Once again, the Thanksgiving holiday is here, and with it comes the assurance of a few things: the food will be good, the Lions will lose, and the drinks will be poured at a healthy and brisk pace. Here are a few recipes that we’ve received that we will be no doubt pouring in between the carving of the turkey and the fumbling of the football.

Winter Respite
2 parts Bacardi Gran Reserva Ocho Años
2½ parts ginger beer
1 part Carrot Eau de Vie
½ part lime juice
½ part smoked maple simple syrup*
grated coffee bean (for garnish)

Place all ingredients except coffee beans and ginger beer in a tumbler with ice. Stir and strain into a Collins glass with ice. Pour ginger beer over the top and finish with a bit of coffee beans grated on a microplane.

*Smoked Maple Simple Syrup – 1 cup Cold Smoked Maple Syrup and 1 cup water

Mix together and bring to a boil. To cold smoke the maple syrup, heat wood chips in a pie tin until they smoke, then put syrup in a bowl put them in a container and cover with foil for 35 to 45 minutes.

Sapphire Spice
2 parts Bombay Sapphire gin
1 large heaping spoonful of pumpkin puree and/or pumpkin pie mix
1 tsb. dark brown sugar
dash of vanilla extract (7 drops)
2 dashes of Ground Cinnamon

Shake all ingredients vigorously with ice and strain into chilled martini glasses, then top with nutmeg.

Reserva Sparkler
1 oz. Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Tequila
splash simple syrup
5 oz. Champagne
garnish with chocolate shavings

Add tequila and simple syrup in champagne flute. Top with Champagne and garnish with chocolate shavings.

The Sauza Harvest (serves 8)
2 cups Sauza Signature Blue Silver 100% Agave Tequila
1 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup pumpkin puree

Combine ingredient in pitcher and stir until thoroughly mixed. Serve over ice in brown sugar-rimmed glasses. Finish cocktail with a star anise for a festive garnish (optional).

Cranberry Sauced
2 parts Owl’s Brew Pink and Black (fresh brewed Darjeeling tea with hibiscus, strawberry and lemon peel)
1 part vodka
2 dashes Fee Brother’s Cranberry Bitters
rosemary

Combine Pink and Black, vodka and cranberry bitters in a shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a rosemary sprig.

Chai, Spice and Everything Nice
1-1/2 oz. Wild Turkey 81 (note: I upped it to Wild Turkey 101. Either one will do.)
1/2 oz. cinnamon syrup*
3/4 oz. chai infused sherry*
3/4 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
dash of cardamom bitters

Combine all ingredients in shaker with ice. Shake, and strain over ice into rocks glass. Garnish with grated cinnamon and orange slice.

*Chai Infused Sherry – Empty 1 bottle of sherry into a large bowl. Throw in 6 chai tea bags and squeeze to release oils. Steep for 3 hours. Give tea bags one last squeeze before discarding from the infused sherry.

*Cinnamon Syrup – Place equal parts sugar and water, plus crushed up cinnamon sticks (2-3 sticks per cup of sugar), into a pot and bring to a light boil. Reduce to a simmer and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cool completely and strain.

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