The 10 Best Thanksgiving Cocktails
Thanksgiving is the longest day of the fall for hosting. It starts with the parade in the morning, runs through a table that stays set for hours and ends with pie, so one cocktail cannot do every job. These Thanksgiving cocktails are chosen for the moment they serve: something savory early, something tart and seasonal with the turkey, something rich with dessert.
Every recipe is built on Altos, 100% blue agave tequila, and the flavors are the ones already on the table: cranberry, apple, pomegranate, orange and chocolate.
Thanksgiving Drinks from the Parade to the Pie
The morning wants something savory that will not spoil anyone's appetite. Our Mexican Bloody Mary swaps vodka for Altos Reposado and adds fresh grapefruit, lime and a few dashes of hot sauce. At the table, the best Thanksgiving drinks borrow from the menu. Cranberry has the tartness to cut through gravy and stuffing, pomegranate brings color and a softer acidity, and green apple keeps things bright between heavy plates. The Cranberry Margarita is the one to start with: it is the closest thing to a Thanksgiving margarita, and it is already written as a batch. Dessert is where the drinks change register. A Mexican Chocolate Martini works as pumpkin or pecan pie's companion, and a Tequila Old Fashioned made with Añejo is a slow, sipping close to the meal.Batch Thanksgiving Cocktails for a Crowd
The host's real problem is time, not recipes. The answer is Thanksgiving batch cocktails: make the drinks before the guests arrive and spend the day out of the kitchen. Our Cranberry Margarita is already written as a pitcher batch: 180 ml Altos Reposado, 360 ml of 100% cranberry juice, 180 ml fresh lime juice and 120 ml orange liqueur. The Tequila Punch serves a full table with Altos Plata, orange, pineapple and lime, topped with sparkling water. A Pitcher Margarita covers anyone who simply wants a classic. Three rules keep a batch tasting fresh. Mix the tequila, sweeteners and non-citrus juices up to a day ahead and keep them cold. Add fresh lime no more than two or three hours before serving. And keep anything sparkling, from soda to champagne, out of the pitcher until the last moment, then pour it straight into the glass. For the toast, a Champagne Margarita does the job.Thanksgiving Tequila Cocktails: Which Altos to Pour
Thanksgiving tequila cocktails work because agave stands up to strong flavors. Part of the Altos harvest is crushed with a tahona, the traditional volcanic stone wheel, and that earthy character is what keeps the tequila present next to cranberry, spice and chocolate. Match the bottle to the drink. Altos Plata is for bright, fruit-led serves like the Green Apple Margarita, the Pomegranate Margarita and the punch. Altos Reposado brings vanilla and soft oak to the Cranberry Margarita, the Cadillac Margarita and the Mexican Chocolate Martini. Altos Añejo belongs to the Old Fashioned at the end of the night. Explore the full list below, plan your drinks the way you plan the menu, the right one for each moment, and find more ideas in our cocktail recipes.
