Turkey and pumpkin pie get most of the attention when it comes to Thanksgiving dishes, but let’s not forget about the crucial cocktail portion of the November meal. Even if you’re not exactly Ina Garten in the kitchen, you can still contribute to the day by brushing up on your bartending skills and surprising everyone with a fittingly festive cocktail to complete the Thanksgiving menu. Whether it’s a pre-dinner aperitif, dessert treat or a mid-meal beverage, a holiday cocktail adds a little something extra to the entire festive experience.
As you finalize the menu and debate over the recipes for the stuffing, cranberry sauce and apple pie, throw a cocktail or two into the to-do list for the special celebration. Fall cocktails just hit different, and a good drink complements a Thanksgiving dinner. If you want to get really fancy, whip up a special cocktail just for the appetizers, before switching up to a different drink for the entrées and finally, a dessert-worthy tipple.
We found all the best recipes for the best Thanksgiving cocktails that you’ll be extra grateful for this year. Whether you’re into a classic cocktail, a fizzy beverage or any other kind of bubbly sipper, we’ve got you covered. Below, see our favorite concoctions with all the fall flavors to whip up for the holiday table—these are the best cocktail recipes that are sure to be a hit.
The Best Thanksgiving Cocktail Recipes for the Perfect Turkey Day
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Maple Margarita -
Maple Apple Rum Cider -
Crème Brûlée Iced Latte -
Autumn Alexander -
Heated Affair -
30 Second Espresso Martini -
The Rémy Toffee Sour -
Spiced Sangria -
Pumpkin, Spice and Everything on Ice -
Pumpkin Spice Margarita -
Harvard Cocktail -
Hot Toddy -
Count Your Blessings Bourbon Cocktail -
Pumpkin Spice Carajillo -
Templeton Maple Toddy -
Fall Spiced Wine -
Melbourne Apple Sour -
Cranberry and Apple -
Campari Boulevardier -
Select Cranberry Paloma -
Pumpkin Patch -
Grey Goose Apple Martini -
Pear Sour -
The Botanist Blood Orange Negroni -
Corralejo Pumpkin Pie -
Harper Harvest Fizz -
Pumpkin Daiquiri -
Far East -
Spiced Sorel Spritz
Maple Margarita
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Patrón Silver
.75 oz Patrón Citrónge Orange
.25 oz Ilegal Mezcal Joven
1 oz maple syrup
1 oz lime juice
Maple leaf, for garnish
Directions:
Combine all ingredients (except garnish) in a shaker tin; shake with ice to chill. Strain into a coupe glass rimmed with salt. Garnish with a maple leaf.
Pátron Silver.
Maple Apple Rum Cider
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz Kōloa Spice Rum
1 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz maple syrup
1/2 oz triple sec
2 oz sparkling apple cider
Pinch cinnamon
Warmed cinnamon stick, for garnish
Directions:
Add rum, lemon juice, maple syrup and triple sec to a mixing glass with ice. Stir at least 20 times, then gently add cold sparkling apple cider. Strain into a wine glass and garnish with the warmed cinnamon stick.
Koloa
Crème Brûlée Iced Latte
Ingredients:
1/2 oz Baileys Original Irish Cream
1 oz espresso
1/2 oz Ketel One Vodka
1 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1 oz heavy cream
1 tbsp caramel sauce
Directions:
Mix milk, Baileys, vodka and vanilla extract together. Pour into a glass with ice. Mix brown sugar and espresso together, then pour into the same glass. Finally, mix caramel sauce and heavy cream, and whip into a cold foam. Sprinkle sugar on top and torch, if available.
Baileys
Autumn Alexander
Ingredients:
1 oz Clase Azul Tequila Reposado
1 oz pumpkin spice syrup
1 oz half and half
1/2 oz amaro
1/2 oz coffee liqueur
Cocoa powder, for garnish
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice; shake vigorously and double-strain into a coupe glass. Cover half the glass with a napkin and sprinkle with cocoa powder.
Clase Azul
Heated Affair
Ingredients:
2 oz Partida Añejo Tequila
6 oz hot, spiced apple cider
Heavy cream
Grated nutmeg, for garnish
Directions:
In a small, warm wine glass, add tequila and hot apple cider. Float in heavy cream and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.
Partida Añejo Tequila
30 Second Espresso Martini
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz Borghetti Espresso Liqueur
1 1/2 oz mezcal of choice
Espresso beans or coffee beans, for garnish
Directions:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the Borghetti liqueur and mezcal to the shaker and shake well. Strain into a chilled glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with espresso or coffee beans.
30 Second Espresso Martini
The Rémy Toffee Sour
Ingredients:
50 ml Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal
20 ml lime juice or Verjuice
15 ml toffee syrup with ice
Directions:
Add brandy, lime juice and toffee syrup to a shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Double strain into a chilled coupette glass.
Rémy Martin
Spiced Sangria
- Makes six servings
Ingredients:
3 bottles Rosa Regale Red Wine
3 cups cranberry juice
1 1/2 cups blood orange juice
3/4 cup mulling spice syrup
3 cups fresh cranberries
3 blood oranges, sliced
Cinnamon stick and star anise, for garnish
Directions:
Add wine, cranberry juice, blood orange juice and mulling spice syrup into a pitcher or punch bowl. Add cranberries and blood orange slices. Serve in wine glasses and garnish each drink with fruit, cinnamon stick and star anise.
Rosa Spiced Sangria
Pumpkin, Spice and Everything on Ice
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Broken Shed Vodka
1 oz pumpkin maple coffee syrup
Pumpkin maple coffee syrup (mix equal parts cold coffee, maple syrup and pumpkin purée)
Star anise pod, for garnish
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker and shake with ice. Double strain into a rocks glass with one large ice cube; garnish with a star anise pod.
Broken Shed Vodka
Pumpkin Spice Margarita
Ingredients:
1 oz Cointreau
2 oz tequila
.75 oz fresh lime juice
2 tbsp pumpkin puree
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tbsp honey
Cinnamon stick, for garnish
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker, add ice and shake. Fine-strain over ice into a fresh glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Cointreau
Harvard Cocktail
Ingredients:
2 oz Argonaut Fat Thumb Brandy
1 oz sweet vermouth
2 dashes orange bitters
Brandied cherry
Splash of club soda
Expressed orange peel or brandied cherry, for garnish
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass filled with ice; stir together to combine and chill. Strain into a chilled coupe glass; garnish with expressed orange peel and a brandied cherry.
Argonaut
Hot Toddy
Ingredients:
1.25 oz Noilly Prat Rouge
.5 oz D’Usse Cognac VSOP
.5 oz demerara syrup
.5 oz lemon juice
3 oz black tea
2 dashes chocolate bitters
1 dash angostura bitters
Directions:
Add all ingredients except for the tea into a glass. Top with hot tea and garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Noilly
Count Your Blessings Bourbon Cocktail
Ingredients:
2 1/2 oz Jeptha Creed Four Grain Kentucky Straight Bourbon
1 oz spiced simple syrup (with cinnamon, cardamom and clove)
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
1 1/2 oz cranberry juice
1 oz apple brandy
Directions:
Add all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice; shake vigorously. Strain into a highball glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish bourbon cocktail with apple slices and grated cinnamon.
Pumpkin Spice Carajillo
Ingredients:
1 oz Lalo Tequila
1 oz espresso
1 oz Licor 43
1 tbsp fresh pumpkin puree
2 dashes mole bitters
Star anise, for garnish
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice; shake vigorously. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with star anise.
Lalo
Templeton Maple Toddy
Ingredients:
2 oz Templeton Rye Maple Cask Finish
3/4 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz maple syrup
Cinnamon bark, for garnish
Directions:
Add maple syrup, hot water, rye whiskey and lemon juice into a mug, stirring until combined. Garnish with a cinnamon bark and serve warm.
Templeton
Fall Spiced Wine
Ingredients:
1 part Absolut Pear
1 part apple juice
1/4 part lime juice
1 part ginger beer
2 parts Campo Viejo Cava Brut
Mint, apple slices and cinnamon stick, for garnish
Directions:
Add liquid ingredients into a glass or bowl and top with sparkling wine. Add ice. Garnish with mint, apple and a cinnamon stick for a fresh take on the classic Moscow Mule.
Campo Viejo
Melbourne Apple Sour
Ingredients:
2 oz Starward Two-Fold Whisky
.75 oz fresh lemon juice
.25 oz simple syrup
.5 oz egg white
Apple cider
Directions:
Combine all ingredients, except for the apple cider, into a shaker without ice. Shake vigorously to whip the egg whites. Add ice and shake again until very cold. Double strain into a coupe glass and top with apple cider.
Starward
Cranberry and Apple
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Jaja Reposado
2 oz cranberry cocktail
Dry hard apple cider
Apple slice, for garnish
Directions:
Add tequila and cranberry cocktail into a rocks glass filled with ice cubes. Top with apple cider and garnish with apple slice.
Kyle Ford
Campari Boulevardier
Ingredients:
.75 parts Campari
.75 parts 1757 Vermouth di Torino Rosso
1.5 parts Russell’s Reserve 10-Year-Old Bourbon
Orange slice, for garnish
Directions:
Combine bourbon, vermouth and Campari in a cocktail glass; stir until combined. Pour over a glass with one large ice cube. Garnish with orange slice.
Campari
Select Cranberry Paloma
Ingredients:
1.5 parts Milagro Select Silver
3/4 part fresh lime juice
3/4 part cranberry juice
1/2 part thyme simple syrup
2 parts pink grapefruit soda
Cranberries, for garnish
Directions:
Combine all ingredients, except for soda and garnish, in a shaker. Shake well. Strain into a highball glass with fresh ice. Garnish with cranberries.
Select
Pumpkin Patch
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Crystal Head Vodka
1 tsp honey
.75 oz coffee liqueur
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
.75 oz heavy cream (or non-dairy alternative, such as oat milk creamer or coconut milk creamer)
2 to 3 ginger snap cookies
Directions:
Crumble the ginger snap cookies and place the crumbs on a plate. Rub the rim of a rocks glass with honey. Dip your glass in cookie crumbs to coat the rim. In a shaker, combine vodka, coffee liqueur and pumpkin pie spice. Shake with ice. Pour contents of shaker into a rocks glass over ice and top with the heavy cream or non-dairy milk of choice.
Crystal Head
Grey Goose Apple Martini
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Grey Goose La Poire Vodka
.5 oz calvados
.33 oz Ancho Reyes chilis
.5 oz lime juice
1.5 oz fresh apple juice
Directions:
Shake all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice, then strain into a chilled martini glass.
Grey Goose
Pear Sour
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Sagamore Spirit Signature Rye Whiskey
2 oz pear juice
.5 oz lemon juice
.5 oz cinnamon syrup
Fresh pear
Lemon and ground cinnamon, for garnish
Directions:
Slice up pears into quarters, remove the core and place 1/4 into a shaker; muddle. Add rye whiskey, pear juice, lemon juice and cinnamon syrup; add ice and shake until cold. Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice and garnish with a lemon wheel and ground cinnamon.
Sagamore
The Botanist Blood Orange Negroni
Ingredients:
1.5 oz The Botanist Islay Dry Gin
.75 oz bianco vermouth
.5 oz Italian bitter aperitif
.25 oz blood orange bitters
Blood orange slice, for garnish
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir to incorporate. Strain over fresh ice into a double old-fashioned glass. Garnish with blood orange slice.
The Botanist
Corralejo Pumpkin Pie
1.5 oz Corralejo Reposado
1/4 oz Montenegro
3/4 oz pumpkin puree
1 oz fresh lemon juice
Whipped cream, for garnish
Directions:
Combine all ingredients into a shaker and shake contents. Pour into a wine glass and top with whipped cream.
Corralejo
Harper Harvest Fizz
Ingredients:
1.5 oz I.W. Harper Cabernet Cask Reserve
1 oz 100 percent pomegranate juice
.5 oz lemon juice
5 oz chilled ginger beer
Dried grapefruit, for garnish
Directions:
Combine lemon juice, pomegranate juice and bourbon whiskey into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for a minute, then pour over ice in a rocks glass. Top off with ginger beer and garnish with dried grapefruit.
ERIC MEDSKER
Pumpkin Daiquiri
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Bayou White Rum
1 oz pumpkin puree
1 oz orange juice
Fresh lime
Cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, for garnish
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker; shake well with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with orange slice and sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg and whole cloves.
Bayou
Far East
Ingredients:
1.5 oz D’Usse VSOP French Cognac
.5 oz amaretto liqueur
3 oz chai tea
.5 oz vanilla syrup
.5 oz almond milk
2 dashes cardamom bitters
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake and then strain into a highball glass filled with fresh ice.
D'Usse VSOP
Spiced Sorel Spritz
- Courtesy Jaylynn Little
Ingredients:
.5 oz black pepper and rosemary simple syrup
2 oz Sorel Liqueur
3 dashes orange bitters
3 oz prosecco
Splash of soda water
Rosemary and orange slice, for garnish
Directions:
Add all syrup, liqueur, orange bitters and soda water
to a spritz or wine glass. Add ice and sparkling wine. Garnish with rosemary sprig and orange slice.
Sorel
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