Guide: Thanksgiving 2016

Thanksgiving is such a great holiday. It’s a day where we get together with family, eat a lot of great food, and think about how grateful we are for all the good things going on in our lives. Since moving away from my family in Louisiana, I’ve spent Thanksgiving a lot of different ways, usually with friends who are also from far away. I’ve yet to host my own Thanksgiving dinner, but it’s definitely something I’d like to tackle. I’d probably leave the turkey to my husband, but I will definitely take charge of the drinks!

Lately I’ve been coming across a lot of cocktail-related products that are just perfect for Thanksgiving and autumn in general. So I thought I’d share a few current favorites that would be great additions to your Thanksgiving celebration:

1. Copper Hammered Beverage Tub. I went into Pier 1 for the first time in a while and I was impressed by all their lovely copper barware. This drink tub would be great for keeping beer or bottles of wine on ice. $70.

2. Morris Kitchen Spiced Apple Syrup. This syrup is made with apple cider and mulling spices for a perfect autumn flavor. Mix it into cocktails or use it to top ice cream. $13.25 for 8 oz.

3. Vino Marker Metallic Wine Glass Pens. If you’re hosting a big Thanksgiving dinner, keeping everyone’s drinks straight can be an issue. These gold and silver pens will write directly on your glassware and wash off with soapy water! $15.50 for 4 pens.

4. ParTea Orange Spice Booze Infuser. This kit will allow you to infused a 750 ml bottle of booze with a delicious orange spice flavor. I used it on a bottle of brandy and made lovely Orange Spice Sidecars. It’s perfect for giving classic cocktails a twist. $15.

5. Letterpressed Thankful Coasters. These sweet coasters from Waiting on Martha have Thanksgiving decorations and spaces for your guests to write what they’re thankful for. $32 for 100 coasters.

6. Bully Boy Old Fashioned. If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere that sells products from this Boston distillery, their bottled Old Fashioned is a perfect cocktail to serve when you don’t have time to be constantly mixing drinks. It’s heavy on the Angostura, making it ideal for autumn. It would also make a nice gift for your hosts if dinner isn’t at your house. $35.

7. Miracle Mile Toasted Pecan Bitters. Make any cocktail taste a little bit more like pecan pie with these bitters. Perfect for bourbon cocktails. $23.50 for 4 oz.

8. Copper Stainless Steel Coupe. The original reason I went into Pier 1 was to buy one of these for my Moscow Martini. The color just seems perfect for Thanksgiving. It’s a bit large for your average cocktail, but I guess that means you’ll just have to drink twice as much. $15 each.

9. El Guapo Sweet Potato Spiced Syrup. I haven’t tried this syrup myself, but I love El Guapo bitters and this syrup just sounds too appropriate for Thanksgiving to pass up. It’s definitely the first time I’ve seen sweet potato in a cocktail mixer, but think Pumpkin Spice. $14.25 for 8.5 oz.

10. David Wondrich Classic Collection Punch Bowl, Georgian Punch Glasses, and Ladle. This set from Cocktail Kingdom was designed by the famous cocktail historian as a tribute to the classic 19th century punch service. It’s a bit pricey, but perfect for a true cocktail lover. $130 for the bowl, ladle, and four glasses.

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