Let's face it, Turkey Day is just inevitably a stressful holiday. Avoiding your estranged aunt, figuring out how to fit all the side dishes onto your plate, and mediating a sibling rivalry make up the chaos that is this holiday. But there’s an upside to the madness: You get to drink.
And although this might be a ~hot take,~ the drinks are arguably the most important part of any Thanksgiving feast. Sure, the turkey generally is the star of the show, but does the turkey help your uncle's political commentary roll of your back like they didn't just offend the hell out of you? I think not. And when your mom starts complaining about her annoying cousin only comes around once a year, does turkey help you not give a damn about the familial drama? The answer? NO. But the solution: drinks.
So, to help you take the edge off, here are 26 festive cocktails to help take your Thanksgiving dinner from a 2 to a 10. There are options for the apple cider lovers, the cranberry fans, and those who just want to sip on a damn cocktail. Plus, now you have an excuse to avoid all the relatives. Busy making drinks, sorry!
Winter Cranberry Gin-Fizz Cocktail
In a cocktail shaker, add 2 tbsp. fresh cranberries to the bottom juice of ¼ a lime. Muddle them until completely crushed and juice comes out. Add in 1-2 oz. gin, 1 oz. cran-rosemary infused simple syrup, and ice. Shake to combine, and then pour out all the liquid contents directly into the glass(es). You can strain the cranberry seeds if preferred. Top with ginger beer, and serve with a sprig of rosemary and some additional cranberries if desired.
Recipe from Jessica in the Kitchen
Bulleit Rye Apple Old Fashioned
Stir 1.5 oz. Bulleit Rye, ¼ oz. cinnamon syrup, 2 dashes aromatic bitters, and 2 dashes Hella Apple Blossom Bitters with ice and strain over fresh ice in a double rocks glass. Garnish with orange swath and a cinnamon stick.
Recipe Created by Chef Brian Jupiter and Cocktail Courtesy of Bulleit Bourbon
Caramel Apple Martini
Fill each martini glass with cold water and ice cubes. Spoon enough caramel topping onto one plate to rim your martini glasses. Add kosher salt to another plate. Dump the ice water from each martini glass and drizzle the inside of each glass with caramel sauce. Coat the rim of each martini glass into the caramel and then lightly into the kosher salt. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and mix together with 3 oz. fresh apple cider and 2 oz. caramel infused vodka by shaking well. Pour the cocktail into each glass and serve.
Recipe from Home and Plate
Tarragon Tequila Cooler
Add 1 - 1½ oz. tequila, 1 oz. lime juice, 1 oz. pineapple juice, and ¼ oz. tarragon simple syrup to a tall glass. Fill with ice. Mix using a bar spoon for about 15 seconds until well combined. Top ice with a few dashes of angostura bitters and then add a straw, if desired.
Recipe from Eat.Drink.Frolic.
The Cranberry Cobbler
Combine 1½ oz. vodka, ½ oz. Rainwater Madeira, ¾ oz. lemon juice, and ¾ oz. spiced-cranbery cordial in a shaker. Add ice and shake thoroughly. Strain into a double old-fashioned glass and add crushed ice. Garnish with rosemary and cherry.
Recipe from Beverage Director Cody Henson at the Alida in Savannah, GA
Empress Negroni
Add 1½ oz. Empress 1908, ¾ oz. Luxardo Bitter Bianco, and ¾ oz. dry vermouth to a cocktail shaker and stir on ice. Strain into a glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with a wide grapefruit twist.
Recipe from Empress 1908
Pearofdise
Muddle ½ pear with ¾ parts simple syrup. Add ½ oz. lemon juice, and 2 oz. Hendrick’s Gin in a mixer. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.
Recipe by Hendrick’s Gin Brand Ambassador, Erik Andersson
The Apples & Pears
Combine 1 part Glenfiddich 12 Year Old, ½ part lemon juice, ¼ part Drambuie, and 2 dashes Angostura bitters in a cocktail shaker. Shake briefly and pour into a flute. Add 1 part club soda and 1 part apple cider. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Recipe from Glenfiddich National Ambassador, Allan Roth
Cranberry Gingersnap
Combine 2 oz. vodka, 2 oz. ginger beer, splashes of cranberry juice and lemon juice, and a few shavings of ground ginger in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a glass. Top with white-chocolate shavings and garnish with a ginger snap cookie.
Recipe from Sugar Factory
Pass the Turkey
Muddle 1 sprig sage and 1 sprig thyme with 2 oz. apple cider in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, 1½ oz. Wild Turkey 101 bourbon, and 1 T cranberry jelly. Shake well and strain over ice in a glass rimmed with turkey jus and breadcrumbs.
Recipe from Wild Turkey Bourbon
Champagne-Orange
Combine 1 sugar cube, 3 dashes orange bitters, and 3 oz. Champagne in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Stir and pour into a glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
Recipe from The Chelsea Market Cookbook: 100 Recipes from New York’s Premier Indoor Food Hall
Three Pumpkins Martini
Combine 2 oz. Three Olives classic vodka and 2 oz. pumpkin-spice liqueur in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a glass. Top with whipped cream and garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Recipe from Three Olives Vodka
Happy Harvest
Muddle 5 red grapes in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, 2 oz. Skinnygirl Bare Naked Vodka, and a splash of grapefruit juice. Shake and strain into a glass. Top with club soda and a squeeze of lime. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Recipe from Skinnygirl Cocktails
Strongbow Spice
Combine 4 oz. Strongbow hard cider, 1½ oz. cinnamon whiskey, 1 oz. pomegranate juice, and 1 tsp. pomegranate seeds in a glass and stir.
Recipe from Strongbow Hard Cider
Warm and Toasty
Combine 5 oz. hot apple cider, 1½ oz. The Perfect Purée cranberry puree, and 1½ oz. bourbon in a coffee mug. Stir and top with whipped cream and cinnamon powder. Garnish with an apple slice.
Recipe from The Perfect Purée
Salted Caramel Chai Sangria
Combine 750 mL Effen Salted Caramel vodka, 750 mL cranberry apple cider, 1 qt. pinot noir, 1 qt. Tazo Chai Tea, and 3 oz. Lemon juice in a pitcher. Add 2 red apples, sliced, and 1 pt blackberries and stir. Top with club soda.
Recipe from Effen Vodka
Blood Orange Bellini
Combine 1 oz. blood orange puree, ½ oz. DeKuyper Peachtree schnapps, and 4½ oz. sparkling wine in champagne flute and garnish with an orange twist.
Recipe from Newport Rhode Island’s Castle Hill Inn
Pumpkin Pie Martini
Combine 1½ oz. Kahlúa Pumpkin Spice and 1½ oz. Absolut vodka in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a glass. Garnish with orange zest.
Recipe from Kahlúa
Cidertini
Combine 1 oz. Malibu Island Spiced rum, 3 oz. cider, and a pinch of cinnamon in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and pour into a glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Recipe from Malibu Rum
Blood Orange Cider
Combine 2 oz. Skyy Infusions Blood Orange vodka and 6 oz. hot apple cider in a glass. Sprinkle with nutmeg and garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Recipe from Rael Petit, Mulberry Project
Pinot Punch
Muddle 3 cranberries and 3 sage leaves in a cocktail shaker. Add ¾ oz. brown sugar syrup, ¾ oz. lemon juice, ½ oz. pomegranate juice, and 2 oz. Barrymore Pinot Grigio. Fill shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a glass. Garnish with sage and cranberries.
Recipe from Barrymore Wines
Pilgrim Punch
Combine 1 T brown sugar, 1 oz. Shellback spiced rum, 1 oz. Irish whiskey, and ¼ oz. vanilla schnapps in cocktail shaker. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a glass filled with ice. Top with 2 oz. brut Champagne.
Recipe from Cheri Loughlin, The Intoxicologist
Cider Sangria
Pour ½ bottle Pavan Liqueur de France into a pitcher filled with with cubes from 1 red apple, cubes from 1 green apple, slices from 1 orange, ½ c. apple juice, and 2 T lemon juice. Just before serving, add 1 bottle hard cider. Serve over ice.
Recipe from Pavan Liqueur de France
Sinful Apple Pie
Combine ¼ oz. Sinfire Cinnamon Whisky, ¼ oz. apple schnapps, and ¼ oz. pineapple juice in a glass filled ice and stir.
Recipe from SinFire Cinnamon Whisky
Fallen
Combine ½ oz. Wild Turkey 101 bourbon, 4 oz. Vander Mill hard cider, 1 dash walnut bitters, and ¼ oz. brown sugar in a mixing tin that is sitting in hot water. Stir slightly until warm, then pour into a glass.
Recipe from Sarah Mengoni
Ginger Snaps
Combine 1 ½ oz. gin, ½ oz. lime juice, and ½ oz. agave syrup. Top with Organics by Red Bull ginger ale and serve.
Recipe courtesy of Red Bull.
