprise outside the theater

I exited the screening on a high. And then, I saw it: the billboard truck.

A massive screen was parked outside the theater’s doors, proclaiming: “FREE ELIZABETH HOLMES.” Organizers for Just Blood, an organization trying to prove that Holmes’ tech was sound, handed out T-shirts.

Flyers papered the ground, asking viewers to “see why Elizabeth Holmes is innocent” by visiting their site.

It was a bit of a circus. Nobody seemed to take them seriously — we had just watched an entire documentary about Holmes and her crimes, after all, and Just Blood does come up — but they did stop to gawk. Many took pictures of the screen.

I headed to the subway, clutching a pin they shared with attendees: “I’ve seen everything.” I did feel like I’d seen everything. I felt like I’d learned something. And now, I’d have to sit on that knowledge until my friends (or you, dear reader) see it in a few weeks.

Trust me, it’s worth it.

Correction, October 1, 2026 — This story has been corrected to reflect that Billy Evans is Elizabeth Holmes’ fiancé, not husband.

• I’m an American who moved to the Netherlands earlier this year.
• Although I’ve always loved traveling around Europe, I’m now able to do so with ease.
• Some of my favorite cities to explore include Salzburg, Budapest, and Barcelona.

I’ve always loved traveling around Europe. But now that I moved from the US to the Netherlands, I have even more of an excuse to explore the continent.

Over the years, I’ve checked 19 European countries off my bucket list. Here are five of my favorite cities to visit.

Salzburg, Austria, offers a perfect mix of history and movie nostalgia.

I’ll admit, I was originally pulled toward Salzburg, Austria, because I wanted to see the fountain from “The Sound of Music” (and it didn’t disappoint).

However, I found the city offers so much more. My husband and I stumbled upon Mozart’s childhood home, explored the sprawling Fortress Hohensalzburg that towers over the city, and had a pretzel and beer at the Stiegl brewery.

I wasn’t quite done with my personal “The Sound of Music” tour, though, so we also visited the Felsenreitschule Amphitheatre — the stone venue where the von Trapp family sings in the film. It’s also where the Salzburg Music Festival is hosted every summer.

I learned so much during my time in Budapest.

During my visit to Budapest, one of my favorite activities was exploring Margaret Island, a 1.6-mile-long stretch of land that has everything from swimming pools to an outdoor theater.

After the sun went down, I loved visiting the Musical Fountain, where I caught a colorful water and light show complete with music. It looked like something straight out of the movie “Fantasia.”

I also recommend heading to some of the museums and memorials to learn more about some of the darker chapters in Budapest’s history. These experiences were emotional but I learned a lot.

For example, I held back tears while touring the House of Terror museum, which commemorates victims of Hungary’s fascist and communist dictatorships.

Visiting the haunting “Shoes on the Danube Bank” memorial — which honors the Jewish victims who were shot into the Danube by members of the Arrow Cross Party — was also a moving and worthwhile experience.

Florence is the perfect Italian getaway.

I love Florence because, in my opinion, the city feels like a giant open-air museum. You turn one corner, and you’re face-to-face with the iconic Duomo. Go a few more blocks and duck into an unassuming museum and you’re greeted by Michelangelo’s 17-foot-tall David statue.

Although the art museums in Florence are unmatched, my favorite experience was grabbing a pistachio cannoli as big as my forearm, crossing the bridge to Piazzale Michelangelo, and soaking up the view under the warm Italian sun.

Another great thing about Florence? Its proximity to the smaller Italian cities that are equally worth a visit, like Siena, Pisa, and Vinci.

Meandering around Bath, England, makes me feel like Georgian royalty.

If I’m going to England, I’m going to make every effort to hop on a train to Bath. Walking around blocks filled with honey-colored limestone buildings really does feel like you’ve been transported into a Jane Austen novel.

Despite being a smaller city, I’ve never had difficulty finding something to do. Of course, there’s the tour of the beautifully preserved 2000-year-old Roman baths.

Then there’s my favorite spot in town: the Royal Crescent, a row of 30 terraced houses that has been featured in “Bridgerton” and several “Persuasion” adaptations. I particularly enjoyed touring the No. 1 Royal Crescent Museum, which is decorated as if a Georgian family still lives there.

But honestly, when I go to Bath, I don’t want to pack my schedule. I want to amble around, sit in a park, or enjoy a cup of tea with a scone and clotted cream.

Barcelona won me over with its tapas and architecture.

I visited Barcelona during my first trip to Spain. At the time, I knew very little about Spanish history, including architect Antoni Gaudí. However, I felt like he was an invisible host throughout the city, with the buildings he designed peppered all around.

One of his greatest works of art, however, is the Sagrada Família — the famous basilica that was recently completed after 144 years of construction. Touring its towers was a highlight of my trip.

But what really stuck with me (physically and symbolically) was the cuisine in Barcelona. From the simple pa amb tomàquet (bread with olive oil and tomatoes) to pan-fried Padrón peppers, I found myself constantly on the hunt for my next mini-meal.

• Chef Heena Patel of Besharam in San Francisco shared her tips for finding a great Indian restaurant.
• Patel said you should always try an Indian restaurant that makes its roti and naan in-house.
• Okra, bitter melon, and opo squash are green flags on any Indian restaurant menu.

When Heena Patel first moved to the Bay Area in California, she started selling her homemade Gujarati food at the local farmers market. She’d often come home without making a profit, but she refused to give up on her dream — or her cuisine.

Patel is now the James Beard-nominated owner and chef of Besharam, a regional Gujarati restaurant in San Francisco that pays tribute to the dishes of her heritage and childhood.

“Just as my guests step outside their comfort zones, I do the same with them, trusting they’ll embrace my menu with an open mind,” Patel told Business Insider. “That’s how I hope to put Gujarati food on the map.”

Patel also hopes to help diners expand their perception of Indian cuisine. Here are her tips for finding a great Indian restaurant.

Okra and bitter melon are green flags

“Produce like okra, bitter melon, and opo squash are common in Indian cooking,” Patel said. “So if you see these ingredients on a menu, you’re in for a treat.”

One of Patel’s favorite okra dishes is bhindi masala, which she said “allows okra to shine with its crisp texture.”

A variety of regional dishes on the menu

“India has so much to offer, and each dish is rich with history,” Patel said. “Growing up, we tried foods from many different regions that have enriched my palate and helped shape me as a chef.”

“If you see menus that highlight different dishes from various regions in India, it is a good indication that the chef is focused on authentic regional cuisine,” she added.

When it comes to Gujarati dishes, Patel recommends trying rotla — a traditional flatbread which, unlike naan, is unleavened — and dhokla, a savory sponge cake.

For North Indian cuisine, Patel loves sarson ka saag — a Punjabi dish of mustard greens cooked with spices — and the lamb kebabs of Uttar Pradesh.

You can’t go wrong with vindaloo, a spicy and tangy curry dish from Goa in western India, or sambhar, a lentil-based stew from Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state. Bengal’s mishti doi dessert will give you a taste of the east, while chana samosas from Chhattisgarh will take you to India’s central region.

The bread is key

“It is definitely worth trying an Indian restaurant that makes rotis and naan in-house,” Patel told Business Insider.

Indian cuisine also features a variety of flatbreads popular in different regions. Patel recommends trying rotli, paratha, and bhakri.

And once you’ve found a great restaurant, don’t play it safe and always stick to the same dishes.

“Indian food isn’t just about individual dishes; it’s about building each bite with different flavors,” Patel said. “A curry or a dal on its own is just one part of the experience.”

“The real magic happens when you layer flavors by adding chutneys, pickles, rotis, and rice,” she added. “My advice? Trust your server.”