Martha Stewart Just Shared Her Favorite Thanksgiving Cocktail and We Can’t Wait to Try It

What better way to celebrate the holidays than with a Thanksgiving cocktail? Flavorful, refreshing and a little boozy, these fall drinks embrace the mood and flavors of the season. That’s why were were so excited to hear about Martha Stewart’s latest cocktail creation: a seasonal twist on a classic whiskey sour.

What Is Martha Stewart’s Go-To Thanksgiving Cocktail?

Martha Stewart’s favorite Thanksgiving cocktail is an Apple Cider Bourbon Sour. This seasonal spin on the traditional bourbon sour recipe incorporates the flavor of fall. With warm bourbon spices and sweet punchy apple cider, this whiskey drink makes for the perfect pairing for your turkey day festivities.

And Martha Stewart doesn’t just have signature cocktail wisdom. She also offers some turkey-day advice with this cheesecloth substitute for turkey hack.

Apple Cider Whiskey Sour Recipe

Ingredients

• 8 oz. bourbon (swap the bourbon for orange juice if you want a mocktail)
• 16 oz. apple cider
• Juice of one lemon
• Optional: Brown sugar for rim

Directions

Step 1: Grab a pitcher and your favorite bourbon

The Thanksgiving cocktail recipe starts with a pitcher filled with 8 ounces of bourbon. Martha’s favorite is Michter’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon, but use whatever you love and have on hand.

Step 2: Add lemon and apple cider

After adding the bourbon and apple cider to the pitcher, Martha grabs a citrus juicer to squeeze in the juice of one lemon. Then she stirs well to combine all her ingredients.

Tip: If you want it really cold, you can shake it with ice instead of stirring but remove the ice before serving so you don’t have a watered-down drink.

Step 3: Add a sugary rim

Martha makes the drink festive by dipping the rim in lemon juice and then rolling the rim in brown sugar for a holiday-ready garnish. It’s sweet and adds a little appreciated flare to your holiday bar cart.

Tip: Not sure about the sugar? Rim half of the glass to let your guests decide whether they like the sweetness or not.

How to Make It Your Own

This Thanksgiving cocktail is fun because it’s a very versatile drink that you can customize and make your own. While Martha makes hers using a Kentucky bourbon, a favorite whiskey of any sort could work, including a rye, which would also be delightful.

Adding cinnamon stick to each serving is another easy garnish idea that adds fall flavor into the mix.

More Fall Cocktails to Try

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Taste of Home

Chocolate-Caramel Rum Coffee

Take your nightcap to the next level with this chocolate-caramel rum coffee! Yield: 8 servings

1. Warm two 12oz. cans of evaporated milk, 3/4 cup of rum, 1/2 cup of chocolate syrup, 1/2 cup of caramel sundae syrup and 1/4 cup of packed brown sugar in a large saucepan. Make sure it doesn’t boil.
2. Once the mixture is hot, turn the burner off and stir in 4 cups of hot brewed coffee and 2 tablespoons of coffee liqueur.
3. Pour the coffee cocktail into your favorite mugs, top with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and a sprinkle of espresso powder.

If you want even more coffee in your life, you have to try these 39 recipes that start with it.

Apple Amaretto Sours

Give the amaretto sour a fall twist with this apple cider version. Yield: 6 servings

1. Fill 6 highball glasses with ice and add 2 tablespoons of amaretto to each.
2. In a separate container, combine 4 cups of chilled apple cider and 1/4 cup lemon juice, then divide it evenly between the glasses.
3. Top with a lemon slice and cinnamon stick, then serve to your 5 closest pals.

If you love amaretto, you have to try these 8 other amaretto-based cocktails.

Brent Hofacker/shutterstock

Hippocras Punch

Get your fall party going with this warm and boozy punch from Sebastien Derbomez, a Hendrick’s Gin Brand Ambassador. Yield: 6-8 servings

1. To a large pot, add a bottle dry white wine, ¾ cup of brewed chamomile tea, half of a peeled, cored and chopped pineapple, 9.5 tablespoons of sugar, 7 cloves (or to taste), 2 cinnamon sticks 4 orange peels and a teaspoon of white pepper. Let the mixture simmer for about 15 minutes, cut the heat and stir in 1.25 cups of Hendrick’s gin.
2. Fish out the spices, ladle the cocktail into punch glasses and let the celebration begin!

Check out these party food recipes you'll want to serve, too.

Taste of Home

Chilean Monkey Tail Punch

Also known as cola de mono, monkey tail punch is a traditional Chilean cocktail that’s commonly served around Christmas. But, it’s so delicious, you’ll definitely want to make it a little early. Yield: 16 servings

1. Boil 4 cups of milk with a cup of sugar, 3 cinnamon sticks and 3 cloves in a large saucepan; reduce the heat, cover the pan and let the milk simmer for about 5 minutes.
2. Take the milk off the burner and allow it to cool slightly. Remove the cinnamon sticks and cloves.
3. Stir in 2 cups of strongly brewed coffee, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and 1 1/2 cups of pisco, aguardiente, grappa or brandy.
4. Enjoy this Chilean specialty warm in a mug or cold over ice.

You should make these other traditional holiday recipes from around the world.

Taste of Home

Vanilla Bean Fizz

You can still enjoy a light and bubbly cocktail in the cold months, thanks to this vanilla bean fizz. Yield: 8 servings

1. Whip up a vanilla simple syrup by boiling 2 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar. Once the sugar dissolves, reduce the heat, drop in 4 split vanilla beans and let the simple syrup simmer for 10 minutes. Then, remove the syrup from the heat, remove the vanilla beans and let it cool.
2. For the cocktail, pour ¼ cup of vanilla simple syrup to a flute and top with chilled champagne.

Enjoy with your pinky out and feet up! Take a look at our favorite bottles of champagne that are $20 or under.

via Bookstore Bar

Monster Smash

Turn on Monster Mash and stir up this cocktail from Bookstore Bar & Café’s lead bartender, Cheston Overman. Yield: 1 serving

1. Muddle 4 mint leaves in a cocktail mixing glass, then add 1.5 ounces of Four Roses bourbon, an ounce of Pedro Ximenez sherry and half an ounce each of lemon juice and simple syrup.
2. Stir until the cocktail has chilled, then strain into a rocks glass with ice and garnish with an apple slice and cube of dry ice for some extra spookiness.

These are the recipes to make for a monster-inspired Halloween party.

Taste of Home

Chocolate Martini

Let’s be honest: Everything is better with chocolate, even a martini. Yield: 1 serving

1. Add 2 ounces of vodka and 2 ounces of creme de cacao (or chocolate liqueur) to a mixing glass filled with ice.
2. Stir the mixture until it’s nice and cold, then strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a chocolate truffle.

Test Kitchen Tip: To make this a creamy chocolate martini, stir 1 to 2 ounces of half-and-half with the vodka and creme de cacao. Strain into a chocolate syrup-drizzled cocktail glass if desired. Making your own truffles is super easy, especially when you follow one of these 12 fun recipes.

via Tullamore D.E.W.

Fallen Apple

You don’t have to shake up a complicated cocktail to get a taste of fall. Tim Herlihy, of Tullamore D.E.W., suggests this easy fall drink. Yield: 1 serving

1. Add 2 ounces of Tullamore D.E.W.’s cider cask Irish whiskey to freshly pressed apple juice in a highball glass with ice.

Speaking of apples, here’s the best spot for apple picking in each state.

via B&O American Brasserie

Soul Snatcher

This spirit-forward cocktail comes from Jenghis Manning-Pettit of B&O American Brasserie​. Yield: 1 serving

1. Stir 2 ounces of Larceny Bourbon with half an ounce of pear syrup, 2 dashes of cardamom bitters and ice until chilled.
2. Strain the cocktail into a rocks glass with ice and garnish with a lemon peel.

By the way, this is the difference between bourbon and whiskey.

Taste of Home

Michelada

Warm your bones with something a little spicy. Yield: 1 serving

1. The michelada starts off by rimming a glass with salt and filling it with ice.
2. Add to the glass 6 dashes of Valentina hot sauce, 3 dashes of Maggi seasoning, 2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce and ¼ to ⅓ cup of lime juice, to your taste.
3. Top the glass off with a 12-ounce bottle of Corona, Modelo or Tecate and add a lime wedge garnish.

It’s a great cocktail to serve along with these brunch recipes.

via Ryan Kleinmann

That’s S’more Like It

Make your next s’mores a bit more adult with this cocktail from Travis Sanders of Pennyroyal. Yield: 1 serving

1. Infuse a bottle of bourbon by adding 8 crushed graham crackers and let it sit overnight.
2. Strain the bourbon first through a mesh strainer, then a coffee filter to get rid of any solid bits.
3. Pour 2 ounces of your infused bourbon in a rocks glass and stir in .25 oz of creme de cacao, 2 dashes of angostura bitters and an ice cube.
4. Top with a toasted marshmallow or ghost-shaped Peep.

That’s not all you can do with those shaped marshmallows. Here are 11 fun ways to use leftover Peeps.

Taste of Home

Easy Irish Cream

While Saint Patrick’s Day is still months away, there's no reason not to make this easy Irish cream. Yield: 5 cups

1. Add 2 cups of half-and-half cream, 13.4 ounces of sweetened condensed milk, 1 1/4 cups of Irish whiskey, 1/4 cup of chocolate syrup, 2 tablespoons of instant coffee granules and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to a blender and pulse until blended.
2. Enjoy over ice or in coffee for an after-dinner drink pick-me-up.

via Belvedere

Cinnamon Smash

Cozy up next to a fire with a good book, sugar cookies and this warming cocktail from Belvedere. Yield: 1 serving

1. Muddle a few grapefruit chunks with .75 ounces of lemon juice and .75 ounces of simple syrup in a shaker. Pour in 1.5 ounces of Belvedere, 2 dashes of ground cinnamon, 2 dashes of angostura bitters and ice.
2. Cover and shake the cocktail until condensation forms on the shaker, about 15 seconds.
3. Strain into a rocks glass with ice and top with a grapefruit slice and cinnamon stick.

Still feeling a chill? Turn to these stew recipes that’ll warm up cold nights.

Taste of Home

Black Russian

Want to feel like The Dude but not in the mood for something creamy? We have the answer: A black Russian. Yield: 1 serving

1. Pour an ounce of vodka and an ounce of Kahlua in a rocks glass with a few ice cubes.

It's easy, satisfying and oh-so-smooth.

Taste of Home

Cranberry-Orange Sangria

It doesn’t have to be summer to enjoy a glass of sangria. This cranberry-orange sangria is packed with fall flavor. Yield: 10 servings

1. Pour a bottle of zinfandel wine into a large pitcher with 32 ounces of cranberry juice, a cup of simple syrup, 1/2 cup of orange liqueur, 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen cranberries, a thinly sliced apple and thinly sliced orange.
2. Cover the pitcher and let the flavors develop overnight in the fridge.
3. When you’re ready for a libation, drop a few ice cubes in a wine glass, fill it with sangria and garnish with additional oranges, apples and cranberries, if desired.

Next, spread holiday cheer with some of these vodka cocktail recipes.