Thanksgiving Cocktails

It’s holiday time again! Curl up and relax with one of these holiday drinks featuring the best tastes of the season: pumpkin, apple, cranberry, and ginger. Drinks with heavy cream or egg are also crowd pleasers this time of year, and hot beverages are a great way to warm up on those cold fall evenings. Here are some of our favorite Thanksgiving cocktails:

Thanksgiving Cocktails: Pear-Rosemary Cocktails

Ingredients

6 to 10 Seckel pears

4 cups (32 ounces) vodka

1 cup sugar

12 sprigs fresh rosemary plus more for garnish

1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) pear nectar

4 cups (32 ounces) sparkling water

Directions

1. Put enough pears into a 48-ounce glass jar to fill. Add vodka. Seal jar, and let stand at room temperature 2 weeks (up to 2 months).

2. Heat sugar and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add rosemary; remove from heat. Let stand 30 minutes. Discard rosemary. Let cool completely. Syrup can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 month.

3. Fill 12-ounce glasses halfway with ice. Add 4 tablespoons vodka, 2 tablespoons syrup, and 3 tablespoons pear nectar to each. Top with 1/2 cup sparkling water. Serve garnished with rosemary sprigs.

Thanksgiving Cocktails: Apple-Pie Spiced Cider

Ingredients

1 1/4 quarts apple cider

3 tablespoons firmly packed light-brown sugar

7 whole cinnamon sticks, (6 sticks for garnish)

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Ground cloves

Freshly grated nutmeg

Salt

1/2 cup Calvados or other brandy (optional)

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together cider, sugar, spices, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Remove from heat; pour in brandy, if desired. Strain into a pitcher; discard solids. Serve in mugs, garnished with cinnamon sticks.

Thanksgiving Cocktails: Pumpkin Pie Martini

Ingredients

2 ounces vanilla vodka

2 ounces white crème de cacao

1/4 cup heavy cream

1.5 tablespoons of pumpkin puree (pie mix)

1 dash of ground nutmeg (for garnish)

Powdered graham cracker (for the rim)

Directions

1. Rim two martini glasses with crushed graham cracker. Fill a shaker with ice and add the vodka, crème de cacao, cream and pumpkin puree. Shake well until it’s chilled. Strain into the martini glasses. Sprinkle the ground nutmeg on top for garnish.

Thanksgiving Cocktails: Caramel Candy

Ingredients

1/2 ounce cognac

3/4 ounce vanilla liqueur

3/4 ounce caramel vodka

1/2 ounce half-n-half

Sugar (for the rim of the glass)

Directions

Rim a cocktail glass with sugar. Shake the ingredients together with ice. Strain them into the glass.

Thanksgiving Cocktails: Mulled White-Wine Sangria

Ingredients

1 cup water

1/2 cup honey, preferably orange-blossom

Zest of 2 lemons, cut into long strips

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)

4 whole star anise

4 cinnamon sticks

12 whole cloves

2 bottles dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

1 cup orange Muscat, such as Essencia

1 Golden Delicious apple, cored, halved, and thinly sliced

1 Bartlett pear, cored, halved, and thinly sliced

2 lemons, preferably Meyer, thinly sliced crosswise

12 kumquats, thinly sliced crosswise

Directions

1. Bring water, honey, lemon zest and juice, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and cloves to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes.

2. To serve cold: Mix spice mixture, wines, and fruit in a large pitcher. Cover, and refrigerate overnight. Transfer to a large punch bowl, and serve with ice. To serve hot: Heat spice mixture and wines in a large pot over low heat until heated through. Add fruit, and divide among mugs.

Sources:

http://www.marthastewart.com/275138/thanksgiving-cocktail-and-drink-recipes/@center/276949/everything-thanksgiving#285269

http://mixthatdrink.com/top-10-thanksgiving-cocktail-recipes/