Thanksgiving Cocktail

So I am hosting my first big Thanksgiving dinner, with the whole family plus who knows whom else showing up at my front door. Besides wine, I think I may want to have a cocktail ready to quench the boredom/thirst (at the very least for me). Anyone with thoughts on a Thanksgiving friendly cocktail? Perhaps a cranberry-flavored something? I also want it to be extremely easy to make (too much else to do), or perhaps even something I can put into a large pitcher and pour out at will. Thanks in advance!

I like Vodka and cranberry juice with a splash of soda, serve with a lime wheel,
oh so elegant!

Alternatively you can never go wrong with a nice Blanc de noirs champagne, and float a cranberry or two....

Bourbon slushes are always popular. Recipe is pretty much the same if you google it. Just stick it in the freezer and the work is done.

At one of the CIA restaurants we were served an aperitif of a sparkling wine (Prosecco I think) with a cranberry liqueur, similar in concept to a kir royale.

This is easy, and can be made a day ahead of time. Will be better if so. Can be served hot or cold.

4 cups (1 bottle) Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
3 cup sugar
4 cups Water
1 can cranberry sauce.
2 oz Angostura Bitters
1 Orange
5 lemons
3 limes
3 Cinnamon Stick
7 Cloves
3 Star Anise

Heat to a simmer to incorporate sugar. Add sliced fruit, bitters, and spices. If too sweet for you, add another lemon. If not sweet enough for you, add sugar to taste.

Toby

I've found that a pint glass of Wild Turkey is quick to make, should last through the meal, and is timely for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Thanks for all the input. Last night I found a recipe by Bobby Flay for a Cranberry Martini: muddle fresh cranberries with vodka and some simple sugar for a couple of days, then mix with ice and strain into a martini glass with some lime. I could also add some club soda to bring it down a notch. Simple and still with a Thanksgiving day theme. What do you think?

Easier than Flay's recipe, and without much prep, take a can of the jellied cranberry sauce (yeah, I know, but bear with me), whizz it up in a blender with either orange vodka, orange rum, or an unflavored version of either. Squeeze a small lime wedge in each glass before pouring the cocktail, wipe the rim with it, and garnish with an orange slice. You could stud the orange garnish with whole cloves before you slice it if you want to get really Thanksgiving-y, and maybe drop one or two whole cranberries in the glass for fun.

Proportions vary depending on how strong you like it, but the jellied sauce adds a definite smoothness to the drink along with the sweet cranberry flavor.

I've served this before and folks constantly ask for the recipe. They either roar with laughter or stare in disbelief when I tell them.

Easier than Flay's recipe, and without much prep, take a can of the jellied cranberry sauce (yeah, I know, but bear with me), whizz it up in a blender with either orange vodka, orange rum, or an unflavored version of either. Squeeze a small lime wedge in each glass before pouring the cocktail, wipe the rim with it, and garnish with an orange slice. You could stud the orange garnish with whole cloves before you slice it if you want to get really Thanksgiving-y, and maybe drop one or two whole cranberries in the glass for fun.

That is brilliant!!!

I actually have almost an entire bottle of Grey Goose Orange Vodka in the fridge, so that should work perfectly. I am sold on this drink, so I can't wait to try it for Thanksgiving. Thanks, Peter!

My tried and true Thanksgiving/x-mas cocktail is a variation on some of the recipes above.

Cranberry Daiquiri:

Dissolve 1/2 cup sugar in 1/2 cup water over medium heat, add 1 cinnamon stick and 1/2 teaspoon of grated orange peel and bring to a boil. Mix in 1/2 cup whole cranberries and cook until the cranberries begin to pop. Cool; discard cinnamon.

Pour mixture into a jar; add 1/2 cup of light rum. Chill. Strain syrup into pitcher; reserve cranberries. Add 6 tablespoons each of dark rum, light rum, cranberry juice and lemon juice. Chill. Serve in martini glasses over crushed ice and garnish with reserved cranberries.

This seems like a lot of work but, since I have made this so often, I can whip it up pretty quickly. Usually I make the base when I have a free moment and keep it on hand in the refrigerator. The above recipe makes enough for 4 (the recipe actually says 6, but I only usually get 4 drinks out of the above ).

This cocktail has been my go-to cocktail over the past few years and it never dissapoints. The sugar-coated cranberry garnish is a great sweet surprise floating in the drink and the color is very appealing. Try playing around with the rum brands. Also, I rarely serve over crushed ice - I just make sure the glasses and the drink are very cold.

Edited to state that this recipe was taken from the Bon Appetit November 2004 issue. Bon Appetit credited the recipe to Gramercy Tavern
Cheers!

Let us know how it turns out.

In the mean, I'm planning to try the other recipes in this post. Except the pint of Wild Turkey. Sorry whiskeybent, my liver won't let me do it!

Holidays back in the day was when the real "glass" high-ball glasses came out of the cabinet.

You had four options:

Miller High Life
Lord Calvert Whiskey
Ginger Ale
Ginger Ale with Lord Calvert in it.

I think I formed my affinity for whiskey at the age of about 5 taking sips off relatives' high-balls.

champagne with a splash of Chambord

I made cranberry gin and tonics for a Christmas party a few years back and they were a big hit. Basically you just make a cranberry syrup (in advance) then add that to normal gin and tonic. Simple and elegant.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/drink ... ICS-236692

How about a Crantini? Cranberry vodka, Cranberry juice, Grand Marnier, and a splash of oj.

Here is a recipe for a Thanksgiving cocktail from http://www.recipe4living.com:

Ingredients

3/4 oz Gin
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth
3/4 oz Apricot Brandy
1/4 oz Lemon Juice
Maraschino Cherry for garnish

Directions

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well.
Strain into a chilled glass and garnish with a cherry.

Enjoy!

If you're still able to get apple cider (preferably local) at that point, or if you stock up now and can freeze it for a few weeks, here's my favorite autumn cocktail. It'd go nicely with Thanksgiving fare:

Chimayo Cocktail

1/4 oz lemon juice (freshly squeezed; can substitute lime if preferred)
1 and 1/4 oz tequila (we swear by Sauza Blanco)
1 and 1/2 oz apple cider
1/4 oz creme de cassis

The standard recipe calls for shaking and serving over ice, but we much prefer these up in martini glasses.

Hot Spiced Apple Cider is nice because you just throw it in your slow cooker and allow everyone to help themselves! You can also add some crandberry juice and vodka or spiced rum to your taste!
This is one of my fav recipes from Allrecipes.com
It really makes your houe smell nice too!

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon whole allspice
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 large orange, quartered with peel
2 quarts apple cider





DIRECTIONS
Place filter in coffee basket, and fill with brown sugar, allspice, cloves, cinnamon stick, salt, nutmeg, and orange wedges. Pour apple cider into coffee pot where the water usually goes. Brew, and serve hot.

I like a cosmopolitan so refreshing!This year while of vacation we bought a few bottles of cranberry wine and cranberry rasberry wine.Im sure somewhere like Binnys might have that too.

Here is a good recipe:

http://www.recipe4living.com/Recipe/57648-WildThanksgiving.aspx

A potent brew of apple brandy, Wild Turkey, lime and cranberry juice. Not for the faint of heart!

Ingredients

1 part Wild Turkey
1 part Apple Brandy
Splash of Lime Juice
Fill the rest up with Cranberry Juice
Mint leaves

Directions

Mix all ingredients and garnish with a mint leaf.

Alchemist wrote:This is easy, and can be made a day ahead of time. Will be better if so. Can be served hot or cold.

4 cups (1 bottle) Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
3 cup sugar
4 cups Water
1 can cranberry sauce.
2 oz Angostura Bitters
1 Orange
5 lemons
3 limes
3 Cinnamon Stick
7 Cloves
3 Star Anise

Wonderful concoction, Toby, thanks. This was a big hit and, maybe I got the proportions wrong, but the potion packed a helluvalot of holiday cheer. On more than a few occasions I had folks corner me to ask with Cheshire cat grins, "There's a goodly amount of booze in that, isn't there?", to which my only reply could be "Equal parts water."

This might have to make a re-appearance at next month's holiday.

petermavrik wrote:Easier than Flay's recipe, and without much prep, take a can of the jellied cranberry sauce (yeah, I know, but bear with me), whizz it up in a blender with either orange vodka, orange rum, or an unflavored version of either. Squeeze a small lime wedge in each glass before pouring the cocktail, wipe the rim with it, and garnish with an orange slice. You could stud the orange garnish with whole cloves before you slice it if you want to get really Thanksgiving-y, and maybe drop one or two whole cranberries in the glass for fun.

Proportions vary depending on how strong you like it, but the jellied sauce adds a definite smoothness to the drink along with the sweet cranberry flavor.

I've served this before and folks constantly ask for the recipe. They either roar with laughter or stare in disbelief when I tell them.

I spun this up in the blender with some homemade Sour Cherry Vodka from this summer. Served on the rocks with a lemon twist and some rehydrated Craisons for garnish. They were a huge hit.

petermavrik wrote:Easier than Flay's recipe, and without much prep, take a can of the jellied cranberry sauce (yeah, I know, but bear with me), whizz it up in a blender with either orange vodka, orange rum, or an unflavored version of either. Squeeze a small lime wedge in each glass before pouring the cocktail, wipe the rim with it, and garnish with an orange slice. You could stud the orange garnish with whole cloves before you slice it if you want to get really Thanksgiving-y, and maybe drop one or two whole cranberries in the glass for fun.

Proportions vary depending on how strong you like it, but the jellied sauce adds a definite smoothness to the drink along with the sweet cranberry flavor.

I've served this before and folks constantly ask for the recipe. They either roar with laughter or stare in disbelief when I tell them.

So in the end I decided to go with the cranberry jelly recipe, and it worked out great. Mixed it 1:1 with Grey Goose Orange Vodka, mixed in the blender, added some lime and seltzer water, and called it a day. Initially I strained it to get rid of the small bits of "jelly", but that stopped after a drink or two. Everyone seemed to enjoy the drink, and it was deceptively strong. May be my new Thanksgiving drink to make each year, depending on if I am ever asked to host again ( ).

petermavrik wrote:Easier than Flay's recipe, and without much prep, take a can of the jellied cranberry sauce (yeah, I know, but bear with me), whizz it up in a blender with either orange vodka, orange rum, or an unflavored version of either. Squeeze a small lime wedge in each glass before pouring the cocktail, wipe the rim with it, and garnish with an orange slice. You could stud the orange garnish with whole cloves before you slice it if you want to get really Thanksgiving-y, and maybe drop one or two whole cranberries in the glass for fun.

Last night I made a variation of this and boy did it pack a punch! In the blender I mixed leftover cranberry sauce and a blend of citron and vanilla vodkas. I strained the mix into iced martini glasses into which I had squeezed a dash of lime. Garnished with an orange wheel.

The drink was so good, I forgot that I had used a 1:1.5 ratio and ended up having several. I slept well.