Thanksgiving Drinks for a Crowd

Leo Robitschek of The NoMad Bar in NYC makes his perfect holiday punch with warming flavors of pear, cinnamon and citrus.

Although Spaniards and Portuguese have been drinking sangria for centuries, the brandy-spiked drink didn’t make an official appearance in the United States until 1964, at the World’s Fair in New York City.

This bourbon based party punch will please any thirsty crowd.

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.

For parties, Kathy Casey premixes the first four ingredients in large batches (3 parts vodka to 1 part each liqueur, Lillet and lemon juice). When she’s ready to pour, she fills a shaker with ice and 3 ounces of the mixture, shakes, strains into a glass and tops with Champagne.

This strong but not overly sweet sangria is nicely spiced with cinnamon, anise and cloves and it has just enough crushed red pepper to give it a tiny kick.

Master bartender Wayne Collins prefers using premium, naturally sweetened tonic water (sometimes called Indian tonic water) in this punch. Q Tonic, made with agave nectar, and Fever-Tree, sweetened with cane sugar, are both excellent brands.

“It may seem like a bit of a nuisance to make such a labor-intensive drink,” says John Gertsen of this classic 19th-century eggnog. “But...there’s nothing better than a nice, hot Tom & Jerry.”

To underscore the rich flavor of dark Sumatra coffee, Bryan Dayton mixes it with aged rum, spicy, saffron-based Strega and molasses-y raw sugar. He even spices up the whipped cream, with bittersweet Italian Averna.

Using tangerine juice in place of lemon juice turns the Tom Collins into a great seasonal cocktail. If tangerines aren’t available, you can substitute tangelos or clementines.

Scotch-lover Father Cameron Ayers (a close friend of Duggan McDonnell’s) challenged the mixologist to come up with a Scotch-based cocktail that was bold and refreshing but stayed true to the whisky’s roots.

Faced with two half-empty bottles of Zinfandel, F&W Test Kitchen supervisor Marcia Kiesel came up with this warm mulled wine, spiced with fennel seeds and cinnamon.

In this pleasantly tart punch, David Wondrich mixes Irish whiskey with gin to mimic the taste of a richer, older style of gin.

This extra-refreshing cocktail combines sweet wine and the bitter Italian aperitif Campari.

Ken Oringer preheats the Thermos he uses to transport his deliciously spiced cider by filling it with boiling water and letting it sit for a few minutes. Pouring the mulled cider into a Thermos that's already warm helps keep the drink hot.

This puckery drink is prepared with rum and fresh mint like a classic mojito, but New Orleans chef John Besh makes it holiday-worthy by topping it with a splash of Champagne.

Gary Sullivan created this food-friendly sangria around rosé. “I wanted to maintain the wine’s fresh fruit flavors,” he says.

Bartenders mix batches of cocktails like this potent Fish House Punch, transfer them into empty wine bottles, then let patrons pour drinks for themselves.