Not many holidays are more exciting than Thanksgiving. Family, friends, and food! Every year we look forward to stuffing our faces with all the classics, but we always need something to wash it down with. And because family can be difficult, and politics are sure to come up at many a dinner table this year, cocktails are a great way to keep your spirits high. Here are some festive drinks you can whip up to keep Thanksgiving merry!
Orchard Toddy (Courtesy of Angry Orchard)
1 bottle Angry Orchard Cinnful Apple
4.5 oz Scotch or Irish Whiskey
2.25 oz lemon juice
3 oz honey ginger syrup**
3 oz water
**2 cups honey
**1 cup water
**2 tbs finely chopped peeled ginger
Add all ingredients to a slow cooker and set at low heat. Allow to heat up and then serve and garnish with a lemon wheel studded with cloves. If using a stovetop, add all ingredients to a small saucepan and simmer over low heat. Be careful not to allow the mixture to get to hot because the alcohol will boil off. **To make honey ginger syrup, peel the ginger and then finely chop. Add all ingredients to a pot and cover. Simmer over medium to low heat for 20 min. Strain, allow to cool and store in the refrigerator.
Apples & Honey (Courtesy of Drambuie)
1 ¼ parts Drambuie
2 parts Kosher Pressed Apple Cider
¾ part Lime Juice
1 sm pinch Kosher Salt
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 part Kosher Sparkling White Wine (For dryer Cocktail 2 parts Sparkling wine)
Garnish with thinly sliced apples and mint
Double Rocks glass
Combine liquid ingredients and salt minus wine into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain over ice. Top with Sparkling wine and garnish with thin apple slices and mint.
Last Harvest (Courtesy of Ben Schiller, The Sixth)
2 oz. Campari
2 oz. Apple Brandy
1/2 oz. Cinzano 1757 Vermouth
1 oz. Wild Turkey Bourbon
1/2 oz. Walnut Liqueur
4 Dashes of Aromatic Bitters
Build all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir with ice for 15 seconds, then funnel into cocktail bottle. Drop in a small apple slice for garnish. To make for a crowd, simply multiply components by six and serve in your six individual bottles, or pour into a decorative punch bowl or pitcher.
Cold Turkey (Courtesy of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas)
1 oz Charbay Blood Orange
1 oz Maurin Red Vermouth
½ oz Cranberry Douglas Fir Syrup
1 oz Cranberry Juice
1 oz Orange Juice
4 oz Chai Tea
Assemble all ingredients together and steam with espresso wand until hot.
Pumpkin Pie Martini (Courtesy of Cruzan Rum)
1/2 part DeKuyper Buttershots Schnapps
1/2 part Pinnacle Whipped Vodka
1/2 part Cruzan Aged Dark Rum
2 parts Half and Half
1/2 part Pumpkin Puree
1 dash Pumpkin Spice
Whipped Cream
Add ingredients to an ice-filled shaker. Shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with whipped cream.
Autumn Pear Cider (Courtesy of Alexandria Benson, Modelo)
3 oz. Modelo Especial
3 oz. Pear Cider
2 to 3 Blackberries
1 Lemon
1 Sprig of Thyme or Rosemary
Muddle blackberries, lemon wedge, and a few pieces of thyme or rosemary in a shaker. Add a splash of beer, Pour Into a flute glass and fill half with Modelo Especial. Top with pear cider.
Brandy Bird (Courtesy of Owl’s Brew)
2 parts Owl’s Brew Salted Caramel Toddy
1 Brandy
Combine ingredients and heat, but do not boil. Pour into heat safe glass.
Twisted Talk: How are you celebrating Thanksgiving? Will you whip up any of these cocktails? Discuss below!
