Thanksgiving Cocktails: 10 Drink Recipes To Perfectly Complement Your Holiday Dinner

While digging into a Thanksgiving feast is the most exciting part of the holiday, waiting for the meal to be done and the break taken before dessert is a tad easier to get through when you have a cocktail to sip on.

Whether you need the perfect Thanksgiving cocktail or want to get an early start on crafting a Christmas drink menu, this list of 10 recipes will certainly help you achieve your goal.

1. Recuerdo Mezcal Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

• 1½ oz. Recuerdo Mezcal Joven
• 1 oz. Grand Marnier
• 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree
• 1 oz. cinnamon syrup (1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 1-2 sticks cinnamon - break apart the cinnamon sticks and heat alongside the water and sugar to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for up to two minutes while stirring. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for up to 60 minutes to infuse the cinnamon. Cool and then strain.)

Instructions:

Mix all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Then double strain the liquid into a chilled glass with ice. If desired, garnish the cocktail with a roasted pumpkin slice.

2. Woodford Reserve Bourbon Milk Punch

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cream
• 2 cups of whole milk
• 1 cup Woodford Reserve bourbon
• ¾ cup sifted powdered sugar
• ½ a vanilla bean
• Freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions:

Over an ice bath, whisk the sugar, cream, milk, and bourbon until frothy in a metal bowl. Add the vanilla bean and strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher. Place the pitcher in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. Pour the contents into a glass and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

3. Proper Hot Toddy

Ingredients:

• 1 part Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey
• 5 parts hot water
• ½ part lemon juice
• ½ part honey

Instructions:

Pour hot water into a mug and add Proper No. Twelve, honey, and lemon. Stir until the honey has dissolved. Garnish the cocktail with a lemon twist or cinnamon stick.

4. Tanteo Cranberry Punch

Ingredients:

• 20 oz. Tanteo Jalapeño Tequila
• 20 oz. 100% cranberry juice (No sugar added)
• 10 oz. fresh lime juice
• 7 ½ oz. agave nectar

Instructions:

Combine the ingredients in a large punch bowl. Top the punch with lime slices, fresh cranberries, and jalapeños.

5. Smirnoff Winter Cranberry Mimosa

Ingredients:

• 1 oz Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka
• 2 oz. Cranberry Sorbet
• 3 oz. Prosecco

Instructions:

Spoon cranberry sorbet into a flute glass. Pour Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka over the sorbet before topping with prosecco and sugared cranberries.

6. Chai Griswold

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Cutwater Bali Hai Tiki Holiday Spirit
• 1 ½ oz. brewed chai tea
• .5oz coffee liqueur (or espresso)
• ½ oz. vanilla simple syrup
• Grated cinnamon

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until cold. Strain the contents into a glass and top with grated cinnamon.

7. Crystal Cranberry Skull

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ oz. Crystal Head Vodka
• 1 oz. cranberry syrup
• ½ oz. fresh lime juice
• Cucumber
• Mint
• Cranberries
• Sparkling wine

Instructions:

Muddle two cucumber slices, 3-4 mint leaves, and 4-5 cranberries in a cocktail shaker. Add Crystal Head Vodka, cranberry syrup, lime juice, and plenty of ice. Shake vigorously for up to 15 seconds. Double strain the drink into a chilled coupe glass and top it with sparkling wine. Garnish with a mint and cranberry skewer.

8. Melbourne Apple Sour

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Starward Two-Fold Whisky
• ¾ oz. lemon juice
• ¼ oz. simple syrup
• ½ oz. egg white
• Apple cider, to top

Instructions:

Combine all of the ingredients (except for the apple cider) in a shaker without ice and shake vigorously. Then add ice and shake again until the mixture is cold. Double strain the drink into a coupe glass and float apple cider on top.

9. Holiday Margarita

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Cutwater Blanco Tequila
• ¾ oz. pomegranate juice
• ¾ oz. lime juice
• ½ oz. agave
• ½ oz. cranberry juice
• Salted rim and lime wheel

Instructions:

Combine all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake until cold. Strain the drink over fresh ice and garnish it with a lime wheel.

10. Merry & Bright Sour

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Crystal Head Aurora
• 2 oz. pomegranate juice
• 1⁄4 oz. maple syrup
• 1⁄2 oz. fresh lemon juice
• Muddled sage
• Egg white

Instructions:

Muddle ingredients in a shaker and dry shake. Add ice and shake well. Double strain into a chilled glass and garnish with sage and pomegranate.