17 Thanksgiving Cocktails Our Editors Love

Hard Cider Sangria

Instead of wine, this juicy sangria is made with hard cider spiked with lemon juice and apple brandy.

• Great Sangria Recipes

Pu-erh Tea Digestif

Sweet, smoky earthiness in the tea compliments the barrel-aged Cognac, making for a surprisingly smooth drink.

• Classic Cocktails

Apple Old-Fashioned

With a deep warmth from applejack, this variation on an Old-Fashioned lets floral honey and fresh apple flavors shine without getting overpowered. For a hot drink, combine ingredients in a heatproof glass with 2 ounces boiling water.

Apple-Brandy Hot Toddies

A hot toddy is basically a shot or two of any potent spirit added to a cup of hot water. Bartender Suzanne Bozarth puts a French spin on this warming drink with a slug of apple brandy, such as Calvados.

Dominicana

Sasha Petraske taught Richard Boccato this White Russian variation when Boccato worked for him at Milk & Honey. Boccato makes it with Caffé Lolita coffee liqueur.

Sparkling Cranberry-Ginger Punch with Toasted Spices

This low-alcohol punch leans on tart cranberry juice and spicy ginger ale for a big punch of flavor, allowing the booze to take a back seat. Frozen cranberries stand in for a traditional punch ring, keeping this fizzy drink nice and cold. Have an extra bottle of cold sparkling wine on hand for guests to top off their cups.

Cava and Pomegranate Cocktail

Removing seeds from a pomegranate can seem tricky. "Don't worry, it is easy!" José Andrés says. His method: Cut the pomegranate in half across the middle, not through the stem; then wrap each half in cheesecloth and, holding it over a large bowl, hit it hard with a spoon or rolling pin. "Just hit it! Really hit it!" Andrés urges. Then open up the bundle and pick out the seeds, which should practically pop out.

Gaelic Punch

For hot punches, young Irish whiskeys work best. Heat intensifies the tannic edge of older whiskeys; young ones stay smooth.

Bacchanalian

Chris Hannah loves serving this drink in the fall and winter--especially during Mardi Gras and the carnival season in New Orleans (January to March).

Rum and Orange Cocktail

Amaro Montenegro, an Italian digestif, brings strong flavors of orange to this pleasantly bitter cocktail. The drink starts out warm, with light, molasses-y sweetness coming through the first sip, but packs a pleasantly bitter bite. It's a touch smoky and delightfully strong. Finish it with a dash of grapefruit bitters, and garnish with a grapefruit peel twist.

Far from the Tree

Brooklyn bartender Ivy Mix, the award-winning co-owner of Leyenda in Brooklyn, shares this cardamom-scented holiday punch. Layers of apple flavor (from cold-pressed juice, apple brandy, hard cider, and fresh apple slices) give the not-too-boozy punch an autumnal feel.

Concord Grape Gin Fizz

This vibrant purple cocktail—made with Concord grapes, gin, port, and lemon—is frothy, fruity and refreshing.

Smoky Mezcal-Fig Sour

The spicy-sweet fig-ginger syrup rounds out the smoky mezcal and bright lemon juice in this cocktail. This drink is barely sweet, allowing the autumnal mezcal to shine.

Hot Buttered Spiked Cider

This spiked cider recipe is warming, sweet, and has just the right amount of spiced gold rum. Pumpkin pie spice offers an easy way to add autumnal flavor, while butter adds richness and makes the drink velvety. The cider is perfect for fall and winter, especially if you're entertaining outdoors and dealing with chilly weather.

Mott & Mulberry

Leo Robitschek uses fresh apple cider and maple syrup in his perfect cold-weather cocktail.

Gin Toasty

All it takes is a bit of hot water to give this warm alcoholic drink—a riff on a gin and tonic—a hot toddy–like edge: When heated, the botanicals in gin act like mulled spices. Using tonic syrup instead of tonic water is crucial to the drink; hot water does the same trick that effervescent bubbles do to ferry the aromatics in the gin and the syrup right up to your nose. The result is an ingeniously simple warm cocktail, perfect for a snowy winter day.

Oaxacan Coffee

With a float of whipped cream and just enough sweetness to temper the bitter coffee and herbal notes in the mezcal, this spiked coffee cocktail is well-balanced and fortifying. To make piloncillo syrup, simmer 1 (8-oz.) cone of piloncillo in 1 cup water in a small saucepan until dissolved, about 10 minutes.