There is a quiet shift that happens at RT Lodge as summer gives way to fall. In the kitchen and at the bar, summer ingredients are preserved, reimagined, and paired with the flavors of the season ahead.

A Taste of Autumn

For Executive Pastry Chef Caitlyn Cox, fall begins with preservation and a little bit of anticipation. “Fall is one of my favorite times of year because of the depth and warmth of flavor we’re able to create with seasonal produce and the comforting spices we naturally gravitate toward as the weather turns colder.”

As summer’s abundance winds down, the pastry team preserves fruit for the months ahead while incorporating the produce and flavors of fall into new desserts. This season, that means Apple Cider Bundt Cake for Two, Fig Frangipane Tart, Salted Maple Bar, Coffee Walnut Cake, along with the return of a Lodge favorite, Hattie’s Chocolate Pie.

“We try to weave those elements into every dessert,” Caitlyn says, “whether it’s something as familiar as apples in a Bundt cake or more unexpected flavors, like fennel and coriander in the chocolate s’mores dessert we’ll be adding to the menu.” There is a common thread running through all of it: comfort. “It can be difficult to put the flavors of this season into words, but to me, the best way to describe them is simply: everything should feel cozy.”

When Summer Meets Fall

That feeling extends to the bar, where Bar Manager Randi Savage follows the same rhythm of the seasons. Summer cocktails begin with fresh fruit and herbs, from peaches and blackberries to mint and basil. As the weather cools, those ingredients take on deeper character. Mint and basil give way to thyme and rosemary, bright fruit meets richer spirits, and refreshing cocktails gradually become more spirit-forward.

“Our starting theme for the bar during the summertime is ‘refreshing’ and evolves from there using the who’s who of fresh and fun produce,” Randi says. “We make syrups, shrubs and infusions with the local fruit and herbs that the kitchen is using. As summer slowly starts cooling off, we tweak how we incorporate those ingredients.” A summer Bee’s Knees becomes an early fall version with homemade mead, honey-thyme syrup, barrel-aged gin and lemon. Peach moves from a light, sparkling cocktail into a richer combination of gin, champagne-infused peach syrup, citrus, orgeat and barrel-aged stout. There are still hints of summer, too. A cocktail pairing basil with Appalachian sorghum and lime brings brightness and richness together in one glass.

This season, look for cocktails including (Bonus Track), Imagination Libation, Lady Continental, and Thyme of Mead.

An Invitation to Settle In

At RT Lodge, the transition from summer to fall is less about leaving one season behind and more about letting it linger while welcoming what comes next. The days get shorter. Dessert becomes something to savor slowly, cocktail in hand, surrounded by the quiet of the woods.

For Caitlyn, that is where the magic of a Lodge experience comes through. “When the weather turns cold and you can settle in by the fireplace with something sweet,” she says, “it becomes more than just dessert. It feels like an intentional moment within the experience, something that invites you to slow down and savor where you are.”

Fall at the Lodge is, quite simply, an invitation to settle in.

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RT Lodge