7 Festive Thanksgiving Cocktails to Serve at Dinner That’ll Steal the Show

By Brandon D / October 2, 2025

You’ve got the turkey brining, the pies cooling, and the family texting “what time should we come?” Now it’s time to wow everyone with cocktails that taste like sweater weather in a glass. These seven festive Thanksgiving cocktails are easy to batch, dangerously sippable, and designed to play nice with savory bites and sweet desserts alike.

We’re talking cozy spices, bright citrus, and just enough sparkle to make the table feel special. Whether you want a bourbon hug or a crisp, bubbly refresher between bites of stuffing, there’s a drink here for every palate. Ready to stir, shake, and shine?

1. Cranberry-Orange Bourbon Smash With Thyme Sparkle

This is the Thanksgiving cocktail that wins over bourbon fans and skeptics alike. It’s tart, citrusy, a little woodsy from fresh thyme, and it plays beautifully with roast turkey and gravy. Serve it as guests arrive—watch the room warm up instantly.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz bourbon
• 1 oz unsweetened cranberry juice
• 3/4 oz fresh orange juice
• 1/2 oz simple syrup (1:1 sugar to water)
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 small sprig fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
• 1 orange peel or wheel, for garnish
• Ice
• Optional: splash of club soda for lift

Instructions:

1. In a shaker, gently muddle the thyme with the simple syrup to release the oils—don’t pulverize it.
2. Add bourbon, cranberry juice, orange juice, bitters, and ice. Shake 10–12 seconds until chilled.
3. Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass. Add a splash of club soda if you like it lighter.
4. Express an orange peel over the top and garnish with thyme and the peel or an orange wheel.

Serve with salty appetizers (prosciutto, cheddar, olives). Want it batchable? Multiply everything by 8, skip the ice, and keep chilled; add soda to individual glasses. For a sweeter take, swap simple syrup for maple syrup—cozy, right?

2. Sparkling Apple Cider 75 With Cinnamon Sugar Rim

Meet the fall cousin of the French 75: bright, bubbly, and apple-forward with a whisper of cinnamon. It’s light enough to sip all dinner long and festive enough to kick off the toast. Bonus: the cinnamon sugar rim makes everyone smile.

Ingredients:

• 1 oz gin (London dry or a citrus-forward gin)
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 oz maple syrup (Grade A)
• 3–4 oz chilled dry sparkling wine (Brut)
• 1 oz chilled unfiltered apple cider
• Cinnamon sugar (2 parts sugar, 1 part cinnamon) for rim
• Lemon twist or thin apple slice, for garnish
• Ice

Instructions:

1. Rim a chilled flute or coupe: Run a lemon wedge around the rim, dip in cinnamon sugar, and tap off excess.
2. In a shaker with ice, combine gin, lemon juice, and maple syrup. Shake briefly just to chill.
3. Strain into the prepared glass. Add the apple cider, then gently top with sparkling wine.
4. Garnish with a lemon twist or float a thin apple slice.

Keep everything cold for maximum bubbles. For a zero-proof version, swap gin for nonalcoholic gin and use alcohol-free sparkling wine—still fabulous. If your cider is very sweet, dial back the maple to 1/4 oz.

3. Roasted Pear + Sage Vodka Sour

This one tastes like a pear tart met a cocktail shaker. Roasting the pears concentrates their flavor, and sage brings a savory note that loves turkey, stuffing, and creamy sides. It’s elegant but unfussy—your foodie cousin will ask for the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz vodka
• 1 oz roasted pear puree (see note)
• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 oz honey syrup (1:1 honey to hot water)
• 1 egg white or 1 oz aquafaba (for foam; optional)
• 2–3 fresh sage leaves, plus extra for garnish
• Ice

Roasted Pear Puree: Halve and core 2 ripe Bartlett or Anjou pears. Roast cut-side up at 400°F (205°C) with a drizzle of honey and a pinch of salt for 20–25 minutes until soft. Cool, then blend until smooth. Strain if you like it silky.

Instructions:

1. In a shaker, gently clap the sage leaves between your palms to release aroma; add to shaker.
2. Add vodka, roasted pear puree, lemon juice, honey syrup, and egg white/aquafaba if using.
3. Dry shake (no ice) for 10 seconds to build foam. Add ice and shake hard for 12–15 seconds.
4. Double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a small sage leaf or a light grate of nutmeg.

Serve alongside richer dishes—this cuts through buttery flavors. No time to roast pears? Use bottled pear nectar and add a tiny pinch of salt to mimic that roasted depth. For a lighter version, top with a splash of club soda.

4. Pecan Pie Old Fashioned (Yes, It’s As Good As It Sounds)

Think classic Old Fashioned, but with toasted pecan and maple notes that nod to dessert without turning syrupy. It’s smooth, aromatic, and a total crowd-pleaser for the bourbon loyalists at the table. Sip it slow—like a sweater for your soul.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz bourbon or rye
• 1/4 oz toasted pecan syrup (see note)
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 dash orange bitters
• Orange peel, for garnish
• 1 toasted pecan, for garnish (optional)
• Large ice cube

Toasted Pecan Syrup: Toast 1 cup pecans in a dry skillet until fragrant. Simmer with 1 cup water and 1 cup brown sugar for 10 minutes. Cool, steep 30 minutes, strain through cheesecloth. Add a pinch of salt and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract (optional) for pecan pie vibes. Keeps 2 weeks chilled.

Instructions:

1. In a mixing glass, combine bourbon, pecan syrup, Angostura, and orange bitters with ice.
2. Stir 20–25 seconds until well chilled and slightly diluted.
3. Strain over a large ice cube in a rocks glass. Express an orange peel over the top; drop it in.
4. Garnish with a toasted pecan on a cocktail pick if you’re feeling extra.

Want it smokier? Use a high-rye bourbon or a splash of barrel-proof. To batch: For 8 drinks, mix 16 oz bourbon, 2 oz pecan syrup, 16 dashes Angostura, 8 dashes orange bitters. Chill and pour 3 oz per glass over ice; stir to dilute in-glass.

5. Gingered Cran-Apple Mule Pitcher

Mules are made for a crowd, and this one’s set up for easy pouring. It’s zingy from fresh ginger, tart with cranberry, and crisp with apple cider—like a holiday walk in the woods, but in a copper mug. Great with appetizers, great with pie, great all night.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz vodka
• 8 oz unsweetened cranberry juice
• 8 oz unfiltered apple cider
• 6 oz fresh lime juice
• 4 oz ginger syrup (see note) or high-quality ginger beer concentrate
• 24–32 oz chilled ginger beer (to top when serving)
• Apple slices, fresh cranberries, and lime wheels, for garnish
• Ice

Ginger Syrup: Simmer 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup chopped fresh ginger for 10 minutes. Cool and strain. Spicy and bright.

Instructions:

1. In a large pitcher, combine vodka, cranberry juice, cider, lime juice, and ginger syrup. Stir and chill at least 1 hour.
2. When ready to serve, fill mugs or glasses with ice, pour the mix halfway up, and top with chilled ginger beer.
3. Garnish with apple slices, cranberries, and a lime wheel. Give each glass a quick stir.

Adjust sweetness by swapping some cranberry juice for cranberry cocktail if you like it sweeter. No vodka? Try whiskey for a warmer profile or NA vodka for a zero-proof pitcher. Keep the ginger beer separate so your bubbles stay lively.

6. Spiced Pumpkin White Russian (Dessert in a Glass)

This is creamy, cozy, and just spiced enough—basically pumpkin pie with a caffeine wink. It makes a perfect dessert cocktail or a luxurious sipper while the pies set. And yes, it’s wildly Instagrammable with a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz vodka
• 1 oz coffee liqueur (Kahlúa or similar)
• 1 oz pumpkin cream mix (see note)
• 1 oz half-and-half or heavy cream (adjust richness to taste)
• Pinch of ground cinnamon and nutmeg, plus more for garnish
• Ice

Pumpkin Cream Mix: Whisk 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk, 1/4 cup milk, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Keeps 5 days chilled. Shake before using.

Instructions:

1. Fill a rocks glass with ice. Add vodka and coffee liqueur; stir briefly.
2. In a separate vessel, combine pumpkin cream mix and half-and-half. Shake or whisk until smooth.
3. Gently float or pour the pumpkin cream over the back of a spoon onto the drink for a layered look, or stir it all together—your call.
4. Dust with a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg.

For less sweetness, use unsweetened pumpkin puree thinned with milk and skip the condensed milk. Want to batch for dessert? Mix the pumpkin cream in advance and let guests build their own over ice. It’s a fun, low-effort “wow.”

7. Rosemary-Grapefruit Paloma Punch

Need something bright to balance all the richness? This Paloma-inspired punch is your answer: citrusy, slightly herbal, and refreshingly bubbly. It keeps the table lively and pairs like a dream with herby stuffing and roast veggies.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz blanco tequila
• 16 oz fresh grapefruit juice (ruby red if you want it sweeter)
• 6 oz fresh lime juice
• 4 oz rosemary syrup (see note)
• 16–24 oz chilled club soda or grapefruit soda (to taste)
• Pinch of kosher salt
• Grapefruit wheels and rosemary sprigs, for garnish
• Ice

Rosemary Syrup: Simmer 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar until dissolved. Remove from heat, add 4 rosemary sprigs, and steep 20 minutes. Strain and chill.

Instructions:

1. In a punch bowl or large pitcher, combine tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, rosemary syrup, and a pinch of salt. Stir and chill thoroughly.
2. Right before serving, add large ice cubes, then top with club soda or grapefruit soda to your sweetness level.
3. Garnish with grapefruit wheels and rosemary sprigs. Ladle into ice-filled glasses.

Make it lighter with more soda or swap tequila for mezcal if you want a subtle smokiness. For a zero-proof version, use a nonalcoholic tequila alternative or skip it and add extra grapefruit plus a splash of tonic for bite. Pro tip: freeze grapefruit juice in large cubes to prevent dilution.

Tips for Stress-Free Holiday Bartending

• Batch smart: Anything stirred or built (Old Fashioned, Mule, Punch) is easy to batch. Shake to order for sours and fizzes.
• Chill everything: Cold bottles and mixers mean better texture and less dilution.
• Garnish station: Pre-slice citrus, prep herb sprigs in damp paper towels, and set out picks to speed service.
• Ice matters: Large cubes for spirit-forward drinks; crushed or standard cubes for highballs and mules.
• Offer a zero-proof duo: Keep NA spirits or club soda on deck so every recipe can be made spirit-free.

Pairing Notes to Win the Table

• Bourbon-based (Cranberry-Orange Smash, Pecan Pie Old Fashioned): Great with roast turkey, sweet potatoes, and pecan or pumpkin pie.
• Bubbly and citrusy (Apple Cider 75, Paloma Punch): Ideal aperitifs—cut richness and awaken the palate.
• Herbal and fruity (Pear + Sage Sour): Loves herb-heavy stuffing and Brussels sprouts.
• Ginger and mule-style: Handles everything from cheese boards to pie without getting cloying.
• Creamy dessert cocktails (Pumpkin White Russian): Serve post-meal or alongside pie if you’re living your best life.

There you go—seven festive Thanksgiving cocktails that deliver big flavor with minimal fuss. Pick two to batch, one to shake, and let the compliments roll in. Your turkey might be the star, but these drinks? They’ll get a standing ovation too. Cheers and happy Thanksgiving!