16 Thanksgiving Cocktail Recipes Because Sometimes Your Family Can Be A LOT
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16 Thanksgiving Cocktail Recipes Because Your Family Can Be A LOT

You don't have to be drunk to spend time with your family, but here's what to drink if you do need some sauce.

In an ideal world, we could all get through a family gathering without wanting to cause at least a little non-fatal physical harm to one or more members of our clans.

If your family holidays look like an actual Norman Rockwell painting, then good for you. (But also, might you be from a place called Stepford?) For the rest of us, sometimes the trick to keeping the very long meal entertaining—with a couple dozen of our not-even-that-close family members—is to have a stiff drink in hand. On the flip side of that, though, we’d also like to make sure that Drunk Uncle Ned doesn’t decide to bring up his political musings, so we don’t want the drinks to be too stiff.

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Finding the right beverages to serve on Thanksgiving, or any big upcoming family holiday, is like threading a fine needle, and we’ve assembled a few of our favorite autumn-appropriate cocktails and punches that are perfect for the job. (But it’s up to you and your cousins to make sure no one gets so wasted, and does something so stupid, that it gets them written out of your grandmother’s will. Drink responsibly!)

Whiskey, Cider, and Rosemary Punch Recipe

With a bottle of whiskey and a jug of cider, you can pour this easy punch two-handed into a bowl, immediately cross "beverages" off your Thanksgiving day prep list, and save the stress for just about everything else.

Cider Vermouth Cocktail Recipe

Cider Vermouth Cocktail Recipe

You can serve this simple vermouth and cider cocktail two ways: with the ingredients out for guests to make their own, or scaled up in a punch bowl for ease of serving. Either way, its relatively low alcohol content make it perfect for the marathon that is Thanksgiving day.

Ancho in Cider Cocktail

Ancho in Cider Recipe

It’s hard to get too tipsy on this spicy cider cocktail, as the majority of the alcohol content comes from chile liqueur, and if you make it too strong, those notes will overwhelm all the other good stuff, like apple cider, bitters, and fresh citrus. But make sure the ratio is on point, and it's perfect.

Tom and Jerry Cocktail Recipe

Tom and Jerry Recipe

Save the Tom and Jerry cocktail, the warm version of eggnog, for after dinner, as its spicy-sweet flavor, two types of rum, and Cognac can lull you right to sleep.

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Prosecco Tarragon Punch Recipe

This rum-and-prosecco punch is just as colorful and pretty as it is easy to make—plus, it's a perfect way to use up the extra herbs from your Thanksgiving meal.

Pumpkin Cognac Cocktail Recipe

Sam Hain Recipe

An added bonus of making your own pumpkin syrup for this autumnal cocktail is that you can sweeten everyone’s after-dinner coffees for a little homemade PSL action.

Rosemary Refresher Cocktail Recipe

Aside from fitting the flavor profile of your holiday menu, this vodka gimlet is so simple that even the most inexperienced cocktail novice can handle it.

Cold Brew Cocktail Recipe

Tommy's Cold Toddy

This re-envisioning of an Irish coffee is perfect for you and all the cousins who just can’t quit your cold brew habit, even if it isn’t seasonal.

Irish Coffee Recipe

Irish Coffee Recipe

You'll certainly find yourself explaining a lot of pop culture this holiday. With this classic Irish coffee to keep everyone alert, save yourself the trouble of having to explain cold brew, too.

Aperol Betty Recipe

Aperol Betty Recipe

Do your Thanksgiving festivities start with the Macy’s parade and march right on through to the tryptophan-induced food coma? This Aperol Betty is basically a mimosa meets Aperol spritz, so it is hereby deemed acceptable to drink before noon.

Orchard Smoke Cocktail Recipe

A good cocktail is as much about aromatics as good food is. Sipping on this cocktail with smoky, peaty Scotch whisky while sniffing a singed rosemary sprig will put everyone in a cozy Thanksgiving spirit.

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Perfect Negroni Recipe

Perfect Negroni Recipe

You might think of the old school negroni as more of a warm-weather cocktail, but it's really the ultimate aperitif, with bitter liqueurs made to pique your appetite for easy sipping all afternoon.

Fennel and Whiskey Cocktail Recipe

The licorice notes of fennel seed meld nicely with Japanese whiskey for a soothing after-dinner cocktail you can sip on after the plates are cleared, while you pat yourself on the back for a meal well served.

Hard Apple Cider Recipe

If you come from a family that happily drinks everclear together on the holidays, more power to you—this spiked cider is all yours. If you don't, this apple cider is still perfect without alcohol.

Bog Cobbler Recipe

Bog Cobbler Recipe

Unless you’re making it from scratch, canned cranberry sauce is for the birds. Put the cranberries in your cocktail where they belong with this cranberry liqueur and mezcal number.

Classic Rum Punch Recipe

It comes as a surprise to pretty much no one that America’s earliest politicians liked a stiff drink. No one seems to know what Daniel Webster’s punch recipe actually was, but this riff on the concept has enough booze to knock you on your ass. For the chillest holiday, drink carefully.

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