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Wow your guests with these seasonal cocktails for Thanksgiving

From cranberry juice to warm apple, these are cosy flavors for the season

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Thanksgiving dinner table at home.
izzet ugutmen / Shutterstock

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.

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The Thanksipping

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ingredients:

Related

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

Thanks Given
Cointreau

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

Belle de Brillet
Belle de Brillet

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

St-Rémy
St-Rémy

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

METAXA
METAXA

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

Rémy Martin
Rémy Martin

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.

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Georgina Torbet
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