Spice up Thanksgiving with these perfect fall-themed cocktails

After a long year and all the family antics that are abound this holiday season, a stiff drink may be in order.

Luckily the ample ingredients suited to autumn – from pumpkin to cinnamon, cranberry, and apple – are the perfect mixers to make delicious fall-flavored cocktails for the Thanksgiving holiday. Below are over a dozen cocktail recipes you make at home with ingreidents you likely will already be purchasing for your holiday meal, whether to make your turkey and gravy, stuffing, mac and cheese, candied sweet potatoes, or au gratin potatoes.

American holidays are marked by excess, but make sure to savor your food and drinks or else you'll pay with a horrific hangover and food coma tomorrow, especially since turkey is known for containing tryptophan, which makes you sleepy. However, if you are a bit unwell the next day, chef Antoni Porowski from Queer Eyes uses his leftovers to make a delicious breakfast sandwich that can help cure your ailments.

READ MORE: Make your own pumpkin spice syrup with just four ingredients

Apple cider margaritas

On a shallow plate, add and mix sugar, cinnamon, and salt for the rim. Dip the glasses into water before coating the rim.

Combine two cups of apple cider, half a cup of silver tequila, and a quarter cup of freshly squeezed lemon into a pitcher. Mix. Then add the mixture into your cups. Garnish with an apple slice and a cinnamon stick.

Apple cider sangria 

Fill a large pitcher with one sliced honeycrisp apple, one sliced granny smith apple, one sliced orange, and one sliced lemon. Then add 2 cups of apple cider, 1 can of ginger beer, and 1 bottle of white wine. Stir mixture and pour into serving glasses.

Apple cider spritz

In a large wine glass, combine 3 oz of apple cider, 1 oz of Aperol, and a large pinch of pumpkin spice. Stir to distribute spice. Fill glass with ice and add garnish with apple and cinnamon. Top off with 3 oz of prosecco.

Apple cider mimosas

Cut apple in half, then cut four 1/8 slices. Using the tip of the knife, cut a small diagonal slit in each slice. Reserve remaining apple for another use. On a small plate, combine two tablespoons of granulated sugar and one tablespoon of ground cinnamon. Dip champagne flutes in water to wet the rims, then dip in cinnamon sugar mixture. Fill champagne flutes 1/4 full with apple cider, then top off with a bottle of champagne or prosecco. Garnish with apple slice. 

Caramel apple mimosas

Pour two tablespoons of caramel into a small dish. Pour cinnamon sugar into another small dish. Dip champagne flutes into caramel to rim glass, then dip in cinnamon sugar until coated. Pour 1/4 cup apple cider and 2 ounces caramel vodka into each flute and top with a bottle of bubbly. Garnish with an apple slice before serving.

Cranberry Aperol spritz
Mix 12 oz aperol, 12 oz of cranberry juice, and the juice of half a freshly squeeze orange or 6 oz of orange juice to a pitcher. Then pour in prosecco and mix. Fill your wine glass with ice and add the mixture. Garnish with cranberries, an orange slice, and a rosemary sprig.

Cranberry-apple sangria

In a large pitcher, combine ½ cup of brandy, ½ cup of cranberries, ¼ cup of finely chopped apples, two tablespoons of brown sugar, and 2-3 cinnamon sticks. Then add one bottle of red wine, two cans of seltzer or alternatively ginger ale, and stir to combine. Garnish with cranberries, sliced apples, and a cinnamon stick.

Cranberry mimosas

Line champagne flutes with a half of lime and then dip in sugar. Pour 1/4 cup cranberry juice into each glass and top with champagne.Use a toothpick to poke a hole through cranberries. Thread rosemary skewer through cranberries and garnish mimosas.

Pomegranate martini

Place a martini glass in the freezer for 15 minutes, if desired. Place sanding sugar on a shallow plate. Rub a lemon half around rim of martini glass, then dip into sugar. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add 2 oz of pomegranate juice, ½ oz of vodka, ½ oz of Cointreau, and ½ oz of lemon juice and vigorously shake until outside of shaker is frosty, about 20 seconds. Strain into prepared glass. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and rosemary sprig.

Mulled wine

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 bottle red wine, 1 sliced orange, 6 whole cloves 3 cinnamon sticks, 3 star anise, ¼ cup of honey, and ½ cup of brandy. Bring to a simmer, not a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer gently over low heat for 10 minutes. Serve warm and garnish with more citrus slices and cinnamon sticks.

Spiked hot chocolate

Place a saucepan over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder and ¼ cup of the milk and whisk until the cocoa powder is mostly integrated. Whisk in the remaining milk until smooth. Add ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 pinch cinnamon, and 2 ounces (¼ cup) aged or dark rum, bourbon, or Baileys Irish Cream or 1.5 ounces (3 tablespoons) Creme de Menthe or peppermint schnapps and heat over medium heat until the chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. Do not boil. Stir in the alcohol. Serve immediately, garnished with whipped cream, chocolate chips, and marshmallows.

Pumpkin spice mules

Fill copper mugs with ice. Add half a cup of pumpkin pie vodka and a quart cup of apple cider to it, then top it off with a can of ginger beer. Sprinkle a little pumpkin spice on top and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Pumpkin spice white russian

On a shallow plate, mix pumpkin pie spice and crushed graham crackers for the rim. Dip the edge of each glass in water, then into the mixture, to coat the glass’ rim. Then pour 2 oz of vodka, 1 oz of Kahlua, and ½ oz of pumpkin spice creamer or regular creamer into a cocktail maker with ice and shake. Then pour the mixture into the glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.

Dirty chai espresso martini

In a small saucepan combine the ½ cup of granuldated sugar, ½ cup of water and two chai tea bags and bring to a simmer. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove the pot from the heat and allow the tea bags to steep for 10 more minutes. Remove the tea bags from the syrup, and pour the chai simple syrup in a jar. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

In a cocktail shaker, combine the 1 oz vodka, 1 oz of kahlua, 1 oz of chai simple syrup, 1 oz of espresso or cold brew, and ice. Shake vigorously for 1 minute and then pour the cocktail into a martini glass.