There’s always something for everyone on Thanksgiving, whether it’s sweet potato pie, mac and cheese, turkey, or whatever else your friends and family serve on the menu. While food tends to be the main attraction, festive Thanksgiving cocktails are fun and will get you into the holiday spirit. You could break open a bottle of wine or champagne and call it a day, but making Thanksgiving-themed cocktails is way cooler.

There are so many flavors centered around the Thanksgiving holiday, from apple to cranberry to pumpkin, salted caramel, brown sugar cinnamon, and more. Make a sweet drink and pair it with your favorite Thanksgiving dessert. This is the perfect time to get creative with different syrup flavors and types of alcohol. You can even make mocktails for the kids or those choosing not to drink. Become everyone’s favorite bartender with these Thanksgiving holiday cocktail ideas. This might be your new favorite tradition.

Espresso Martini

There’s nothing better than sipping on dark roast from your favorite coffee shop. So why not mix it with alcohol? For this cocktail, you’ll only need a few items, which can be made quickly and easily. Start by brewing a shot or two of espresso and let it chill for a bit. You can brew it over ice and strain it out to quicken the process. Add the espresso to a shaker along with your alcohol and shake it. This will create a foam-like texture for the espresso. Pour into a glass and garnish with a few coffee beans.

If you’re feeling even more festive, you can garnish the top with whip shots, flavored whipped cream, or your favorite cold foam. Experiment with this recipe by adding a flavored syrup for more sweetness. Pumpkin pie, salted caramel, and brown sugar cinnamon are great fall flavors.

Ingredients:

• Shaker
• 1 oz. Espresso (or however much you’d like)
• 1 ½ ounces of Amaro Averna
• ½ ounce of Kahlúa liqueur
• Coffee beans for garnish
• Whipped cream, cold foam, and flavored syrup (optional)

Cranberry Aperol Spritz

Add a fun and festive twist to the already famous Aperol spritz by making a Thanksgiving cranberry version. This drink is gorgeous, and your guests will be coming back for more after their first sip. With only a few ingredients needed, this cocktail is an easy way to celebrate the holiday. Combine all of your ingredients in a pitcher, stir, and serve. If you still want something delicious to serve for those under the drinking age or skipping out on the alcohol, replace the Aperol and prosecco with Sprite.

Ingredients:

• A pitcher
• 12 oz. cranberry juice cocktail
• 12 oz. of Aperol
• 20 oz. of prosecco
• Ice
• Cranberries, orange slices, and rosemary sprigs for garnish

Apple Cider Sangria

Apple cider is a staple Thanksgiving drink. Spruce it up by making everyone’s favorite fall flavor into a Thanksgiving cocktail. For this drink, presentation is key. Start by using a cinnamon sugar combination and lemon to rim each of the glasses. In a large pitcher, combine your key ingredients and add some sliced apples. Serve in the prepared glasses and make it look festive by garnishing sliced apples and cinnamon sticks. Serve and enjoy.

Ingredients:

• A pitcher
• Sparkling cider or apple cider 
• A lemon wedge
• Cinnamon sugar
• A bottle of white wine
• ⅓ cup of fireball
• 2-3 apples, thinly sliced
• Cinnamon sticks

Apple Chaider

A spin on both apple cider and chai tea is the apple chaider. This is the perfect Thanksgiving cocktail for those who love an apple and spiced cinnamon combination. This recipe only takes a few minutes to prepare and will have your guests wanting to drink at your house instead of Starbucks every day. Add your main ingredients to a pot to bring to a boil, and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Strain your cider and serve in your best glass mugs. Garnish with whipped cream and cinnamon. If you want to take things up a notch, you can garnish with apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice. Keep in mind that these measurements serve two people. Double the recipe for however many guests you plan on serving.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of apple cider
• 1 cup of Tazo Chai Tea Latte
• 2-4 cinnamon sticks
• 1 Tsp of ground cloves
• Whipped cream for garnish
• Cinnamon, apple pie spice, or pumpkin pie spice for garnish

Pumpkin Spice White Russian

Who says pumpkin spice lattes have to be basic? Amplify this popular latte into a Thanksgiving cocktail that’ll have everyone wishing their closest coffee shop served up this boozy, sweet drink. This creamy and delicious drink is the perfect combination of flavors and precisely what you need this holiday season. Mix your rim ingredients together and coat each glass with the mixture. Pour your drink ingredients into a shaker with ice. Pour over your glass and top with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice. To amplify this drink, you can add pumpkin spice syrup to the shaker and pumpkin pie sauce on top of the whipped cream for garnish.

Drink Ingredients: 

• 3 oz. of vodka
• 3 oz. of pumpkin spice creamer
• 1.5 ounces of Kahlúa
• Pumpkin spice syrup (optional)

For The Rim:

• 1 Tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 Tsp sugar
• 3 Tbsp crushed graham crackers

For Garnish:

• Whipped cream
• Pumpkin pie spice
• Pumpkin spice whipped topping (optional)
• Pumpkin pie sauce (optional)
• Pumpkin spice whip shots (optional)

Maple Whisky Sour

Turn this classic drink into a Thanksgiving cocktail with a special ingredient. Maple syrup adds a bit of sweetness to this whisky and fruity drink. Mix your ingredients in a cocktail shaker and pour over a nice bourbon glass. Garnish with a lemon or lime wedge, a cinnamon stick, maraschino cherries, or an orange peel.

Ingredients: 

• 2 ½ oz. of bourbon whiskey
• ½ oz. of lemon juice
• ½ oz. of lime juice
• ½ oz. of orange juice
• 1 Tbsp of maple syrup
• A few dashes of orange bitters
• Lemon or lime wedges for garnish
• Orange peel for garnish (optional)
• Maraschino cherries for garnish (optional)

Spiked Hot Chocolate

Indulge in one of your favorite childhood drinks and make it into a cocktail. The best thing about this sweet chocolate drink is that it pairs well with different types of alcohol. Choose between Baileys, Kahlua, bourbon, schnapps and more. To make this Thanksgiving cocktail, start off by making hot chocolate the old-fashioned way. Add cocoa powder and milk to a saucepan over medium heat and whisk until combined. Add the remaining ingredients and let the chocolate melt. Stir in your choice of alcohol and serve. Garnish with whipped cream, marshmallows, crushed peppermint, or chocolate syrup.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 cups of milk
• 3 tbsp of sugar
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• A pinch of cinnamon
• ¼ cup of chocolate chips, semisweet, dark chocolate or white chocolate
• 2 oz. of your favorite liquor
• Whipped cream for garnish
• Marshmallows, crush peppermint or chocolate syrup for garnish (optional)