Expert cocktail recipes for your Thanksgiving table
Thanksgiving is a marathon of a meal, but a thoughtful cocktail can set the pace. Here, Atlanta bartenders share recipes that carry the holiday, from a cranberry spritz that’s just as good without the booze to a pumpkin spice espresso that rivals the pie.
Sip this as you watch the parade: Cranberry Cooler
Kick off the day with the Cranberry Cooler from Erik Ramirez, beverage manager at Kindred in Oak Grove. Tequila and Aperol meet tart cranberry, lime and maple, with a splash of apple cider vinegar for brightness, all topped with club soda for a spritz you can sip through the parade, the football game and the last-minute basting.
“This cocktail is a fun, easy-drinking spritz that features some classic Thanksgiving ingredients,” Ramirez said. “It’s easily made into a mocktail, so everyone can enjoy!”
A sprig of rosemary on top adds a whiff of the holiday table, and the cranberry juice gives it a festive blush. Kids and designated drivers can get in on it too; simply leave out the tequila and Aperol.
What to serve as guests arrive: A three-ingredient aperitif
When guests begin to gather, pour them a Bitter Harvest from Matt Watkins, beverage director at Fawn, the wine and amaro bar in Decatur. It takes just three ingredients and needs nothing but a stir, so you can make it with one hand while greeting guests with the other.
The drink is meant “to bring out the flavors of autumn,” Watkins said. Calvados, the apple brandy of Normandy, lays down a bright, orchard-fruit base. Bonal, a wine-based French quinquina, adds an earthy, figgy bitterness. Local Eno amaro brings baking spices and citrus. A twist of orange over the top ties it all together. Bittersweet aperitifs were created to wake up the appetite, which is exactly what you want before the turkey hits the table.
A cocktail that complements the holiday meal: A crisp sake cocktail
When it’s time to sit down, Mona Allen, sake sommelier at Koshu Club, the Japanese-inspired steak restaurant in Buckhead, suggests something lighter. Her Gintsuru, which means “silver crane,” builds on a base of dry sake, with a little Haku vodka for structure, Cocchi Americano for a gentle, bittersweet lift and a few drops of white peach bitters.
“The Gintsuru is light, bright, and fresh,” Allen said, making it wonderful “to entice the palate for Thanksgiving dinner.” She describes it as “perfectly crisp; it doubles as a lovely palate cleanser, while a gentle umami from the sake complements the holiday table.”
A cocktail as spirited as the Thanksgiving dinner conversation: A spiced pear Manhattan
For a drink to carry through the main event, Jakob McCabe-Johnston of Kimball House turns to a classic with deep roots. This year, Punch named McCabe-Johnston one of the nation’s 10 Best New Bartenders.
His Spiced Pear Manhattan looks to the bottles behind the bar, splitting the base between rye, cognac and pear brandy. “The fall, (which is) less bountiful in local produce than the spring and summer, is a great time to utilize your backbar,” he said.
St. George Spiced Pear Liqueur brings natural pear flavor along with the aromatic spice you’d find in a fortified wine. St. George Pear brandy pushes the fresh fruit further, Punt e Mes sweet vermouth adds a bittersweet depth and cognac pulls everything back into lush, Manhattan-style balance.
The cocktail for dessert: A pumpkin spice espresso martini
End the night with Harvest After Dark from Keyatta Mincey, beverage consultant for Heritage Supper Club in Summerhill. It’s a seasonal take on the signature espresso martini she created for the new restaurant. “Dark rum and espresso provide a bold foundation,” she said, “while pumpkin and warming baking spices bring the comforting flavors of Thanksgiving to the glass.”
Chocolate bitters and a couple of drops of saline deepen the coffee notes without adding sweetness. A wet shake followed by a dry shake gives the drink its velvety foam. The cocktail offers a little flexibility for home bartenders, whether you prefer to make your pumpkin spice syrup from scratch or take a shortcut with a bottled version and spend the time with your guests instead.
RECIPES
These recipes are built for home bars, with substitutions noted for harder-to-find bottles.
Cranberry Cooler, from Erik Ramirez of Kindred
To make this a mocktail, omit tequila and Aperol.
Serves 1
- 1½ ounces tequila
- ½ ounce Aperol
- ½ ounce cranberry juice
- ½ ounce fresh lime juice
- ½ ounce maple syrup
- ¼ ounce apple cider vinegar
- Soda water, to top
- Lime wheel and rosemary sprig, for garnish
- Combine tequila, Aperol, cranberry juice, lime juice, maple syrup and vinegar in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until well chilled.
- Strain into a wine glass filled with ice. Top with soda water. Garnish with a lime wheel and a rosemary sprig.
Bitter Harvest, from Matt Watkins of Fawn
Serves 1
- 1½ ounces Calvados or other apple brandy
- ¾ ounce Bonal
- ¾ ounce Eno Amaro
- Orange peel, for garnish
- Combine Calvados, Bonal and amaro in a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until well chilled.
- Strain into a chilled coupe. Express the orange peel over the drink.
Gintsuru, from Mona Allen of Koshu Club
Serves 1
- 2 ounces crisp, dry sake, such as Sake ONO, Otokoyama or Hakkaisan Tokubetsu Honjozo
- ½ ounce Haku vodka
- ½ ounce Cocchi Americano
- 3 to 4 drops Ms. Better’s Mt. Fuji White Peach bitters or other fruit-forward bitters
- Lemon peel, for garnish
- Combine sake, vodka, Cocchi Americano and bitters in a mixing glass. Fill with ice and stir for 15 to 20 seconds, until well chilled.
- Strain into a chilled glass. Express the lemon peel over the drink and drop it in, if desired.
Spiced Pear Manhattan, from Jakob McCabe-Johnston of Kimball House
Serves 1
- 1 ounce rye whiskey
- ¾ ounce Punt e Mes
- ½ ounce cognac
- ½ ounce St. George spiced pear liqueur
- ½ ounce St. George pear brandy
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- 2 dashes orange bitters
- Orange peel, for garnish
- Combine rye, Punt e Mes, cognac, pear liqueur, pear brandy, Angostura bitters and orange bitters in a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until well chilled.
- Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.
Harvest After Dark, from Keyatta Mincey for Heritage Supper Club
To make the saline solution, dissolve 1 part noniodized kosher or sea salt in 4 parts warm water. Store in a dropper bottle in the refrigerator for up to several months.
- 1½ ounces dark rum, such as False River Small Batch dark rum
- ½ ounce coffee liqueur, such as Poral espresso liqueur
- ¾ ounce freshly brewed espresso, cooled
- ¼ ounce pumpkin spice syrup (see recipe) or a prepared syrup, such as Reàl pumpkin infused syrup or Torani Puremade pumpkin spice
- 2 dashes chocolate bitters
- 2 drops saline solution
- Freshly grated nutmeg and 3 coffee beans, for garnish
- Combine rum, coffee liqueur, espresso, pumpkin spice syrup, bitters and saline in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for 10 to 12 seconds.
- Strain out the ice, return the liquid to the shaker and shake without ice for 8 to 10 seconds to build a velvety foam.
- Double strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Garnish with grated nutmeg and three coffee beans.
Pumpkin Spice Syrup
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened canned pumpkin puree
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a small saucepan, combine water, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon stick and salt. Simmer gently for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Strain, if desired, and cool.
- Refrigerate in a clean, airtight glass container for up to 3 to 4 days.
Makes about 1 cup.