Drink up: Charlotte beverage pros share Thanksgiving cocktails to pair with your meal

No Thanksgiving gathering would be complete without a beverage or two to accompany your holiday meal, so we looked to Charlotte experts to help us prepare.

For a signature holiday cocktail, several chefs turn to a fall twist on a classic old fashioned. Fans of the drink include Craig Barbour, executive chef and owner of Roots Catering + Cafe; Dot Dot Dot general manager Stephen Toth; and Jonathan Shulter, executive chef at Dilworth Tasting Room.

But make sure to consider your guests — and your budget.

“It’s important to keep a balanced bar, as guests have different tastes,” Barbour told CharlotteFive as we prepared for Thanksgiving in 2019. “Keep a sweeter, lighter cocktail and a warmer, dryer option. Stick with flavor profiles that match the season such as a warm spice old fashioned made with spiced simple syrup, dashes of orange bitters, rye whiskey and garnished with an orange peel and cinnamon stick.”

Here are a variety holiday drink recipes — including eggnog, punch and yes, an old fashioned — you can share with your guests this Thanksgiving:

Bloody Mary, Jon Dressler of Rare Roots Hospitality Group

“Thanksgiving is a great family holiday that starts with a great bloody Mary. We always start our morning with a bit of cheer and bite of a cocktail,” said Jon Dressler, owner of Rare Roots Hospitality Group, which includes Dresslers, Dogwood, Fin & Fino and The Porter’s House.

Dressler’s Bloody Mary:

1 quart vodka

1 quart tomato juice

1 quart Clamato

1 qt beefmato (unfortunately this is no longer available, so Dressler said he substitutes with spicy v8)

Limes, lots of them

Worcestershire to taste

Texas Pete hot sauce to taste

Celery salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Method of preparation:

Mix ingredients together and serve.

Cognac Peach Snazzle, Tamu Curtis of The Cocktailery

To kick off 2022, The Cocktailery owner Tamu Curtis shared a signature drink with CharlotteFive that’s just as festive to start closing out the year with. Pair the Cognac Peach Snazzle with a piece of Thanksgiving pie or peach cobbler and enjoy.

Curtis’ Cognac Peach Snazzle:

1/2 ounce Amaro

1 1/2 ounce Hennessy

1/2 ounce honey simple syrup

1/2 ounce lemon juice

lemon peel

5-6 dashes Fee Brother peach bitters

Method of preparation:

Use shaker and shake with ice and strain. Express lemon peel over cocktail. Finish with a lemon twist.

Double Shooting Star, Jeremy Powers of Southern Distilling Company

Jeremy Powers, the brand ambassador and area sales manager for Southern Distilling Company, has created a lineup of fall drinks such as the Double Shooting Star, a double shot egg nog, that would pair perfectly with any holiday gathering. (You can try out his creations at the distillery’s free holiday event, 211 Jennings Road in Statesville, from 3-7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10.)

Powers’ Double Shooting Star:

2 eggs

3 ounces superfine sugar (not powdered)

4 ounces milk

2 ounces heavy cream

4 ounces Southern Star Double Shot

4 ounces Southern Star Standard High Rye Bourbon

fresh nutmeg

coffee bean

Method of preparation:

Beat eggs on low to medium for about a minute. Slowly add sugar and continue to blend about a minute longer. Leave blender running and slowly add the milk, cream, double shot and bourbon. Chill thoroughly to further integrate the flavors. Serve in chilled glasses and grate both fresh nutmeg and a coffee bean on top for garnish.

Batch recipe (serves 12)

12 eggs

18 ounces superfine sugar

24 ounces milk

12 ounces cream

1 Bottle Double Shot

1 Bottle Standard Bourbon

Fall-spiced Old Fashioned, Stephen Toth of Dot Dot Dot

“We make a ‘fall-spiced’ old fashioned at my house for Thanksgiving,” said Stephen Toth, general manager of Dot Dot Dot. “We also do mulled wine.”

Toth’s Fall Spiced Old Fashioned:

1 ounce Bottled in Bond Bourbon

3-5 dashes angostura bitters

0.5 ounces Laird’s Apple Jack Bottled in Bond

0.5 ounces Fall Spiced Syrup (recipe below)

Fall Spiced Syrup (made a day ahead)

4 cups of water

4 cups brown sugar

4 cinnamon sticks

10 whole cloves

4 star anise

6 whole allspice berries

Method of preparation for the Fall-Spiced Syrup:

Bring to a bowl while stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat. Steep overnight. Fine strain.

Rosy Cheeks Punch, Stephanie Andrews of Billy Sunday and Spindle Bar

Stephanie Andrews of Billy Sunday and Spindle Bar said a punch is always best for a holiday crowd. “Punches last a bit longer — it really extends the length of your cocktail,” she said.

“The worst thing is to have you stuck standing next to the bar or people asking you where everything is,” she added. A punch bowl takes care of those problems.

Andrews’ Rosy Cheeks Punch:

25 ounces of gin or vodka

30 ounces of spiced cranberry syrup or leftover cranberry sauce

12 ounces lemon juice

8 ounces grand marnier or orange liquor

25 ounces cocchi Americano, an Italian aperitif wine (optional)

2 bottles sparking wine

Method of preparation:

Combine all ingredients except wine in a punch bowl. Add ice and top with sparkling wine or soda water. Garnish with orange slices, cranberries or cinnamon sticks.

Last Light, Kayleigh Williams-Brown of Leah & Louise

Kayleigh Williams-Brown of Leah & Louise shared her Last Light cocktail, inspired by daylight saving time ending and season changing. The fall drink is simple and customizable. It calls for heavy cream, but you could use coffee creamer or plant-based milk instead. You could also swap out the rum for bourbon or rye whiskey, she said.

Williams-Brown’s Last Light:

1.5 ounces rum (She used Bacoo 8-year rum)

0.5 ounces heavy cream

1 egg

1 tsp. sugar

fresh nutmeg

Method of preparation:

Chill a stemmed glass with ice. Add all ingredients in a shaker without ice, and shake for 30 seconds or more. Add ice to the shaker and shake it again for 15 seconds or so. Empty the ice from the chilled glass and strain the cocktail into the glass. To garnish, grate fresh nutmeg over the drink.

This story was originally published November 11, 2022 at 6:00 AM.

Heidi Finley

The Charlotte Observer

Heidi Finley is a writer and editor for CharlotteFive and the Charlotte Observer. Outside of work, you will most likely find her in the suburbs driving kids around, volunteering and indulging in foodie pursuits. Support my work with a digital subscription

Erin Breeden

The Charlotte Observer

Erin Breeden was the editor of Carolina Bride and is now a freelance writer and a proud business owner. She loves writing stories focused on the food and beverage scene in Charlotte, luxury travel and the stories of unsung heroes and unique characters in the Queen City. Follow along with her adventures on Instagram (@erinmbreeden) or Twitter (@erinbreeden).