Thanksgiving Drink Ideas To Liven Up The Party

Turkey this, yams that — all we do is talk about food on Thanksgiving, and I can no longer handle the injustice! Thanksgiving is just as much about the drinks as it is the bites, which is exactly why we need to be focusing on Thanksgiving drink ideas pronto! And yes, both boozy and PG drinks alike.

You might know what you're making for dinner, and you might very comfortable with your baked brussels sprouts or your canned pumpkin pie or store-bought frozen artichoke dip, but people! Let's not neglect our drink game. Everyone will be expecting you to show up to Thanksgiving with some sort of dinner dish, but what no one will be expecting is for you to show up with the ingredients for a delicious and decadent seasonally-tuned drink that gets the party started and keeps it going.

So why not be that person who makes the extra effort to bring a drink that's not in a can or a bottle and wasn't picked at random off a shelf in a wine store. Be the life of the party by supplying the party with a life-force they dint know they needed. These are eight festive drink ideas that will wow your guests and surely make for an interesting night. As always, party responsibly.

Two Ingredient Apple Cider Mimosas

This is the perfect "Good Morning, let's get the party started!" drink, if you ask me. For early guests, follow this drink recipe by Wholefully and get things going right away. Most importantly, it's the easiest recipe you'll follow all day — you only need apple cider and Champagne.

Cranberry Thyme Gin and Tonic

This incredibly festive and sophisticated cocktail is surprisingly easy to make thanks to this chic recipe from A Cozy Kitchen. All you'll need are some cranberries, sugar, gin, fresh thyme, tonic and vanilla and orange juice to taste. It's the perfect surprise cocktail to switch up that traditional Thanksgiving wine game.

Gingery-Appley Hot Toddy

There's nothing wrong with the traditional Hot Toddy, but if you're looking for a warming pre-meal drink or post meal wind-down drink, this bright and flavorful cocktail is perfect. The added ginger and apple makes its flavor profile similar to some of the other things you'll be eating so it's a seamless transition drink. Follow this A Cozy Kitchen recipe with the following ingredients: apple cider, lemon, honey, ginger, cinnamon, star anise, and bourbon.

Pumpkin Pie Milkshake

This is probably the last opportunity for you to try out this delicious dessert drink for all ages, so go for it! The Cozy Kitchen recipe is probably best for those bizarre late night Thanksgiving cravings and calls for pumpkin ice cream, whole milk, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg and any pumpkin pie scraps your feel like adding in!

Hot Buttered Hazelnut Whiskey

Um yeah, that's a thing. Thanks to this drool-worthy recipe from Adventures in Cooking, you can win Thanksgiving when you whip up this decadent treat. You'll need: milk, cinnamon, whiskey, whipped cream and Frangelico.

Cranberry, Orange, Prosecco Cocktail

This Comfort of Cooking recipe is perfect for Thanksgiving. If you're looking of the perfect toasting drink, this is your go-to! The tart cranberries, the fresh orange, and the bubbly, sweet Prosecco will get everyone feeling festive in no time.

Maple Bourbon Cocktail

This Jelly Toast Blog recipe is super creative and sweet and festive. It's a holiday spin on an Old Fashioned and is a lot easier than it might look. You'll need: bourbon, maple syrup, orange juice and some bitters. You can garnish it as much as you like!

Pumpkin Spice, Dark And Stormy

You're going to want to get your paws on this Kitchen Confidante recipe before pumpkin flavors go out of season. This moody dinner drink has some good bite to it. You'll need: ginger beer, Kahlua Pumpkin Spice, ice and a lime wedge.

Images: A Cozy Kitchen; Courtesy of Blogs