Thanksgiving is about tradition— turkey, pie, and raising a glass with the people you love. But that glass doesn’t always have to hold the same thing year after year. This season, I wanted to play with cocktails that feel festive, a little unexpected, and full of flavour. Think spiced whisky with chocolate, cranberry spritzes with a hoppy twist, and even a pumpkin pie that you can sip instead of bake. Whether you’re hosting a big dinner or keeping it simple, these Thanksgiving cocktail recipes bring fresh energy to your toast.
Pomegranate Daiquiri
Does anyone else see pomegranates as the fruit of fall? And honestly, there’s never a wrong time for a daiquiri. This one pulls both worlds together. Captain Morgan Original White Rum — with its Madagascar vanilla and baking spice notes — gives the drink depth and warmth, while fresh pomegranate juice brings tart, earthy brightness.
Pomegranate Daiquiri recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ oz Captain Morgan Original White Rum
- ½ oz fresh lime juice
- 1 oz pomegranate juice
- Dash of grenadine
Method
- Add all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice.
- Shake until chilled.
- Strain into a coupe glass.
- Garnish with pomegranate seeds for sparkle.
Tasting Notes
Warm spice and vanilla from the rum meet tart, juicy pomegranate, with lime keeping it bright and grenadine adding just enough sweetness. A daiquiri that feels classic but perfectly seasonal.
Spiced Apple Chocolate Manhattan
This is a Manhattan that put on its holiday sweater— rich, warming, and just a little playful. Crown Royal Chocolate adds a silky cocoa note to the smooth Canadian whiskey, Calvados layers in that baked-apple flavour that screams Thanksgiving, and sweet vermouth ties it together with herbal depth. A touch of cocoa bitters keeps the finish refined.
Spiced Apple Chocolate Manhattan recipe
Ingredients
- 2 oz Crown Royal Chocolate
- 0.5 oz sweet vermouth
- 0.5 oz Calvados (apple brandy)
- 2 dashes Angostura Cocoa Bitters
Method
- Stir with ice until well chilled.
- Strain into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass.
- Garnish with an expressed orange peel and drop it in. Add a brandied cherry if you want a little extra holiday treat.
Tasting Notes
Smooth whisky and chocolate on the first sip, lifted by apple brightness through the middle, and finishing with spiced cocoa. Elegant, cozy, and absolutely Thanksgiving.
Cranberry Hopped Spritz
This is Thanksgiving in spritz form— bright, refreshing, and alcohol-free so everyone can enjoy it. Built on Phillips iOTA Hazy IPA, a non-alcoholic craft beer with juicy citrus and smooth hop character, it gets layered with tart cranberry, warming spice, and a touch of bitters for depth. It’s the kind of drink that feels festive but still easygoing.
Cranberry Hopped Spritz recipe
Ingredients
- 4 oz Phillips iOTA Hazy IPA (chilled)
- 1 oz cranberry spice syrup*
- ½ oz freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 dashes All The Bitter Aromatic Bitters
Method
- Fill a wine glass with ice.
- Add cranberry syrup, orange juice, and bitters.
- Top with iOTA Hazy IPA and stir gently.
- Garnish with an orange wheel or a few cranberries.
To make cranberry spice syrup: In a saucepan, combine 1 cup frozen cranberries, ½ cup sugar, ½ cup water, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 cloves, 2 star anise, and 2 strips of orange peel. Simmer 10 minutes until softened and bright red. Strain, cool, and store up to 1 week.
Tasting Notes
Juicy hops and citrus upfront, layered with tart cranberry and warm spice. Bitters add complexity, making this zero-proof spritz refreshing but still holiday-worthy.
Cinnamon Maple Whiskey Sour
Maple syrup always feels like a Thanksgiving ingredient to me (did anyone else grow up with maple-glazed carrots on the holiday table?). This cocktail leans into that comfort. Seagram’s V.O., one of Canada’s classic whiskies, steps in for bourbon here, blending beautifully with lemon, maple, and a little cinnamon. It’s bright, cozy, and nostalgic all at once.
Cinnamon Maple Whiskey Sour recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz Seagram’s V.O. Canadian Whisky
- 1 oz fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz maple syrup (adjust to taste)
- Pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)
Method
- Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- Shake until chilled.
- Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon or a cinnamon stick.
Tasting Notes
Fresh lemon and maple sweetness lead, with smooth whisky at the heart. Cinnamon lingers gently on the finish, giving it a cozy, fireside quality.
Pistachio Chocolate Martini
Pistachios have been trending hard this year, but for me they’ve always belonged at Thanksgiving — in stuffings, salads, or even just in a bowl on the table. Here, they get the spotlight in a true dessert cocktail. Baileys Chocolate, made with Belgian chocolate and Irish Cream, pairs with vodka and pistachio gelato for a creamy, nutty martini that feels like the ultimate indulgence.
Pistachio Chocolate Martini recipe
Ingredients
- 1 oz Baileys Chocolate Liqueur
- 2 oz Smirnoff Vodka
- 2 scoops pistachio ice cream or gelato
- Roasted pistachio nuts
- Freeze-dried raspberries
- Pistachio butter or melted chocolate
Method
- Crush pistachios. Rim one side of a martini glass with pistachio butter or melted chocolate, roll in the nuts, and chill.
- In a shaker, combine pistachio ice cream, vodka, and Baileys Chocolate. Shake vigorously until smooth.
- Strain into the chilled glass. Garnish with raspberries, white chocolate shavings, or whipped cream.
Tasting Notes
Creamy, nutty, and decadent, with pistachio at the centre and rich chocolate rounding it out. Like a pistachio-chocolate dessert you sip instead of slice.
Pumpkin Amaretto Colada
Sometimes baking a pumpkin pie feels like too much — and that’s where this cocktail steps in. The Pumpkin Amaretto Colada takes those same flavours and turns them into something smooth and indulgent. Luxardo Amaretto Di Saschira, with its almond and vanilla depth, pairs beautifully with pumpkin purée, coconut cream, maple, and warm spice. It’s cozy, nutty, and very “Thanksgiving without the oven.”
Pumpkin Amaretto Colada recipe
Ingredients
- 1 oz gold rum
- 2 oz Luxardo Amaretto Di Saschira
- 2 oz unsweetened pumpkin purée
- 1½ oz coconut cream
- 1 oz heavy cream (or half-and-half)
- ¼–½ oz maple syrup (to taste)
- 1 dash pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon + nutmeg)
Method
- Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- Shake until smooth and frothy.
- Strain (or blend) into a chilled goblet with ice.
- Garnish with grated nutmeg and a cinnamon stick. Add whipped cream if you’re feeling indulgent.
Tasting Notes
Pumpkin pie sweetness upfront, almond-vanilla depth from the amaretto, and creamy coconut rounding it out. Dessert in a glass, no baking required.
