Cocktails for Managing Your Family Thanksgiving

Each year during this season, I’m always thankful I belong to a family that drinks. Whether we are engaging in a forced family fun trivia game or keeping our mouths shut when you know who brings up you know what, the presence of alcohol just makes everyone a little happier and more relaxed. Now, I’m not saying that we should overindulge in alcohol {ever}, but a seasonal cocktail when the turkey is served is a win in my book.

Here are a few Thanksgiving Day scenarios you could possibly be facing, along with a recommended cocktail for each…

Thanksgiving Cocktails

Your kids woke up earlier than usual, and they’ve already destroyed your clean house in less than five minutes. 

But first, coffee. And since it’s Thanksgiving, how about a side of vodka with your coffee? If you have any pumpkin spice latte fanatics in your family, or you are one yourself, then make this coffee based cocktail, made with pumpkin pie vodka. Yes, I said pumpkin pie vodka.

Ingredients ::

4 ½ cups of brewed coffee
1 ¼ cups of milk
1 ¼ cups of rum
½ cup of pumpkin pie vodka
¼ cup of sugar
½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Directions ::

See the full recipe for the Drunken Pumpkin Latte here.

Your family eats Thanksgiving Dinner shortly after sunrise, and you don’t know what to drink.

If you are eating your Thanksgiving meal between the hours of 1:00 – 4:00pm, you are probably dining with my family. Welcome. Take a seat. We eat at weird hours. I need you to just roll with it.

This is a white wine Fall Sangria recipe with fall flavors added to it. This is great for drinking during the day, and the cranberries, apples, and oranges floating on top make it look festive on the table.

Ingredients ::

1 large apple, cored and diced
1 cup of fresh cranberries
1 large orange, juiced and sliced
1/2 cup of raw honey
1/2 cup of unsweetened 100% cranberry juice
1/2 cup of brandy
2 bottles of dry Riesling
1 12-oz can of sparkling water

Directions ::

Get the complete recipe here.

Everyone is arriving and you are frantically texting your favorite cousin asking for an ETA and sending her inappropriate emojis.

Did someone say margarita? I bet you’d be pretty hard pressed to find someone at your Thanksgiving table that doesn’t like margaritas. We are in Texas, after all, where margaritas are part of our weekly diet. So, for Thanksgiving, why not try a Cranberry Margarita?

Ingredients ::

3 cups of store bought cranberry juice
1 1/2 cups of lime juice {fresh-squeezed is best}
1 1/2 cups of tequila
3/4 cup of Triple Sec

Directions ::

Stir ingredients together and serve over ice. Salt or sugar-rim the glasses and serve with fresh limes. And then toast to me, because you should know that somewhere out there, this is what I’m drinking on Thanksgiving, too!

If you prefer to drink your dessert.

The meal is over and you already might be planning your exit strategy {Black Friday shopping doesn’t start without you, after all}. But if you aren’t pretending one of your kids is sick and you stick around for dessert, you might opt to drink your dessert instead when you see this recipe. It’s a Caramel Apple Pie Martini, and it’s as sweet and delicious as it sounds.

Ingredients ::

6 ounces butterscotch schnapps
1 1/2 ounces 99 Apples Schapps
2 ounces Kahlua Coffee Liqueur
5 ounces french vanilla creamer
ice

Directions :: 

Click here for the full recipe.

When you are trying to convince your husband to hang out with your family a little bit longer so you and your Mom can sneak away to Target.

My husband loves few things more than a good glass of bourbon. And this Maple Bourbon Cocktail is a great drink for the man in your life. It still has the true oak flavor of bourbon, but the syrup makes it a little sweet. Have this on hand for him when it’s time for the football game to kickoff.

Ingredients ::

2 ounces bourbon
1 ounce fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2 ounce pure maple syrup
1-2 dashes of angostura bitters
orange peel and maraschino cherry for garnish

Directions :: 

Get the recipe here.

Happy Thanksgiving to all…bottoms up!

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Brittney F
Originally from Louisiana, Brittney has called Houston home for nearly all her life. Brittney graduated from Houston Baptist University where she was a member of Phi Mu and a four-year cheerleader. It didn’t take long after graduation for her to meet her husband Jeremy on the sand volleyball courts at Memorial Park. She jokes that when marrying Jeremy, she also married LSU because she tied the knot with the most passionate Tiger football fan. Many weekends in the fall, they can be found in the shadows of Tiger Stadium at their big family tailgating party. Brittney has a Master's Degree from LSU and works in secondary education as an administrator and a cheerleading coach. Brittney and Jeremy have three boys, Connor {Nov 2012}, Parker {Nov 2014}, and Ryan {May 2018}. Brittney is a big baby-making, food allergy fighting, NICU surviving mom. Though she grew up surrounded by hairbows, pom poms, and lots of pink, Brittney now embraces being a boy mom. She loves raising her three boys and learning all about superheroes, baseball, and the pain of stepping on a lego when barefoot. In her kid-free time she enjoys working on craft projects, getting lost in a good book, and watching Grey's Anatomy.

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