The guests are on their way, you’ve made the cranberry sauce, the turkey is in the oven — there’s just one thing left to make a Thanksgiving party a success, and that’s some seasonal themed cocktails. While you might find it easiest to batch your Thanksgiving drinks if you’re hosting a large crowd, if you have a smaller gathering or you’re just very ambitious then you can wow your guests with specialty cocktails.
Flavors for the season include nods to food with options like cranberry and maple syrup, but you can also go a bit unexpected by trying out drinks like a flip, which uses egg yolk, or a blend of warm apple juice and the wine-based spirit Metaxa. This selection of cocktail ideas has something for everyone, from the easy fruity sippers to the spicy warming comfort drinks, so you can pick a cocktail for each of your guests and enjoy some more unusual seasonal options for your festivities.
The Thanksipping
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Cinnamon Infused Vodka
0.75 oz Cointreau
0.75 oz Cranberry Juice
0.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1 bsp Maple Syrup
Method:
Add all ingredients in a shaker. Shake well. Strain into a cocktail glass.
Thanks Given
Ingredients:
- 0.5 oz Cointreau
- 1 tablespoon of Cranberry Sauce
- 1 oz of Dry Sparkling Wine
- 0.25 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 lead of Fresh Sage Leaves
- 1 oz of Vodka
Method:
Add all ingredients except sparkling wine to shaker. Add ice and shake until well-chilled. Fine strain into coupe glass. Finish with sparkling wine and garnish with sage leaf and orange wheel, if desired.
Optional: Rim glass with sage sugar. To make, grind sugar together with a few sage leaves in a small food processor or spice
Belle de Brillet Flip
Ingredients:
- 1.75 oz Belle de Brillet
- 0.75 oz Red Vermouth
- 1 Egg Yolk
Method:
Shake the different ingredients before serving in a cup type glass. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
St-Rémy Signature Ops
Ingredients:
- 2 oz St-Rémy Signature
- 1 Barspoon Gum Liqueur
- 1 Barspoon Almond Liqueur
- 3 Drops Saline Solution
- 1 Pinch Dried Pandan Leaves
Method:
Pour all ingredients in an ice-filled mixing glass and stir. Strain into an old-fashioned glass smooth with Palo Santo and filled with clear ice. Garnish with a pinch of pandan leaves and serve.
METAXA Apple Today
Ingredients:
- 1.4 oz METAXA 5 Stars (per 1 serving)
- Mulled apple juice:
- 33.8 oz red apple juice
- 1 orange (cut in slices)
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 cloves
- 1 nutmeg (whole seed)
- Optional: nuts and dehydrated fruits
Method:
Add red apple juice, orange slices, dehydrated fruits and spices into a pot. Warm slowly and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Serve in a mug approximately ⅔ of mulled apple juice with ⅓ METAXA. Garnish with orange slices, dehydrated apple ring and anise star.
The Rémedy
Ingredients:
- 1⅓ oz Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal
- ⅔ oz Lime Juice or Verjuice
- ⅓ oz Honey Syrup
- Ginger
Method:
Pour Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal, Verjuice, Honey syrup and Ginger syrup into a shaker. Top up with ice and shake vigorously. Strain twice into an Old Fashioned glass filled with ice. Put a slice of ginger on top.
