Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Thanksgiving Drink Ideas

Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday for sharing stories with your friends and family and for fueling conversation with a cheeky drink or two. Make your evening even more memorable with these alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink ideas. 

Thanksgiving bourbon cocktails

The king of American liqueurs can be a showstopper when it comes to cocktails. Whisky’s sweeter cousin is perfect for warming you up and preparing effortless but delicious drinks:

1. Bourbon high ball

Use high-quality carbonated water and sweet bourbon to craft a warming cocktail. Use plenty of ice and enjoy. 

2. Bourbon Boulevardier

This is a twist on the classic negroni that uses bourbon instead of gin. Life can’t get simpler or more delicious: bourbon, sweet vermouth, and Campari become best buddies and seduce your palate.

Thanksgiving tequila cocktails

Spring breakers have given tequila a bad name, but in reality, the Mexican spirit can be a delicate and complex drink. It is also great for mixing when done right:

3. Classic Paloma

This is an absolute must in any family gathering. Salt the rim of a tall glass, add the juice of 1 lime, tequila, Squirt Citrus Soda, and ice. It is as refreshing as it is packed with fizziness.

4. The flag

The best way to drink premium tequila: line up three shot glasses with tequila, lime juice, and sangrita. Sip, mix, and match as you please.

Thanksgiving vodka drinks

Vodka is a much more versatile spirit that people give it credit for. Surprise your guests with these elegant drinks:

5. Zubrowka on the rocks

Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka is a classic Polish vodka with a distinctive yellowish hue. The bottle has a blade of grass inside—the grass eaten by wild bison. Serve it on ice (a big sphere is always classy), and add a slice or two of fresh Granny Smith apple. If you want extra spice, sprinkle a bit of cinnamon. 

6. Moscow mule

Mix your favorite premium vodka with ginger beer. Finish it off with some ginger bitters, a slice of lime, and some refreshing mint.

Grab it now on Instacart:

Campari Bitter Milano (750 ml)

Squirt Thirst Quencher, Grapefruit (1 L)

Viuda de Sanchez Sangria (750 ml)

Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka (750 ml)

Infuse Bitters Ginger Bitters (6 fl oz)

Hardy's Stamp of Australia Chardonnay (3 L)

Hoegaarden Wheat Beer (12 fl oz)

Tabasco Original Red Pepper Sauce (5 oz)

Licor 43 Liqueur, Original (750 ml)

Chameleon Organic, Handcrafted, Cold-Brew, Super Concentrate, Black Coffee (32 fl oz)

Thanksgiving guess the price wine challenge

The game is simple: line up five wine glasses, each with a splash of wine of the same variety. The catch: each wine should also be in a different price range. Let the games begin, and give whoever guesses the most price ranges a bottle of the costliest wine. Instacart offers quality wines in all ranges, so make sure to do a pick-up or delivery order:

7. Cabernet sauvignon guess the price wine challenge

Let’s go with the classics and choose this grape variety, which grows in different places across the globe and comes in all sorts of price tags. 

8. Chardonnay guess the price wine challenge

Thanksgiving weather is bound to be on the colder side, so a variety of buttery chardonnay is perfect for the evening. Because this grape produces good results worldwide, you can offer a grand global tour right in your living room. An Australian “chardy”, anyone?

Thanksgiving beer samplers

Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday to give the humble beer a classy treatment. Instead of having everyone holding a beer bottle over the fireplace, prepare a sampler. There are different ways you can organize the tasting:

9. Beer sampler according to beer type

Choose two different samplers with five beers each. For example, you might do one with lagers and the other with a dark, rich variety such as stout. Print out labels with the brand and place of origin of each.

10. Beer sample from a particular region

Beer is often like wine, and some regions are particularly good at producing top-quality beers of a certain variety based on level of hops, color, or depth. You can go international and choose, for example, a variety of Belgian wheat-based white beers. 

11. Beer sampler from just one craft brewery

The United States is certainly experiencing a craft beer boom. There are literally hundreds of little beer labs where scientists come up with the best beers. Oregon? Texas? New England? Instacart has a wide variety of craft beers to choose from in your next pick-up or delivery order.

Thanksgiving non-alcoholic cocktails (mocktails)

If you have some non-drinkers or kids attending dinner, cater to their palette with these non-alcoholic drinks that taste just as good:

12. Virgin pina colada

Get us the pineapple juice and coconut cream, but skip the rum, please! Decorate with fresh mint. 

13. DIY virgin spicy Bloody Mary

Here’s a fun idea: provide your guests with the base of tomato juice and lay out a little buffet with all the trimmings. Tabasco Original Red hot sauce, chili powder, celery, crunchy bacon pieces, premium pickles…your imagination is the limit. They will have fun coming up with the most creative, and spiciest, ideas.

Thanksgiving juices with a celebratory twist

Natural, freshly pressed fruit juices are packed with flavor. Bring the juice bar to your home with these juice combinations that can give a healthy break to the culinary debauchery that the festive season brings:

14. Papaya, lemon, and orange juice delight

The orange hues of this vitamin C-rich combo give this sweet and acidic juice a Thanksgiving look and feel. 

15. Watermelon and mint crush

Get the blender, add ice, a pinch of sugar, a pinch of salt, mint, and watermelon. The result is a sweet and herbaceous crunchy crush that will get everyone raving. The pinch of salt makes the watermelon flavors pop! 

Thanksgiving coffee-based cocktails

After the main meal, when everyone is winding down and needs a bit of caffeine, these cocktails will come in handy:

16. Carajillo

This is a classic Spanish drink made with espresso coffee and Licor del 43, a sweet and delicious liqueur. 

17. Iced Irish Coffee

Refresh your guests with espresso, cold brew coffee, Irish whisky, fresh cream, and ice. You can’t go wrong with this one! 

Thanksgiving milkshakes for the youngest ones

Last but not least, here are some celebratory milkshake ideas for the little ones:

18. Oreo milkshake

Add Oreo cookies to the blender and mix it all up with milk, ice, and vanilla ice cream. 

19. Nutella milkshake

Give your milkshake that classic nutty and chocolatey flavor by adding in Nutella.

20. Breakfast cereal milkshake

To make this one, just add ice cream, ice, milk, and the breakfast cereal that each kid chooses. Sugar rush time! 

Enjoying a Thanksgiving drink together makes life merrier

Whether you go for alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks this Thanksgiving, what really lifts our spirits is sharing precious moments with our loved ones. Instacart has your back, and once you decide how you will cater your drink selection this Thanksgiving, Instacart will provide you with the best options for your next pick-up or delivery. Happy Thanksgiving!

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