43 Thanksgiving Cocktails to Pair With Turkey, Pie, and Beyond
As you start planning for the holiday, it’s easy to forget about Thanksgiving cocktails—and nonalcoholic drinks. But a well-chosen Thanksgiving drink can make every part of the celebratory meal taste even better. This list of festive cocktail recipes gives you options for every spirit on your bar cart: rye whiskey or bourbon, gin or vodka, mezcal or scotch, and others. Kick off Turkey Day with a plate of hors d’oeuvres and something crisp and fizzy; finish with a slice of pie and a nightcap that’s deep and luscious. (We’re guessing you might not have room for the retro creamy Pink Squirrel, but if you do it’s an excellent choice.) Choose a drink to sip during the meal itself that’ll add a little brightness to dinner, whether from a touch of lemon, lime, tart cranberry, or pomegranate. Scroll down to pick this year’s signature Thanksgiving cocktails—and feel free to delegate the actual drink making to one of your guests.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou2/43Lipstick Memory
Like your drinks bold and tart? Then this Campari and cranberry cocktail will be your new Thanksgiving favorite. Add extra aroma by grazing the rosemary garnish over the flame of a gas stove. There’s no high-proof spirit here, just Campari and sparkling wine—plus tangy unsweetened cranberry juice—so it’s a slightly lower-ABV way to ease into the holiday meal.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich3/43Jersey Lightning
Manhattan variations feel like an elegant pick for the holiday, and this one—made with apple brandy instead of whiskey—is so easy you’ll be able to make it from memory while you keep one eye on that stuffing and the other on the football game.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne4/43Bizzy Izzy Highball
Serve some festive snacks and some cocktail-hour conversation with this historical drink, which dates back 100 years or so. We find that Thanksgiving cocktails with sherry in them whet the appetite nicely, and this drink is really tasty with salty hors d’oeuvres like spiced olives and charcuterie.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Drew Aichele5/43Life of the Party
Being a gracious host includes thinking about non-alcoholic options. This slightly bitter punch—made with Ghia, cinnamon, pomegranate juice, non-alcoholic sparkling wine, and lemon—will be a hit with everyone, teetotaler or not.
Photo & Food Styling by Joseph De Leo6/43Remember the Alimony
This fall cocktail is as easy as one-two-three, but it’s not a negroni. It combines gin with sherry and bittersweet, vegetal Cynar. It’s the kind of cocktail you want to sip slowly, gathered around a Thanksgiving bonfire with your family—or sitting near the smoker while you cook your turkey low and slow outdoors.
Photo by Andy Sewell7/43Buck Buck Mule
Muddling cucumber into the shaker helps this pre-dinner cocktail go seamlessly with savory snacks like pickled shrimp or chili crab dip.
8/43Everything Good Cocktail
If you’re searching of the best Thanksgiving cocktails, it’s worth thinking about when you’ll be serving them during the course of the long meal. This chocolaty mezcal drink was designed with Thanksgiving desserts in mind. Adding water along with the ingredients and then freezing the batched drink (with a little water in the mix) means you won’t need to shake each serving over ice.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton9/43Apples and Oranges
It’s easy to spike your cider, but this combo of hot apple cider and Averna is something really special. Think of it as the meeting of hot buttered rum and caramel apples. Sweetened with citrusy Grand Marnier and enriched with salted butter, it’s the perfect hot drink for a chilly Thanksgiving. Kick off your celebration with a mug full, or make a batch for sipping alongside a slice of apple pie.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne12/43Aperitif Scorpion Bowls
Lower-ABV Thanksgiving cocktail recipes make sense for a gathering that starts early and ends late. This take on the Scorpion bowl ditches the rum and lets you choose your favorite amaro and sweet vermouth instead. (We like it with Cynar, which is herbal and vegetal and not too sweet.)
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou13/43Paradise Apple
This bar-worthy fall cocktail will really impress your guests. Dry riesling brightens up a mix of fresh apple cider and bourbon in this intricately flavored drink.
Photo by Lizzie Munro14/43Jasmine
This simple, thirst-quenching concoction is a favorite among bartenders in the know. It’s made with gin, fresh lemon juice, Cointreau, and just a touch of bittersweet Campari.
