Whether you’re going about Thanksgiving solo this year, hosting a virtual Zoom dinner with family or having a very safe, small gathering to celebrate the holiday, a deliciously festive cocktail is a must-have. Like La La Anthony told HollywoodLife.com in an EXCLUSIVE interview, it’s super important for all guests to be ‘aligned’ with the same vibe, especially during a virtual celebration. You can do just that with a great cocktail and we have several for you to choose from in the list below!
Whether you love pumpkin, apple, cranberry or some spice, there is a cocktail for everyone to bring the flavors of Thanksgiving to your home. We’re especially loving the Cran-Spiced Martini, by Reyka Vodka Ambassador Trevor Schneider, that is made with a luxe vanilla spiced syrup. There’s also the Recuerdo Mezcal Pumpkin Pie, bringing together the flavors of pumpkin, cinnamon and, of course, some smoky tequila! A personal favorite this holiday season is the Lillet Rouge Mulled Wine, which uses the lightly spiced, bitter aperitif wine, mixed with apple cider, cinnamon, bourbon and orange. Yum!
If you’re looking for a delicious wine to drink with your Thanksgiving meal, we highly recommend the new Meiomi Cabernet Sauvignon. Sourced from Meiomi’s signature tri-appellation regions, Sonoma, Monterey and Santa Barbara, Meiomi Cabernet Sauvignon offers a beautifully balanced and deliciously complex wine just in time for the holiday season. It’s the perfect complement to your Thanksgiving feast!
If you need a little dessert inspo, look no further than the simple Baileys Red Velvet Cupcake Martini, with just two ingredients of Baileys Red Velvet and Vodka!
Enjoy the cocktails below and be sure to tag HollywoodLife on Instagram if you make any!
Cran-Spiced Martini by Trevor Schneider, Reyka Vodka Ambassador
2 parts Reyka Vodka
1 part cranberry 100% juice
¾ part Vanilla spiced syrup
Glass: Martini
Garnish: Skewered cranberries
Combine all the ingredients into shaker with ice. Shake, strain & garnish. *Vanilla spiced syrup recipe: Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, ¼ tsp. ground black pepper, 5 tsp. allspice, 1 cinnamon stick (2 ½”). Bring to a boil in a pot. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Let cool completely. Fine strain and add ½ oz vanilla extract.
Milano Manhattan at Fia Restaurant
2 oz Bourbon
.5 oz Amaro
.5 oz Sweet Vermouth
Pinch of Salt
2 Dash Orange Bitters
Stir, strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
Grapefruit Cinnamon Smash
1.5 oz / 45 ml Belvedere Vodka
1/4 Ruby Red Grapefruit, Cut Into Chunks
2 dashes Ground Cinnamon
.75 oz / 20 ml Lemon Juice
.75 oz / 20 ml Simple Syrup
2-3 Dashes Bitters
Atkins Low Carb Cranberry Pear Cocktail (3 net carbs)
Serves 5
70 g Asian pear
70 g cranberries
¼ cup Truvia Sweet Complete
¼ cup water
2.5 fluid ounces vodka
20 fluid ounces sparkling wine
Peel, core and chop the pear. Add to a small saucepan with cranberries, sweetener, and water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium low and cook until cranberries burst and the volume decreases, 10-12 minutes. Scrape cranberry mixture into a blender and puree with a corner of the lid lose to allow steam to escape. Place in a glass jar or small bowl and chill in the refrigerator until cool, at least 1 ½ hours. To assemble the cocktail, combine 2 tablespoons of the cranberry pear mixture and 1 tablespoon vodka in a champagne glass. Add about ½ cup sparkling wine, and garnish with frozen cranberries and a pear slice if desired.
Ketel One’s Marvelous Espresso Martini
1 ½ oz Ketel One Vodka
1 oz Cold Brew Coffee
.5 oz Local Honey
Seasonal Sprinkles or Citrus Zest for garnish
Add all ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds, double strain into a chilled coupe glass.
The Family Dinner by Paul Feig
1 ounce Artingstall’s Brilliant London Dry Gin
1 ounce apple brandy
1/2 ounce cherry heering
1/4 ounce Allspice Dram
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/4 ounce maple syrup
8 dashes cranberry bitters
Stir all the ingredients in a shaker without ice to dissolve the maple syrup. Add ice and shake. Empty drink and ice into a collins or highball glass. Add extra ice to fill, garnish with some frozen cranberries and enjoy!
Blender Eggnog with the Ninja Foodi Power Nutri Duo Smoothie Bowl Maker and Personal Blender
6 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus additional for garnish
3/4 cup brandy
1/2 cup spiced or dark rum
3 1/2 cups low-fat milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
Using the Bottom Blades in your Ninja Blender, add the eggs and sugar.
Select Speed 1 and flip the switch to START. Slowly increase to Speed 6 and blend for 10 seconds. Add all of the remaining ingredients and blend for 30 seconds. Chill completely before serving. Garnish with a sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg.
Smirnoff Winter Cranberry Mimosa
1 oz Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka
2 oz. Cranberry Sorbet
3 oz. Prosecco
Add cranberry sorbet into a flute glass. Pour 1 oz Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka over the sorbet. Top with prosecco and sugared cranberries.
Lavender Chills
1.5 oz The Botanist Islay Dry Gin
1.5 oz Cold Brew
0.5 oz Lavender Syrup
2 oz Tonic Water
Pour The Botanist Islay Dry Gin, Cold Brew and Lavender syrup into cocktail shaker. Shake and strain over ice into a Highball glass. Top with Tonic Water. *Lavender “Tea” Syrup: 1:1 sugar to water. Bring to Boil, turn off, add lavender and let sit for 10 minutes to infuse lavender. Serve when cooled.
Rome with a View
1 oz Cinzano Extra Dry
1 oz Campari
1 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
Top with Soda Water
Garnish: 1 slice of orange
Glass: Highball
Shake all the ingredients except the soda and strain into a glass with fresh ice. Add the Soda, stir and top with a slice of orange Created by Michael McIlroy, from Attaboy in New York.
Autumn Old Fashioned
2 1/2 oz Monkey 47 Gin
1/4 oz Autumn Spice Syrup*
Dash Angostura Bitters
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass, add ice, stir for 7 seconds, pour over fresh ice (or giant ice cube) in a rocks glass and garnish with an orange twist studded with cloves. Note: grab a seasonal cookie cutter from a kitchen store and make a pumpkin, cat, or leaf shape out of
the orange twist and put it on top of the ice cube. *Autumn Spice Syrup* Steep 4 chai tea bags in 1 cup of boiling water for 5 mins. Remove tea bags and add 1 cup of sugar. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved, let cool completely, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
Winc’s limited-edition Fall Harvest Pack
Available in 6-bottles ($86.99) or 12-bottles ($182.99). Includes 2019 Ace in the Hole Caberent Sauvingon, 2019 Ye-Ye White Blend, 2019 Rosa Obscura Red Blend & more delicious varietals.
Recuerdo Mezcal Pumpkin Pie
1.5 oz Recuerdo Mezcal Joven
1 oz Grand Marnier
2 Tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 oz cinnamon syrup (1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 1-2 sticks cinnamon – break apart the cinnamon sticks and heat alongside the water and sugar to a gentle boil and reduce to a simmer for 1-2 minutes while stirring. Pull off the heat and allow to sit 30-60 minutes to infuse the cinnamon. Cool and strain the cinnamon.)
Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice then double strain into a chilled old-fashioned glass with ice. Garnish with a roasted pumpkin slice.
Woodford Reserve Bourbon Milk Punch
2 cups cream
2 cups whole milk
1 cup Woodford Reserve bourbon
¾ cup sifted powdered sugar
½ vanilla bean
Fresh grated nutmeg
In a metal bowl over an ice bath, whisk sugar, cream, milk, and bourbon until nice and frothy. Add vanilla bean and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher. Place pitcher in freezer for 30 minutes to an hour stirring on occasion. Pour into glass and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.
The ‘Brewchgiving Mix
1.5 ounces of Kombrewcha’s Ginger Lemon
2 ounces of Applejack or Apple Brandy
.75 ounce Fresh lemon juice
.5 ounce maple syrup
.5 ounce of sweet vermouth
Egg white of 1 egg (around +/-1 ounce)
Drop of vanilla extract
2 dashes of orange bitters
Sprinkling of nutmeg
Add all ingredients, apart from the Kombrewcha, to a cocktail tin and shake well with ice. While all ingredients remain in tin with ice, add 1.5 ounces of Kombrewcha’s Ginger Lemon, give a swirl, and strain into a coupe/cocktail glass. Garnish the glass with a sprinkly-swipe of nutmeg seasoning. All the ingredients lying around for Thanksgiving baking!
Cranberry Bramble
1 ½ oz Beefeater Gin
1 oz Cranberry Sauce
¾ oz Lemon Juice
½ oz Orange Juice
Build in tin. Ice. Shake. Strain. Garnish with Rosemary.
Bulleit Rye Hot Toddy
1 ⅓ oz Bulleit Rye
4-5 Cloves
1 Lemon Twist
1 Cinnamon Stick
¼ Lemon Juice
1 tbsp demerara or fine brown sugar
Hot water
To begin, fill up the glass, mug or favorite YETI rambler with fresh boiling water. While the mug is warming up, cut a lemon twist and stud it with cloves. Next, throw out the water in the mug and add fresh boiling water. Add 1 bar spoon of demerara or fine brown sugar and stir to dissolve. Add lemon and clove garnish, ¼ oz lemon juice, cinnamon stick, and stir. Finally, add 1.3 oz of Bulleit Rye and stir a final time.
Jimador’s Old Fashioned
2 oz of tequila (may we suggest Mijenta Blanco)
.5 oz Piloncillo Syrup (made from unrefined whole cane sugar)
2 dashes of Chocolate Mole Bitters
Stir all ingredients with plenty of ice until very cold. Strain into a rocks glass with an ice sphere placed in the center. Garnish with cinnamon and an orange peel.
Easy Breezy
2 parts Courvoisier® VS Cognac
4 parts Cranberry
Build in the glass, add ice and top with cranberry. Glass: Hi Ball, Garnish: Orange Slice.
Maple Rummy
3 ounces Barefoot Chardonnay
1/2 ounce dark rum
1/2 ounce maple syrup
1/8 lime wedge
Pour Barefoot Chardonnay, rum and syrup in a rocks glass. Stir until maple syrup is completely dissolved. Fill glass with ice, squeeze lime wedge into glass and drop in the shell.
Honey & Spice Rock
2 parts D’USSE XO Cognac
1 honey & spice infused ice cube
To make infused ice cube: In an ice mold, add purified or boiled water (cooled), honey water (1 part honey, 1 part water), ginger, cinnamon sticks and black peppercorns. Freeze until solid.
Spiced Up Cider
1.5 oz BACARDÍ Spiced Rum
0.5 oz Lime Juice (fresh pressed)
0.5 oz Cinnamon Syrup
3 oz Martinelli’s Sparkling Apple Cider
Fill a highball glass with ice. Combine and shake BACARDÍ Spiced Rum, Lime Juice and Cinnamon Syrup, and strain into the highball glass with ice. Top with Sparkling Apple Cider and garnish with a lime wedge.
RumHaven Thank Haven
2 oz. RumHaven
1 1/2 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
3/4 oz. Honey Syrup
2-3 Basil Leaves
Add ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice, and shake vigorously. Double strain cocktail into a chilled martini or coupe glass. Garnish with basil.
Malibu Fizz
1 part Malibu Original
1 part Fresh lime juice
1 part Cranberry juice
top up with Sparkling wine
Edible glitter
Wet the rim of a glass and dip it in edible glitter (optional). Pour Malibu, lime juice and cranberry juice. Top up with prosecco and enjoy!
Autumn Equinox, created by mixologist Danny Louie
1.5oz Tanqueray London Dry
.75oz Almond Syrup
.75oz Lime
.25oz Passionfruit (Small Hands Food)
Build all ingredients in a shaker and shake. Fine strain into a punch glass. Garnish with grated nutmeg.
The Harper Carol, created by mixologist Adrian Alvarez
1 oz I.W. Harper
0.5 oz Italian Red Bitter
0.75 oz Pineapple Juice
0.75 oz Lemon
0.25 oz Cinnamon-Date Syrup
Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin, shake, double-strain into a coupe.
Baileys Red Velvet Cupcake Martini
1 1/2 oz Baileys Red Velvet
3/4 oz Vodka
Add Baileys Red Velvet and vodka in an ice-filled shaker. Shake with ice and pour into a martini glass.
Holiday Margarita
2oz Cutwater Blanco Tequila
.75oz pomegranate juice
.75oz lime juice
.5oz agave
.5oz cranberry juice
Salted rim and lime wheel
Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until cold. Strain over fresh ice. Garnish with lime wheel.
Stay Incider, created by Josue Romero, The Garnish Guy
2 oz Apothic Red
1 oz Cognac
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/4 oz Lemon Juice
3 oz Hot Water
Garnish: Cinnamon Stick, Apples, Star Anise, Nutmeg
Place all the ingredients into a heat resistant container, including the garnishes, and stir until all the ingredients are fully combined. It makes two servings.
Apple Cider Mule
1 oz. Ving Vodka
1 Teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
1/4 cup Apple Cider
1/4 Reed’s Ginger Ale
Sliced Apple Wedges for Garnish
Sprinkle with Pumpkin Pie Spice
Combine vodka, apple cider, lemon juice and ginger ale in a shaker and shake vigorously. Strain over ice; garnish with apple wedges, cinnamon sticks and Pumpkin Pie Spice.
Cinnamon Apple Smash
1.5 oz King St. Vodka
Half an Orange, Juiced
Sparkling Apple Cider
Ice
3/4 oz Fall Spiced Brown Sugar Simple Syrup
La Marca Apple Cider Cocktail
2 oz. Premium Brandy
4 oz. Apple Cider, chilled
8 oz. La Marca Prosecco, chilled
Splash of soda water, chilled
2 tbsp. Granulated sugar
½ tsp. Ground Cinnamon or Pumpkin Pie Spice
Optional: apple slices, for garnish, thinly sliced
In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, pour a few tablespoons or apple cider. Wet the edges of glasses in apple cider, then tap the wet edges in the cinnamon and sugar mixture to rim. Pour 1 oz. premium brandy, 2 oz. apple cider, and a splash of soda water into each glass. Top with 4 oz. La Marca Prosecco. Garnish with apple slices if desired and enjoy!