Food & Drink
Thanksgiving Drinks to Complement Your Dinner
Explore delicious alcoholic and non-alcoholic Thanksgiving drinks to accompany your dinner
November 25, 2020
Turkey. Mashed potatoes. Stuffing. Cranberry sauce. Food is undoubtedly the star of the show on Thanksgiving, which means that Thanksgiving drinks often take a backseat. But why should they? There are a lot of really fun Thanksgiving drink concoctions out there that deserve a spot next to the turkey platter—or at least on the folding table next to the table that holds the turkey platter.
Here’s a list of some of our favorite Thanksgiving drink recipes to inspire you for Turkey Day. To accommodate all tastes and age groups, we have both alcoholic and non-alcoholic Thanksgiving drink ideas.
Thanksgiving Drinks: Alcoholic
Buttered Rum
Source: Delish
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 2h 20 min, including time to chill
Drinking butter seems very appropriate for a holiday that promotes overeating. This hot, buttery rum drink sounds wild, but we promise it’s lip-smacking good. Plus, if you follow this recipe and mix together a separate batter ahead of time, all you have to do is heat up cider the day of Thanksgiving, add rum and serve.
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Cranberry Mimosas
Source: Delish
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
A mimosa is the perfect drink if you’re serving Thanksgiving brunch, particularly if it’s dressed up with some cranberry juice, fresh cranberries and a sprig of rosemary. Don’t forget to rim the glass with sugar for a faux snow effect.
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Lime
Fresh cranberries
Fresh rosemary
Caramel Apple Mimosas
Source: Delish
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
With cider, caramel vodka, sugar and caramel, this mimosa is delicious. But we will warn you that you’ll want to lick the caramel off the rim of your glass, so maybe save this cocktail for intimate Thanksgiving get-togethers with close friends or family.
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Cranberry Mules
Source: Delish
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
This spin on a traditional Moscow mule gets a little festive for Thanksgiving with the addition of cranberries. The red berries look quite pretty floating at the top of the cocktail, so if you care about Thanksgiving aesthetics, this drink’s for you.
Note: this particular recipe calls for 1/4 cup of lime juice, which may be a bit too citrusy for some, so we recommend starting with 1 tablespoon and adding more to taste.
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Lime
Fresh or frozen cranberries
Apple Pie Bourbon Shots
Source: Delish
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: about 2 days, including time to infuse
If your family or friends really like to party, then you need to try these apple pie bourbon shots. They’re fun but also fancier than your typical shot, making them perfect for a holiday gathering where everyone wears nice clothes. Just don’t forget to make these a few days ahead of Thanksgiving, as it takes a bit of time to infuse your own bourbon.
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Chopped apples
Sugar cubes
Nutmeg
Cinnamon sticks
Fresh ginger
Maple Bourbon Cocktail
Source: Jelly Toast
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Maple syrup on pancakes? Of course. In candy and sweets? We’re on board. What about in drinks? Maple cocktails are becoming increasingly common because they’re both playful and delicious, especially when paired with bourbon. This particular drink will warm your belly up long before you sit down for a hot Thanksgiving dinner.
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Maple syrup
Angostura bitters
Maraschino cherries
Pear & Thyme Fizz
Source: Camille Styles
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: about 2 hours, including time to chill
If you’re looking for a light Thanksgiving libation, may we suggest this refreshment. The sweet notes of apple juice and pear balance out the bitter notes of orange liqueur and fresh thyme. And the sparkling wine rounds it all out with some cheerful bubbles.
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Sliced pear
Fresh thyme
Spiced Mexican Hot Chocolate
Source: Country Living
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
This post-dinner drink deliciously accompanies everything from pumpkin and pecan pie to apple crisp cheesecake. It might sound like too much sugar, but the bourbon and dark chocolate help cut through the sweetness.
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Dulce de leche
Cinnamon sticks
Pumpkin Spice White Russian
Source: Country Living
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
With its crumbled gingersnap rim, heavy cream and coffee liqueur, this ultra-sweet drink works well as a standalone Thanksgiving dessert. But because Thanksgiving Day is about indulgence, we recommend pairing it with all the pies and cookies and worrying about the consequences later.
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Heavy cream
Pumpkin pie spice
Gingersnap cookies
Thanksgiving Jungle Juice
Source: Delish
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Before you get scared, just know that this is not your typical college party jungle juice. It’s sophisticated jungle juice. Yes, that’s a thing, and it consists of red wine, whiskey, cranberry juice, cranberries and ginger ale.
And OK, sure, it has Fireball in it, but that’s for taste. Plus, this version has cut-up fruit in it, making it similar to a sangria—and that’s something you never would have had in college unless you spent a semester abroad in Barthelona.
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Red wine: 2 bottles
Frozen cranberries
Fresh fruit: orange & apple
Thanksgiving Drinks: Non-Alcoholic
Pumpkin Shrub with Club Soda or Ginger Beer
Source: Serious Eats
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: about 24 hours, including time to chill overnight
Crafting your own pumpkin shrub takes a little bit of time and effort, but the result is a vinegary, pumpkin-flavored bomb that will keep in the fridge long after the loose-pants season is over. Serve the shrub cold with soda water or ginger beer.
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Small pie pumpkin such as sugar pumpkin or kabocha squash
Turbinado sugar
Fresh ginger
Sparkling Apple Cider
Source: Gather for Bread
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Upgrade a basic glass of cider with the addition of sparkling water, fresh apple slices and cinnamon sticks for a festive non-alcoholic Thanksgiving drink. This recipe is super adaptable, so feel free to make it with apple juice or cider and your choice of flavored or unflavored sparkling water.
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Apple juice concentrate or apple cider
Cinnamon sticks
Apple slices
Sage Tea
Source: The Spruce Eats
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 35 min
This unexpected herbal tea makes use of an herb that frequently appears in Thanksgiving dishes, making it a perfect complement to your dinner. Lemon and sugar help balance sage’s herbaceous, piney flavor, but the tea can also be made plain by simply boiling water and steeping fresh sage leaves for about 30 minutes.
We suggest doing it the easy way if you’re hosting, as you’ll have much more important things to worry about, like vacuuming the dog.
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Fresh sage leaves
Lemon
Virgin Cranberry Basil Sangria
Source: Delish
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
You won’t miss the wine in this virgin sangria, a tangy blend of cranberry juice, seltzer and a freshly juiced orange crowned with pretty seasonal fruit. The addition of basil adds a pop of herbal flavor.
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Fresh fruit: 2 oranges & 1 apple
Fresh basil
Frozen cranberries
Sparkling Blood Orange Rosemary Water
Source: A Couple Cooks
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
This stylish drink, which gets its gorgeous ruby color from freshly squeezed blood oranges, looks especially lovely on Thanksgiving tables, so don’t forget to snap a pic for the ’Gram. Despite its bold color, the flavor is quite mild, meaning it won’t overpower any of your favorite dishes.
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Blood oranges
Fresh rosemary
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