The Best Thanksgiving Cocktails using Tea!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and you know what that means - time to gather with loved ones, give thanks, and enjoy some delicious food and drinks. If you're looking to spice up your Thanksgiving celebration this year, why not try incorporating tea into your cocktails? It's a unique twist that will surely impress your guests and add a touch of sophistication to your holiday gathering. Non-alcoholic options included.

Classic Cocktails with Modifications to Include Tea

1. Chai Spiced Old Fashioned: Swap out the traditional sugar cube in an Old Fashioned with a Chai tea-infused brown sugar simple syrup for a warm and spicy twist.
2. Earl Grey Martini: Infused your gin of choice with Earl Grey Tea Leaves then make your martini as usual. This will impart the gorgeous, citrus flavors of bergamot we all know and love.
3. Wassail with Tea: Make your favorite traditional holiday wassail and add in some hot tea of your choice. We have a tasty recipe for Cranberry Tea Wassail here.
4. Hot Tea Toddy: Everyone loves a hot toddy during those cold fall and winter nights. To elevate it swap out the hot water for hot tea. We have two great recipes: a WV Hot Toddy that includes moonshine, of course, with oolong tea and another more traditional version here.
5. Hot Cider: Upgrade your mug of cider by steeping tea into the cider. This adds the complex flavors tea brings straight into the cider without watering it down at all. 

Want to try something different?

Cider Mill

Serves 2.

• 1 teaspoon loose-leaf Chai tea
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup apple cider
• 3 ounces honey bourbon
• Cinnamon sticks, for garnish

1. Bring 3/4 cup water to a boil and pour over the tea leaves
   in a heatproof measuring cup. Let steep 5 minutes, then
   strain out leaves. Refrigerate the tea until cool, at least
   30 minutes.
2. Add the apple cider and bourbon to the tea. Pour into 2
   ice-filled glasses and garnish with cinnamon sticks.

Cranberry Earl Grey Mar-tea-ni

• 2 oz. Vodka
• 1 oz. Lime
• 1 oz. Earl Grey Infused Syrup
• .5 oz. Cranberry Puree

Make the Cranberry Puree:

1. Place 12 oz. of cranberries, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring to combine and lightly break up the berries. There’s no need to mash them much—they’ll break down fully as they cook. Bring the mixture to a gentle rolling boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. If it starts to boil over, tilt the pan slightly to reduce the intensity while keeping the boil steady.
   
2. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the cranberry mixture into a bowl set with a fine-mesh sieve. Use the back of a spoon to press the berries and juice through the sieve, leaving most of the fruit pulp and seeds behind. Taste the puree and adjust sweetness if needed. For extra brightness, add a small squeeze of orange juice.
3. The puree is now ready to use. If making ahead for a later use, you may refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 12 months.

Make the Earl Grey Simple Syrup: 

1.  In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Once boiling turn off the heat.
2. Add in 1 cup of sugar and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved.
3. Add 4 teaspoons of Earl Grey tea leaves and let steep for 4-6 minutes. Do not steep for longer than that as it may cause the syrup to become bitter.
4. Strain the syrup into a heat-proof container, preferably something glass as plastic will leech into the syrup. Discard used tea leaves. Optionally, add in a squeeze of fresh orange juice to brighten the flavor.
5. Let syrup cool to room temperature before storing in a lidded container. Store in the fridge up to 1 month. To extend the life of the syrup indefinitely add a splash of vodka or other alcohol. 

Assemble and Enjoy:

1. Combine all ingredients into a tall glass full of ice. Stir and enjoy!

Non-alcoholic Modifications

An easy swap for most single alcohol cocktails is to use club soda instead of whatever liquor is called for. This works better with vodka drinks because it is a plain liquor that doesn't impart much flavor into the drinks it's included in; however, this still works as a substitute for all liquors. Be sure to add the club soda at the end of any drink recipe to prevent bubbling over the edges of the cup and NEVER shake club soda in a cocktail shaker. 

Here's some other tea cocktail recipes we posted a few years ago.