Thanksgiving Cocktail Recipes
If you're searching for some tasty Thanksgiving cocktail recipes to incorporate into your holiday hosting plans this year, then you're in luck. Here, we share a variety of recipes that would make great cocktails for your Thanksgiving dinner table, no matter the size of your gathering. These recipes incorporate traditional autumn ingredients such as pumpkin spice, cider, cranberry spices and more, along with our rum and bourbon spirits. While most of these recipes will yield one cocktail, you can easily scale them to serve as many cocktails as needed.
Thanksgiving Cocktail Recipes:
Ingredients - Yields 1 Cocktail:
-1.5 oz. of Straight Bourbon or Maple Cask Rum
-1/4 oz. of honey
-1/4 oz. of fresh lemon juice
-2 dashes of bitters (we recommend Cardamom or Bokers)
-hot cider
-orange twist
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients except the hot cider in an Irish coffee mug. Stir to incorporate, then top with hot cider. Garnish with an orange twist.
Ingredients - Yields 1 Cocktail:
-2 oz. of Burnt Rock Bourbon
-1 oz. of lemon juice
-1 oz. of Woods Pumpkin Spice Maple Syrup
-2 dashes of Bittermens Tiki Bitters
-2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
Instructions:
Add all ingredients except Angostura Bitters in a shaker with ice. Shake well, then strain over a large ice cube in a rocks glass. Top with 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters as a float.
Ingredients - Yields 1 Cocktail:
-1.5 oz. of Maple Cask Rum or Straight Bourbon
-½ oz. of Cream Sherry
-½ oz. of lemon juice
-½ oz. of simple syrup
-1 Tbsp. of Pumpkin Butter
-4 dashes of Angostura Bitters
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake the contents and strain them over a large ice cube in a rocks glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and an orange peel.
Ingredients - Yields 1 Cocktail
- 1.5 oz. Rum 44
- 1 oz. Unsweetened cranberry juice
- 3/4 oz. simple syrup
- 1/2 oz. lime juice
- 3 dashes of Floyd Wild Plum Bitters
- Fever Tree Tonic
Ingredients - Yields 12 Cocktails
- 18 oz. Rum 44
- 12 oz. unsweetened cranberry
- 9 oz. simple syrup
- 6 oz. lime juice
- 36 dashes of Floyd Wild Plum Bitters
- Fever Tree Tonic
Instructions:
To make a single cocktail, shake all ingredients (except the tonic) with ice, then strain into a stemless glass with fresh ice. Top with the Fever Tree Tonic, and garnish with a candied cranberry (cranberry rolled in sugar), a dried orange wheel, and fresh mint. For a beautiful presentation, leave enough room in your glass so that the candied cranberry does not sit in the cocktail.
To make a party punch, add all ingredients (except the tonic) in a punch bowl and stir well to combine. When serving individual glasses, serve over ice and then top each glass with Fever Tree Tonic to allow for full effervescence.
How To Make Candied Cranberries:
When making your simple syrup, add a handful of whole cranberries into the saucepan. Let them simmer for 3 -5 minutes on low heat, then cool the cranberries for one hour on parchment paper. Once they have cooled, toss them in granulated sugar.
Ingredients - Yields 1 Cocktail:
-1.5 oz. of Revolution Rye
-½ oz. of Orange Curacao
-½ oz. of honey ginger syrup
-½ oz. of lemon juice
-2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake for about 30 seconds. Add a large ice cube to a rocks glass. Strain over the large ice cube into the glass. Express a lemon peel over the top, then add as a garnish.
Ingredients - Yields 1 Cocktail:
- 1.5 oz. Maple Cask Rum
- 2 oz. Champlain Orchard’s Fresh Apple Cider
- 1/4 oz. maple syrup
- 1/2 oz. lemon juice
- 1/2 oz. orange juice
- 5 dashes Angostura Bitters
- Stowe Cider Dry & High (hard cider to top)
Ingredients - Yields 12 Cocktails:
- 12 oz. Maple Cask Rum
- 24 oz. Champlain Orchard’s Fresh Apple Cider
- 3 oz. maple syrup
- 6 oz. lemon juice
- 6 oz. orange juice
- 1 Tbsp Angostura Bitters
- Stowe Cider Dry & High (hard cider to top)
To make a single cocktail, combine all ingredients, except the hard cider, in a shaker with ice. Strain into a Collins glass, then top the glass with hard cider. (If you can’t find Stowe Cider Dry & High, another hard dry cider will work). Then, add an orange and lemon wedge for garnish.
To make a party punch, combine all ingredients in a large bowl, except for the hard cider. Mix well. Serve into a punch cup and top with the hard cider, then garnish each glass as above.
Instructions - Yields 1 Cocktail:
-2 oz. of Corn Whiskey
-1 oz. of Turmeric Honey Syrup
-1 oz. of fresh lemon juice
-3 dashes of Vena’s Garam Masala Bitters
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients except the Garam Masala Bitters in a shaker with ice. Shake, then double strain into a large rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with 3 dashes of the bitters.
Ingredients - Yields 1 Cocktail:
-1.5 oz. of Vanilla Rum
-1/4 oz. of Orgeat (or Falernum)
-2 dashes of Dash Crude Attawanhood Bitters (cherry, clove, cinnamon)
-2 dashes of orange bitters
-hot cider
-cinnamon stick
-lemon twist
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients (except hot cider) in an Irish coffee mug. Stir to incorporate, then top with hot cider. Add a cinnamon stick and lemon twist as garnish.
Ingredients - Yields 1 Cocktail:
- 2 oz. Vanilla Rum
- 1 oz. Dolin Dry Vermouth
- 1/4 oz. Disaronno amaretto
- 1/4 oz. Ginger syrup
- 2 dashes Fee Brothers Black Walnut Bitters
- 2 dashes Bokers Cardamom and Citrus Peel Bitters
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into a small stem glass. Then, top the rim with a gingerbread cookie garnish and enjoy!
Ingredients - Yields 1 Cocktail:
-1.5 oz. of Burnt Rock Bourbon
-1 oz. of lime juice
-1 oz. of cinnamon syrup
-½ oz. of Fernet
-lime wheel
Instructions:
Add ice to a coupe glass to chill. Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice, and shake well. Dump ice from the coupe glass, then strain the cocktail into the chilled coupe. Garnish with a lime wheel, and enjoy!
Ingredients - Yields 1 Cocktail:
-2 oz. of Burnt Rock Bourbon
-½ oz. of honey simple syrup
-2 droppers of 18.21 Earl Grey Bitters
-1 lemon and 1 orange twist
Instructions:
In a mixing glass with ice, stir the Burnt Rock Bourbon with honey simple syrup and the Earl Grey Bitters. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Twist both an orange and a lemon peel over the glass, then rub each citrus around the rim of the glass before adding to the drink.
Ingredients - Yields 1 Cocktail:
-2 oz. of First Run RUm
¾ oz. of Rosemary Syrup
-1 oz. of lime juice
-fresh rosemary sprig
Instructions:
In a shaker with ice, add all ingredients. Shake for 15 seconds, then strain into a coupe glass. Add a rosemary sprig for garnish.
To make a Rosemary Syrup:
In a Mason Jar, take 8-10 sprigs of rosemary and place in 1 cup of boiling water. Let steep (like a tea) for five minutes, then add 1.5 cups sugar and stir until dissolved. Seal the jar and let it sit for 8-12 hours, then strain out sprigs.
If you’re working on your Thanksgiving to-do list, be sure to put our Burlington Tasting Room on your list of places to stop by, in addition to the grocery store. Not only can you find our spirits there, but you can find a variety of other cocktail-making supplies like syrups, bitters, and even glassware. Plus, you can give yourself a little cocktail break in the process, and order something tasty from our bar.
If you make one or more of our recipes above, feel free to share and tag us on social @madriverdistillers. From all of us at Mad River Distillers, we wish you a very happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday! Cheers!
Written and published by Brianne Lucas on November 13, 2023. Updated on November 11, 2024.
