Thanksgiving cocktail

[dklaiman]

My wife and I are hosting Thanksgiving. In addition to the other drinks we'll have available, we thought it would be nice to have a single cocktail mixed up in a punch bowl or something similar. We'll be sitting around eating appetizers and watching football for a couple of hours before the meal, so we don't want anything too strong. She mentioned Margaritas (because she really likes them). I was thinking Sidecars for the same reason. I'm not sure either is appropriate for the occassion, though. I really don't want a house full of drunk in-laws sleeping on my couch before dinner; I view the after dinner nap as a sign of a happy guest. Does anyone have any suggestions/recipes he'd be willing to share?

Thanks.

-Dave

 

[Dave in the basement]

A Sidecar sounds really good and appropriate at the moment. What brand of brandy/cognac are you going to use if you go that route?

If I don't follow you down the Sidecar path, I'll probably go with something either Kahlua or pumpkin liquer based. Maybe even some Bailey's in a nice chai tea, for the folks that want something on the warm side of the fence.

Dave

 

[dklaiman]

I was going to use the Art of Manliness recipe:


1 part Cognac (brandy will do, but Cognac is best)

1 part Cointreau (Grand Marnier or other triple sec)

1 part lemon juice

Shake over ice and pour into sugar rimmed glass. Garnish with lemon twist.



Read more: http://artofmanliness.com/2009/06/01/5-classic-cocktails-every-man-should-know/#ixzz15Nm8Fvoc

 

[Edcculus]

I've been experimenting with Butterbeer (yea I'm a nerd). So far, this is what I've come up with. I wanted a cocktail that in some ways resembled beer more than other Butterbeer recipes out there. Sorry I don't have exact porportions:

Cream soda
White rum
a very small bit of Mccormick Imitation Vanilla Butter & Nut Flavoring (believe it or not, this really makes the drink)
Almond milk (or regular milk if nobody is lactose intolerant) - this kind of makes the drink creamy and lessens the sweetness. I wanted to try replacing it with club soda, but didn't get a chance.

 

[dklaiman]

Thanks. I'd never heard of butterbeer before--and I'm a total nerd--did you check out my avatar and my thread about saddle shoes?

 

[Edcculus]

Thanks. I'd never heard of butterbeer before--and I'm a total nerd--did you check out my avatar and my thread about saddle shoes?

Butterbeer is a fictional drink from the Harry Potter series. There isn't a really great description of it other than its (obviously) somewhat "buttery" and warming. I take that as not literally a warm drink, but enough alcohol to be warming. I also take the "beer" part as it needs to be cool and fizzy. I've seen a lot of recipes that literally use brown sugar, heavy cream, rum and butter. Probably really tasty, but it won't keep, and is probably REALLY bad for you!

 

[BladeDE40]

Side Car sounds good, but I'm not sure that's a drink you would mix up ahead of time and place in a bowl or pitcher.

 

[Miles]

^^^ What he said.

The thing with cocktails is that they are at their best when freshly mixed and shaken with a ton of ice. If they are allowed to sit about at room temperature in a punch bowl the flavors can go a bit flat (if using fruit juice) and of course they can be diluted if left in a big bowl of ice. There are easy ways to have a cocktail on hand, however: One can premix the drink and keep it in a pitcher of some sort in the fridge until a batch of drinks is called for, then just dose out what you're using, shake them up and pour. Still more convenient than pulling it all together from scratch, but you also get to be the cool bartender guy.

Another interesting route for holiday beverages is a vintage punch recipe. Oftentimes the punch mixes are meant to sit about in a bowl, have less octane than a standard cocktail, and can be very delicious. I have used in the past a number of old style punch recipes found on the internet using brewed black tea, champagne, rum. brandy, spices, wine, etc. and they've always been a massive hit at parties. Very old school, if you're into that sort thing.
Either way, I'm sure you'll find that planning ahead will reap rewards of more time spent with your friends/family instead of hiding behind a cocktail shaker for most of the night. Good luck!

 

[dklaiman]

Thanks for the input regarding sidecars. I'll look for a punch recipe.

I've made this in the past, but my guests drink it too quickly for me to tell if it can sit out for a while.

8 oz light rum
8 oz dark rum
8 oz mango juice/nectar
8 oz OJ
8 oz pineapple juice
80 mint leaves, chopped

The nice thing about living in Minnesota is I can mix up a batch or two and set them outside on the picnic table to keep cold. That way no ice is required.