Thanksgiving, the time of year we wear our comfiest, loosest pants and sit down with family and friends to enjoy rich food and delicious drinks. If you're hosting Thanksgiving or even Friendsgiving, it's important to look beyond cocktails: adorn your table with mocktails! Nonalcoholic Thanksgiving drinks are as important as the stuffing and the cranberry sauce on your turkey day menu. It doesn't matter if those drinks are for the teens or kids, the sober curious, or the adults who want a break from the booze. These mocktails are anything but dull. They're perfect for a holiday that's all about cozy flavors.
Ginger-Cranberry Sparkler
Cranberry is a classic Thanksgiving flavor, and this nonalcoholic sparkler is both colorful and festive - not unlike your sweater. If you're someone that can't get enough of tart cranberry, then give thanks this turkey day that there's a whole world of cranberry mocktails.
Ingredients
- 3 ounces cranberry juice
- 3 ounces ginger ale
- Ice
- Fresh cranberries and rosemary sprigs for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail glass, add ice, cranberry juice, and ginger ale.
- Garnish with cranberries and rosemary sprig.
Pink Champagne Mocktail
It's no secret that sparkling wine and Chambord is a popular festive cocktail during the holidays. This nonalcoholic version is perfect to serve for Thanksgiving dinner, and it won't give you any buzz.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces sparkling cider, chilled
- 1 ounce raspberry syrup
- Blueberries and raspberries for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a Champagne flute.
- In a chilled glass, add raspberry syrup and sparkling cider.
- Garnish with blueberries and raspberries.
Applejack Mulled Cider
A hot drink is great when the weather is cool, and this one makes use of some of the best produce of the season: apples. Apple cider mocktail dreams forever! Or however that Beatles lyric goes.
Ingredients
- 1 gallon apple cider
- 2 peeled, but not sliced apples
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 10 cloves (whole, not ground)
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- Nutmeg for garnish
Instructions
- Using a paring knife or apple corer, core apples and place six cloves in the hollows you create.
- In slow cooker, add apple cider, apples, cinnamon sticks, and brown sugar.
- Cover and cook on low for four hours.
- Reduce heat to keep warm and serve directly from the slow cooker.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg.
Mimosa Mocktails
While a mimosa is usually a breakfast beverage, this nonalcoholic mimosa for Thanksgiving dinner is sure to please. Or at least it's a nice dose of vitamin C for when you're fending off that cold that's going around.
Ingredients
- 3 ounces orange juice, chilled
- 3 ounces sparkling cider, chilled
- Fresh cranberry for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a Champagne flute.
- In chilled glass, add orange juice and sparkling cider.
- Garnish with a cranberry
Fall Colors Punch
If you'd like to dress up your buffet table, you can live your festive dreams by adding a bowl of this colorful orange drink right in the center of it all. There's more than enough punch to go around. Makes eight 8-ounce servings.
Ingredients
- 6 cups of water
- 4½ cups of sugar
- 2 packets of orange-flavored Kool-Aid
- 16 ounces of pineapple juice
- Ice
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a punch bowl.
- Stir to mix.
Fall Flavors Punch
This fizzy orange-cranberry punch is festive, pretty, and oh-so Instagrammable. If you find yourself falling for those nonalcoholic fall flavors, there are plenty of autumn mocktails waiting for you. It makes 16 8-ounce servings.
Ingredients
- 32 ounces cranberry juice
- 32 ounces orange juice
- 2 liters lemon-lime soda
- Ice
- Orange slices and fresh cranberries
Instructions
- In a punch bowl, add ice, cranberry juice, orange juice, and soda.
- Stir to mix.
- Garnish with orange slices and fresh cranberries.
Apple Pie Punch
Apple pie is a classic fall flavor, and this easy punch is perfect for Thanksgiving dinner. You have enough errands to run. Or, give the kids something to toast about with their own fun mocktail. This makes 14 8-ounce servings.
Ingredients
- 32 ounces apple cider
- 16 ounces sparkling apple pear cider
- 2 liters ginger ale
- Ice
- Sliced apples, cinnamon sticks, and star anise for garnish
Instructions
- In a punch bowl, combine the apple cider, apple-pear cider, and ginger ale.
- Add the ice and stir.
- Float sliced apples, cinnamon sticks, and star anise on the punch as garnish.
Pumpkin Pie Punch
Whether you have this for dessert or with dinner, it's the perfect combination of tasty fall flavors. It makes around 17 8-ounce servings.
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 liters cream soda
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 liter ginger ale
- 1 750 mL bottle sparkling apple cider
- Ice
- Cinnamon sticks for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and cream soda.
- Pour into a punch bowl.
- Add ginger ale, sparkling cider, and ice.
- Stir to mix.
- Garnish with cinnamon sticks.
Nonalcoholic Spiced Cranberry Mocktail
A bottle of nonalcoholic spiced rum takes this cocktail all the way to ten. If you don't have any on hand, go right ahead and use a splash of cinnamon simple syrup instead.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces nonalcoholic spiced rum
- 2 ounces cranberry juice
- ¼ ounce orgeat syrup
- 2-3 dashes cinnamon bitters
- Ice
- Cranberries for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, nonalcoholic spiced rum, cranberry juice, orgeat, and cinnamon bitters.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with cranberries.
Nonalcoholic Thanksgiving Margarita
A margarita? In this season? Oh heck yeah! Not only is it a nonalcoholic option, but it's a great alternative to sitting through another board game.
Instructions
- Lemon wedge and sugar for rim
- 4 ounces apple cider
- 1 ounce pear juice or nectar
- ¾ ounce freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ ounce nonalcoholic triple sec
- Ice
- Apple slice and cinnamon stick for garnish
Instructions
- To prepare rim, rub the rim of the glass with the lemon wedge.
- With the sugar on a saucer, dip either half or the entire rim of the glass in the sugar to coat.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, apple cider, pear juice, lemon juice, and nonalcoholic triple sec.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into prepared glass.
- Garnish with apple slice and cinnamon stick.
Mocktails for Thanksgiving Dinner
Celebrate the non-drinkers in your life with these tasty nonalcoholic Thanksgiving drinks that highlight the flavors of the season. Or, try a few warm and sippable nonalcoholic winter mocktails to boost the menu a little further. They're so delicious and festive, you may find yourself saying, "Cocktail, who?"
