5 Thanksgiving Cocktails that Will Keep Your Guests Happy

Can you believe Thanksgiving is only three weeks away?! It means it’s time to strategize your menu and get as much prep done now that you can. While some items can’t be bought ahead of time due to shelf life, thankfully beverages have a long one. Stocking up early on all your beverage needs is a great way to take some of the stress out of the holiday.

Whether you’re hosting a few people or a crowd, planning out the Thanksgiving cocktails ahead of time (3 weeks out is a great start) can pay off big time. You plan out the food and the decorations, why NOT the beverages? Take inventory of your guest’s beverage preferences. Your friends and family will feel welcome when their favorite cocktails are available.

Getting the standards such as wine, beer, liquors, sodas and juices is a nice starting point. But how about trying out a few fall drinks that will compliment your dinner party and get your guests talking? Check out our selections below!

5 Thanksgiving Cocktails that Will Keep Your Guests Happy

The Autumn Fruit Old-Fashioned uses bourbon that is infused with grapefruit, lemon peels, pear and apple cores (this can be made a few days ahead of time). In a rocks glass, muddle ½ tsp of sugar with 5 dashes of Angostura orange bitters until a paste forms. Add ice, 2 ounces of the infused bourbon and ½ ounce of water. Stir and garnish with and orange twist and cherry. Delish!

The Ketel One Vodka Ultimate Apple Martini makes for a great start to any event. Add 1 ounce of Ketel One® Vodka, 1 ounce of Sour Apple Liqueur, a splash of sweet and sour mix into and iced cocktail shaker. Shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with 2 granny smith apples slices.

A Cranberry Cosmopolitan makes for a perfect match! Mix 1 ½ ounces of vodka, ½ ounce of Grand Marnier or Cointreau, ¾ ounce of fresh lime juice and 1 ounce of cranberry juice in an iced cocktail shaker, shake and pour into a cocktail glass. Garnish with cranberries.

The Montgomery Punch Bowl Recipe will please a crowd. Start by making a decorative Ice Ring using water and sliced fruit (such as lemons and oranges). Place Ice Ring in a Punch Bowl. Stir together 2 cups of fresh lemon juice and 1 ½ cups of sugar until sugar fully dissolves. Stir in 1 cup of brandy. Pour over ice ring. Stir in 2 (750 ml) bottles of chilled sparkling wine, one (375 ml) bottle of chilled dessert wine (such as Sauternes).

Apple Brandy Hot Toddy is basically a shot or two of any potent spirit added to a cup of hot water, but we recommend using apple brandy for a taste of fall!

The most important thing to do now is to take inventory of what you already have and make a full list of beverage items you’ll need. Make sure to take note of how long you’ll need to prep the beverages. Let us know if you tried any of these recipes on our Facebook page and what you and your guests thought of them.