Thanksgiving Cocktails So Good, They Might Overshadow the Meal

Thanksgiving is less than a week away, so stop messing around and get yourself prepared for one of the best holidays of the year! OK, so spending time with family and/or loved ones may be a lot to handle, but let’s face it, that’s where booze comes into play.

But tossing back a few light beers, sipping on some cheap whisky, or taking your time on that red wine isn’t going to cut it. Oh no, this is the year where you really need to step up your Thanksgiving cocktails game — which, thankfully, we’re here to help you do. We have some Thanksgiving cocktails recipes that will impress all your guests. Yeah, even your (ultra-snarky) Uncle Ricky!

We talked to some of the top mixologists around to see what they’re going to be serving/drinking this Thanksgiving Day. With the task of using a zero-calorie drink, Sparkling Ice, along with world-renowned Italian wine from the Santa Margherita winery, here are the Thanksgiving cocktails they came up with.

(Photo Credit: FHM)

Fall Punch

Ingredients

1/2 cup apple cider

1 cup hard cider

1 cup Sparkling Ice Crisp Apple

1/4 cup bourbon

1/4 cup lemon juice

Cinnamon sticks, for garnish

Cinnamon sugar rim, for garnish

Directions

Rim the glass with a lemon, then dip the rim into cinnamon sugar. Set glass aside. Combine ciders, bourbon, Sparkling Ice Crisp Apple, and lemon juice in a pitcher — stir to combine. Fill glasses with ice, then punch. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and serve.

(Photo Credit: FHM)

Orange Cinnamon Blossom

Ingredients

1 bottle of Santa Margherita Prosecco Superiore DOCG

1/2 lemon

1/2 orange

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 cup sugar

3 whole cloves

3 whole allspice

2 cinnamon sticks

Directions

Rinse lemon and orange. Slice thin and discard seeds. Quarter the orange slices. Put fruit in a four-to-five-quart pan. Add honey, sugar (use the smaller amount if you prefer drinks on the tart side, the larger if you want a sweeter flavor), cloves, and allspice. With a knife, cut the cinnamon sticks lengthwise into thinner strips. Add cinnamon and two cups water to pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and boil gently for five minutes. Pour Santa Margherita Prosecco Superiore DOCG into hot citrus base and heat until steaming for eight minutes. Keep warm over low heat. Ladle into heatproof cups or wineglasses.

(Photo Credit: FHM)

Holiday Train

Ingredients

1 Part Sparkling Ice Peach Nectarine

1 Part Grand Marnier

Blood Orange

Directions

Slice blood orange and remove slice for garnish. Juice remaining blood orange. Combe Sparkling Ice Peach Nectarine, Grand Marnier, and blood orange juice. Garnish with blood orange slice.

(Photo Credit: FHM)

Holiday Sangria

Ingredients

1 bottle of Santa Margherita Chianti Classico Riserva

1 large orange, sliced

1 large pear, chopped

Seeds of 1 pomegranate

4 cinnamon sticks

Directions

Add fruit to a large pitcher. Top with Santa Margherita Chianti Classico Riserva. Place in fridge for an hour before serving. Spoon fruit into glass before pouring wine. Garnish with cinnamon stick. Add ice to top (optional).

(Photo Credit: FHM)

Sparkle and Spice

Ingredients

750ml bottle aged rum

1/2 cinnamon stick

1 clove

1 cardamom pod

1 star anise pod

1 vanilla bean

3 allspice berries

Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

Sparkling Ice Lemon Lime

Directions

Combine rum, cinnamon stick, clove, cardamom, star anise, vanilla bean, allspice berries, and nutmeg in an airtight jar. Split vanilla bean and scrape seeds into jar along with the bean pod. Close jar and allow infusion to sit in a dark place for at least three days. Strain rum into an airtight jar with a fine-mesh strainer, discarding spices. Over ice, pour two ounces of rum infusion. Top with Sparkling Ice Lemon Lime and garnish with blackberries.

(Photo Credit: FHM)

Lemon Elderflower Cocktail

Ingredients

Santa Margherita Prosecco Superiore DOCG

1-2 ounce St. Germain Elderflower liqueur

2-3 drops Angostura bitters

Lemon rind (as garnish)

Directions

Place St. Germain Elderflower liqueur into a cocktail glass and add drops of Angostura bitters. Fill glass with Santa Margherita Prosecco Superiore DOCG to mix. Top with twist of lemon.