For most Americans, the flavors of Thanksgiving are pretty simple and straightforward: turkey, cranberry, apple or pumpkin pie, maybe some potato chips for watching the game, and beer.
But what about a Thanksgiving Day cocktail?
Given that the cocktail is surely the most American of drinks, having been invented on these shores, and Thanksgiving is without question the most American of holidays, the fit would seem to be ideal. The only question that remains is which flavors to use in its creation.
For the answer, I turned to four prominent mixologists: Dale DeGroff, Tony Abou-Ganim, Natalie Bovis-Nelsen and Oregon-based cocktail blogger Jeffrey Morgenthaler.
First, Las Vegas-based Abou-Ganim quite sensibly suggests that a suitable Thanksgiving cocktail would be one which “celebrates the occasion and utilizes the flavors we have come to associate with the season.” He identifies those flavors as apple, pumpkin, cinnamon, clove and cranberry. His result is a Pumpkin Nog that incorporates pumpkin purée.
Echoing that sentiment is Bovis-Nelsen, who suggests a cocktail made with “cranberry-flavored vodka, a little orange liqueur, a bit of lime and maybe a dash of blood orange bitters.”
Of course, with the typical overly abundant Thanksgiving feast also on the schedule for the big day, Bovis-Nelsen adds that a low-calorie drink with modest alcohol content and easy sipability also would be welcome. In this regard, she considers a highball made by combining in a tall glass one ounce of gin, vodka or tequila, lots of ice, a healthy squeeze of lemon or lime and a couple of drops of grapefruit bitters, and topped with fruit-flavored mineral water. The result, she says, is a refresher that’s light on alcohol and calories, but “satisfies the desire for something fun to drink.”
As the elder statesman of the group, it is perhaps not surprising DeGroff declares a family preference for a very traditional cocktail, the Old Fashioned. When properly prepared, he adds, the drink evokes well the essence of the holiday spirit through the bold presence of seasonally spicy aromas and flavors courtesy of the bitters.
Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s Thanksgiving Wassail 1 cup water 2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger 6 cloves 1/2 teaspoon mace 6 allspice berries Cinnamon stick 2 pounds sugar 4 × 750 ml bottles sherry 12 eggs, separated 375 ml brandy 6 apples, cored and baked In a covered 12-quart stockpot, bring water to a boil. Add nutmeg, allspice, ginger, cloves, mace and cinnamon. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add sugar and sherry and heat until the sugar dissolves completely. Beat the egg yolks and whites separately; fold together. Put egg mixture in a large bowl, and slowly add the heated mixture to the eggs, 1/4 cup at a time at first, stirring each addition to slowly heat the eggs. Once the brew has been thoroughly mixed, add the brandy and the baked apples.
Perhaps best capturing the festive nature of Thanksgiving, however, is Morgenthaler, who says that, along with his girlfriend, he is always responsible for the family’s holiday drinks. She manages the wine selection. He prepares the wassail bowl.
The wassail has rather misty origins—it may date back to the Vikings, although we most commonly associate it with 17th and 18th century England—but it is simply a punch designed to be shared amongst friends, companions and family. Typically served hot, it may contain alcoholic additions from brandy to wine to ale—or even all three, and more—is frequently supplemented by fruit and almost always spiced. But while recipes vary widely and dramatically, the central and overarching theme of the wassail is celebration and gratitude, which, of course, appears perfectly in keeping with the spirit of Thanksgiving.
While some bartenders and operators might be put off by the perceived logistical difficulties inherent in offering a punch at a busy bar, much less a hot punch, the actual challenges are, in fact, easily surmountable. Wassail can easily be prepared in advance, a slow cooker or even a coffee warmer can keep the wassail warm at the bar and extra batches may be kept at a low simmer in the kitchen.
Plus, the sight of a steaming, flavor-filled punch on the bar top, coupled with the aromas it will be emitting, is sure to keep people talking long after Thanksgiving has passed.