You Can't Miss Adding This To Your Thanksgiving Menu, According To Martha Stewart

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It doesn't matter if you're hosting Thanksgiving for the first time or you've been doing it for decades — Martha Stewart has advice that can help you make this Turkey Day one to remember. One great rule for hosting a fantastic holiday bash comes from Stewart's first cookbook. Simply titled "Entertaining," the 1982 volume implores readers to serve a signature mixed drink perfectly tailored to the celebration.

Whether it's an enticing bowl of spiced punch or a round of miso cider spritz Thanksgiving cocktails, taking the time to mix a special beverage will delight your guests and get them into the spirit. Stewart's approach is a lot more thoughtful than serving a few wines and beers, but less stressful than mixing cocktails and mocktails to order. Preparing one or two unique drinks will make your party happy and allow you to spend time on other things, like cooking the perfect turkey or kicking back with your loved ones.

To easily follow Stewart's advice, mix your drink(s) in advance and serve in bowls or pitchers for guests to help themselves, or portion them into glasses and garnish them right before everyone arrives. Some classic cocktails you can batch-make for Thanksgiving include Old Fashioneds, mulled wine, and buttered rum. It's also considerate to provide a zero ABV option so everyone can get in on the celebration, and we have plenty of ideas for those, as well.

To mix up drinks like Queen Martha this Thanksgiving, you can't go wrong with one of her favorites: the apple cider bourbon sour. Martha Stewart's go-to Thanksgiving cocktail is packed with fall flavor thanks to the warming liquor and fruity cider. She finishes the glasses with a brown sugar rim, which is a neat trick to use for any autumn drink. For a simpler approach that covers non-drinkers as well, mix up our boozy apple cider for Thanksgiving, plus a second batch using non-alcoholic sparkling cider and no whiskey.

Do you consider yourself to be a full-blown, at-home mixologist? You probably want to get more creative with your Thanksgiving sippers. To prevent your menu from getting overly complicated, try working unique seasonal ingredients into a drink or two. Cranberry spirits can liven up Thanksgiving dinner with their deep red color and sweet-tart taste, or you can incorporate pumpkin into classic cocktails to create your own crowd-pleasing concoctions. A pumpkin hot toddy and spicy cranberry mule mocktail would form a dynamic duo that is season-appropriate and easy to prep in advance.

Whether you go for simple punches or more elaborate drinks, use fun garnishes to add extra flair. In addition to the classic cinnamon sticks and apple slices, play around with pomegranate seeds, sprigs of woody herbs like rosemary, or a pumpkin spice rim on each glass. You could also set out dishes of different garnishes to let guests customize their own drinks (aka take some more work off your shoulders).