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These festive Thanksgiving cocktails and drinks feature seasonal flavors like apple cider, pomegranate, cranberry, bourbon, and warming spices. They’re easy drink recipes perfect for your holiday celebration!

Thanksgiving sangria in glass
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Thanksgiving is full of traditions, and at my house I’m all about the signature drink. As cocktail experts, my husband Alex and I love to create a fun drink each year to add a sparkle to the meal.

I’ve spent years perfecting my approach to holiday drinks, moving away from overly sweet punch bowls toward balanced cocktails that complement the meal. The best Thanksgiving drinks are deliciously balanced with the flavors of fall, starring apple cider, pomegranate, cranberry, bourbon, infused with cozy spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Here are the drinks that consistently get rave reviews from my friends and family!

Best Thanksgiving cocktails and drinks

Want to search by liquor? Try our Fall Bourbon Cocktails or Fall Vodka Cocktails.

Nonalcoholic Thanksgiving drinks

Not everyone drinks alcohol, and frankly, I’ve also been drinking a lot more nonalcoholic options lately! I always make sure to offer at least one or two mocktails alongside the cocktail menu. Here are my favorite nonalcoholic Thanksgiving drinks:

  • These 5 Thanksgiving Mocktails are my top picks for a non alcoholic drink!
  • Mulled Cider remains my gold standard for fall entertaining. I make a big pot on the stove with cinnamon sticks, cloves, and orange slices, then keep it warm in a slow cooker.
  • Pomegranate Punch or Holiday Punch tastes just as good without alcohol. The combination of pomegranate, citrus, and maple syrup creates enough complexity that nobody misses the booze.
  • Homemade Hot Chocolate is a crowd-pleaser that works for all ages. I make mine with real chocolate and cocoa powder for a rich flavor.
  • Masala Chai hits all those warming, spicy notes that make Thanksgiving feel cozy.
  • Apple Cider Slushie is my secret weapon for keeping kids happy while the adults sip their cocktails.

Pairing drinks with Thanksgiving dinner

The right drink can make the entire meal. Here’s how I think about pairing:

Make-ahead cocktail strategies

Thanksgiving is chaotic enough without adding complicated cocktail recipes to the mix. Here’s what I prep ahead:

Spiced simple syrups can be made a few days in advance and stored in the fridge. I make my spiced syrup for the sangria or apple cider syrup for margaritas the day before.

Pre-batch stirred cocktails like the Old Fashioned or Manhattan in a pitcher. They just need ice and a garnish when it’s time to serve.

Prep garnishes the morning of: slice citrus, prepare apple garnishes in lemon water, and portion out pomegranate arils into small containers.

More Thanksgiving recipes

We’ve got a full suite of Thanksgiving resources to help you plan for this holiday! Whether it’s mains, sides, appetizers, or desserts: we’ve got you covered! Here are a few lists of recipes:

About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi there! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of two cookbooks, busy parents, and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share simple, seasonal recipes and the joy of cooking. We now offer thousands of original recipes, cooking tips, and meal planning ideas—all written and photographed by the two of us (and tested on our kids!).

Leave a Comment

3 Comments

  1. Sabrina says:

    a great checklist, which cocktails haven’t my guests had recently? Even after Thanksgiving it works well for the whole holiday season, so thank you

  2. Bisrat Abraha says:

    It was very helpful for me to prepare a cocktail list for my upcoming Thanksgiving Dinner at my restaurant. Since we are having apples, cranberry and pumpkins on the set menu, why not pair it up with some of the apple, cranberry and pumpkin drinks.

    Thanks a lot!

  3. Sonja Overhiser says:

    Let us know if you have any questions!