The holidays are right around the corner. Chances are you’ve started to plan a thing or two. Whether you’re hosting family at your place, or planning on traveling to be with family and friends, we bet you’ll end up wanting a drink (or two). If you’re looking for some festive Thanksgiving inspiration, look no further. We’ve rounded up 4 of our favorite cocktails that are great for entertaining on Thanksgiving. Think spicy, sweet, and warming. Stick to the recipe or mix it up a bit, and put your own twist on some of these drinks. Either way, they’re guaranteed to a big hit over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Apple Cider Mimosa
There’s absolutely nothing more festive than champagne, and perhaps our favorite thing about this drink? It’s simple. Incredibly simple.
1 bottle of champagne
1 cup of apple cider
2 tbsp of sugar
1 tbsp of ground cinnamon
On a small plate, combine sugar and cinnamon. Dip champagne flutes in water to wet the rims, then dip in cinnamon sugar mixture. Fill champagne flutes 1/4 full with apple cider, then top off with champagne. Make it a little more boozy by throwing in a few ounces of pear vodka. Or experiment with caramel vodka if you’d like it a bit sweeter. One of my personal favorite champagnes: Veuve Clicquot. Expect to spend about $60 on a bottle, but it’s a great mid-range champagne.
Festive Apple Cider Punch
Why do we love it? It’s simple, but it tastes complex. It’s a great drink to make ahead of time for a crowd. Make sure to invest in some high quality apple cider for this drink and for the Apple Cider Mimosas. Nice cider makes a huge difference. Arguably one of the most perfect Thanksgiving cocktails out there.
6 oz Apple Cider
12 oz Black Bottle Scotch
6 oz Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur
8 oz Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
6 oz Lemongrass Sweetener
Sliced apples for garnish
Put all ingredients into a punch bowl, add ice 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Stir occasionally to increase coldness and incorporate water for balance.
To make the lemongrass sweetener: take three pieces of lemongrass and slap them against a counter to open up the aroma. Cut into one inch pieces and put in a pot with one quart of water and sugar. Bring to a low boil and let cool. Strain off the lemongrass and store in fridge.
Persimmon Caipiroska
This is one unique drink. I love this one because it features such a special fruit. The persimmon is one of the most overlooked fruits in our region. Believe it or not, persimmon trees flourish across southern Appalachia, and the humble persimmon has found its way into all kinds of mountain folklore and recipes. Just as wooly worms have been said to predict a mountain winter, so too have persimmons. Read more about this unique fruit here.
20 oz vodka
10 oz lime juice
10 oz simple syrup
4-5 sliced lime wheels
2 persimmons, chopped and muddled
Muddle persimmons and lime wheels. Mix one part lime juice, one part simple syrup, 2 parts vodka. Yet another simple drink that is truly special in its own right.
Galliano Fizz
We’re big fans of any drink with egg whites. Take note that this drink will be quite a bit more time consuming to make, especially for a crowd. It’s well worth the effort, though. It’s guaranteed to wow your family and friends.
1.5 oz Don Q Anejo tequila
.5 oz Galliano Yellow
.5 oz St.Germain
1 oz lemon juice
.75 oz simple syrup
.75 oz egg white
5 drops orange blossom water
Prosecco
Dried blood orange wheel
Dry shake all ingredients. Add ice and shake again. Pour into a brandy snifter, top with Prosecco and 5 drops orange blossom water. Garnish with a dried blood orange wheel. Go the extra mile and dry your own orange wheels. Not only are they great garnishes, but they make beautiful decorations, too.
Cheers!
Enjoy these Thanksgiving cocktails. We also hope you’re able to enjoy some quality time with family and friends over the Thanksgiving holiday. Looking for a place to stay over Thanksgiving? Consider staying with us at the Horton. We’ve got cozy rooms available and we’re sure to have some festive fall drink specials in our lobby lounge. Not only will we be open over Thanksgiving, but we also plan to be open over Christmas, too.
