Thanksgiving is time for friends and family to come together and eat a whole lot of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, and any number of random sides based on where you live. But, with all that filling food, you’re going to need something to wash it down. There’s nothing wrong with staples like wine and beer. But, after (or instead of) you imbibe a glass of Merlot or a pint of Guinness, you’re going to want to reach for something with a little more pizazz.
If you really want to impress your friends and family, you’ll make one of these delicious, festive cocktails. Now that’s something to be thankful for!
From Dan Rook at Everly Bar in Hollywood
From Stephan Mendez of The Esquire Tavern in San Antonio, Texas
El Camote
From Añejo in Hell’s Kitchen and Tribeca
Ingredients:
2oz Espolon Anejo
0.25oz Lime Juice
1.5oz Sweet Potato Purée
4 dashes Hellfire Bitters
Mexican Cinnamon Garnish
Angry-Cider Sangria
From The Parlour Bar at El Cortez Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas
Ingredients
¼ cup thinly sliced red apples
¼ cup orange quartered
¼ oz. fresh lemon juice
½ oz. apple brandy
Angry Orchard Hard Cider
Preparation: In a pint glass combine red apples, orange, lemon juice and brandy. Top with Angry Orchard Hard Cider
Pumpkin Pie Punch
From Everclear
Ingredients:
1/2 gallon cold apple cider
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
12 ounces cream soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup Everclear
apple slices for garnish
cool whip or whipped cream for garnish
Preparation: In a large pitcher, stir together the cider and pumpkin. Use a large whisk and stir until fully combined. If you’d like it to be extra smooth, you can pour through a cheesecloth or small wire mesh strainer, but we didn’t find that necessary. Stir in the cream soda, pumpkin pie spice, and Everclear. Add apple slices into pitcher and keep in fridge until ready to serve. Serve cold topped with whipped cream or cool whip.
Fall All over
Created by Hendrick’s Gin Ambassador Fred Parent
Ingredients:
1 ½ parts Hendrick’s Gin
¾ parts Cloudy (unfiltered) Apple Juice
¾ parts Fresh Lemon Juice
Preparation: Shaken and poured into a long glass and finished with ginger beer.
Garnish: Grated nutmeg and long red apple slice
Apple Rickey
From Cointreau
Ingredients:
2 oz. Cointreau
.50 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
3 slices of a tart Apple
7 leaves of fresh rosemary
4 oz. Club Soda or Seltzer
Preparation:
Muddle the apple and rosemary in a Highball glass. Add Cointreau and lime juice with ice and top with club soda. Stir briefly and garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a slice of apple.
Matcha Hot Chocolate
From Baileys
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz Baileys Original
1 1/2 tsp matcha powder
1/2 cup hot soy milk
1 oz white chocolate chips
Preparation:
In a saucepan, combine Baileys Original, match powder, hot soy milk, and white chocolate chips.
Pour into a copper mug. Top with whipped cream and a tall skewer of pink mochi balls painted with glittery luster dust
Warm Apple Cidre
From Stella Artois Cidre
Ingredients:
6 bottles of Stella Artois Cidre
10 grams Ginger
2 pieces Star Anise
1 tsp. Unsalted Butter
½ tsp Vanilla Extract
To garnish:
Whipped Cream
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 Orange (to zest)
Preparation:
Mix Stella Artois Cidre in sauce pot along with other ingredients, except butter. Bring to a boil, then lower flame and reduce down to approximately 1 cup. Strain and discard solids, whisk in butter. Pour hot Stella Artois Cidre mixture into a mug. Top with whipped cream and vanilla extract. Garnish with cinnamon stick and orange zest.
Penicillin
From Dewar’s
Ingredients:
1.5 parts DEWAR’S 12 Blended Scotch Whisky .75 parts Lemon juice
.75 parts Honey syrup
3 slices fresh ginger
Candied ginger garnish
Preparation: Using a wooden muddler, muddle the fresh ginger in the bottom of a cocktail shaker until it is well mashed. Add the blended Scotch, lemon juice, and honey syrup, and fill shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled (about 20 seconds). Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass (you may wish to double strain through a fine tea strainer to remove the small flecks of ginger), and spray the Islay Scotch over the top.
