Thanksgiving calls for lavish and impressive dishes, but there isn’t a feast without some tasty cocktails to wash it down.
If your cooking skills are limited to microwavable cuisine and the occasional Kraft Mac & Cheese, try getting out of kitchen duty this Thanksgiving by offering to whip up some easy and festive beverages to drink alongside your dishes. We took a look at some of the most intriguing cocktails from sites like Country Living and Delish that will be sure to spice up your Thanksgiving dinner.
Thanksgiving Cider Cocktail from The Spruce Eats
Yields one serving
1 ½ ounces pumpkin vodka
6 ounces apple cider
Splash of club soda
Lemon wedge for garnish
One part ground cinnamon and four parts white sugar to rim the glass (optional)
Upgrade your hard apple cider by preparing this cider cocktail for your meal. To start off, take a large glass and fill it with ice.
Build the ingredients in the order listed, then garnish the drink with a lemon wedge. For those with a sweet tooth, consider rimming the edge of the glass with cinnamon sugar. Turn the individual drink into a punch by the pitcher by upping the ingredients for the number of servings desired.
Ginger snap from Food Network
Yields one serving
1 ½ ounces vodka
1 ounce ginger liqueur, like Domaine de Canton
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon agave syrup
¼ teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves
Pinch grated nutmeg
Cinnamon stick, for garnish
Ice
Discover Rachel Ray’s alcoholic take on a gingersnap cookie by serving this drink for Thanksgiving dessert.
Shake together the vodka, ginger liqueur, lemon juice, agave syrup, grated ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain the mixture into a chilled cocktail glass, and finish the drink off by adding a cinnamon stick for garnish.
Spiced cranberry punch from Country Living
Yields eight servings
6 cups cranberry juice cocktail
1 ½ cup spiced rum
1 ½ cup orange juice
¼ cup lime juice
Cranberries, for serving
Turn classic cranberry sauce into a fruity cocktail to sip on while you enjoy some turkey and mashed potatoes.
Combine the cranberry juice cocktail, spiced rum, orange juice and lime juice into a pitcher and stir. Chill the mixture for 20 minutes, then serve with cranberries.
Chai Hot Toddy from The Forest Feast cookbook
Yields one serving
1 cup chai
3 tablespoons bourbon
2 teaspoons honey
Orange slices
Whole cloves for garnish
Warm up your Thanksgiving meal by adding some chai spices to the usual hot toddy.
For this quick and easy cocktail, combine all ingredients in a mug and stir. Push six to eight whole cloves into each orange slice to garnish. Serve with one orange slice per glass.
Hot buttered rum from Delish
Yields four servings
2 cups apple cider
1 cup rum
4 tablespoons softened butter
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
½ cup softened vanilla ice cream
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Keep up with the sizable caloric intake on Thanksgiving by serving some boozy buttered rum.
Beat butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, then beat in ice cream and cinnamon. Spoon batter into a sealable container, then store in the freezer until mostly hardened (about two hours). Heat cider in a medium saucepan until boiling, and stir occasionally. Then, remove from heat and pour into a pitcher. Spoon two tablespoons of batter into each mug, then fill about one-third of the way up with rum. Top with hot apple cider and stir.
