Thanksgiving Libations
With the big day a week away, some libations are in order. Here are some great cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages for all your guests.
Mocktails
Pilgrim’s Punch – recipe courtesy of About.com
Create enough for any sized group by keeping the ratio at 3 parts each grape and cranberry juices and 4 parts water.
3 oz grape juice
3 oz cranberry juice
4 oz cold sparkling water
lemon twist for garnish
Pour the cranberry and grape juice into a highball glass with ice cubes. Add the sparkling water, stir well, garnish with the lemon twist.
Apple-Ginger Sparkler – recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart
Our all-time favorite drink, I made it last year for a party, and now it’s a regular on the party circuit.
1/4 cup ginger syrup (recipe below)
4 1/2 cups sparkling apple cider
6 cinnamon sticks
6 pieces crystallized ginger
Ginger syrup – Allowing the ginger to sit in the syrup, refrigerated, overnight really makes it strong! Then it’s perfect. This recipe makes 2 cups.
2 cups sugar
1 six-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, and finely diced
2 cups water
Place sugar, ginger, and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook about 1 hour, until ginger flavor is quite strong. Let cool; strain before using. Store in an airtight container, refrigerated, up to a week.
Place 2 tablespoons ginger syrup in each of six glasses. Fill glasses with ice cubes, pour in cider, and stir to combine. Garnish with cinnamon sticks and crystallized ginger and serve.
Cocktails
Gobble-tini – recipe courtesy of CocktailTimes.com
1 1/2 oz Smirnoff cranberry twist vodka
1/4 oz Chambord
1/2 oz cranberry juice
1 tsp lemon juice
Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with 3 cranberries on stick.
Cranberry Punch – recipe courtesy of CocktailTimes.com
2 cups red wine
1 cup vodka
1/4 cup spiced rum
1/2 cup Ocean Spray Ruby Tangerine Grapefruit Juice Drink, chilled
2 cups Ocean Spray Cran-Raspberry Raspberry Cranberry Juice Drink, chilled
1/2 cup green or red grapes, sliced in half
1/4 cup fresh cranberries
1 lemon, lime, orange and apple, each sliced
1 cup sparkling water or club soda
Combine wine, vodka, spiced rum and juices in a punch bowl. Add fruit and chill. Add sparking water just before serving. Makes approximately 10 5-ounce servings.
Apple Cinnamon Toast – recipe courtesy of CocktailTimes.com
1 1/4 oz. Smirnoff Green Apple Twist vodka
1/2 oz. Goldschlager
Dash of Green Apple Jell-O
Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass rimmed with cinnamon. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and apple slice.
Pumpkin Pie – Recipe courtesy of NYMag.com
2 parts Absolut Vanilla vodka
1 part pumpkin schnapps
Splash of cream (or substitute a splash of orange juice) Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with nutmeg and cherry.
