Eight Thanksgiving drinks cover crisp cider, tart cranberry, pear, pomegranate and warm spiced fruit. Seven have measured ingredients and instructions; the pomegranate punch links to its original publisher for the recipe.

Before You Pour

For alcohol-free service, check mixer labels and keep spirits or alcoholic bitters off the mocktail table. Keep juice, cut fruit and prepared drinks under the food-safety conditions in the FDA buffet guidance . Set out small portions and refresh them from chilled containers instead of topping up a warm pitcher.

For the serving layout, see the drink station guide . A warm option is the spiced pear cider below; for another party menu, browse Christmas mocktails .

1. Sparkling Apple Cider Punch

Yield: 24 servings. Prep and total time: 5 minutes. This version contains no bourbon.

Ingredients

  • 1 gallon apple cider
  • 1 bottle sparkling cider (25.4 ounces)
  • 2 bottles ginger beer (12 ounces each)
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 whole star anise pod
  • Apple and orange slices, optional garnish
  • Ice, for serving

Method

Place the cider, sparkling cider, ginger beer, lime juice, cinnamon and star anise in a large punch bowl or pitcher and stir. Serve over ice and garnish with apple and orange slices. Check mixer labels for strict alcohol-free service. For a warm setup, see the hot apple cider bar .

2. Cranberry and Ginger Fizz

Yield: 1 drink. Prep and total time: 5 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 50 ml cranberry juice
  • 1 tablespoon syrup from a jar of stem ginger
  • Ginger ale, to top up
  • Fresh cranberries, to garnish
  • Ice, for shaking

Method

Shake the cranberry juice and ginger syrup briefly with a few ice cubes. Strain into a champagne flute or coupe, top up with ginger ale and garnish with a couple of cranberries. Choose a mixer labeled alcohol-free when needed.

3. Rosemary Pear Mocktail

Yield: 1 drink. Prep and total time: 10 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces pear juice, fresh or bottled
  • 1 rosemary sprig, plus more for garnish
  • 1/2 ounce lemon juice
  • 1/2 tablespoon honey
  • Lemon sparkling water, to top
  • Pear slice, for garnish
  • Ice, for shaking and serving

Method

Tear the rosemary sprig into a cocktail shaker with lemon juice and honey. Muddle until the honey dissolves. Add pear juice and ice, then shake until chilled. Strain into a glass over ice and top with sparkling water. Garnish with a pear slice and rosemary if desired.

4. Pomegranate Orange Punch

Pomegranate and orange are a seasonal flavor direction for the table. This entry is an idea, not a measured punch recipe. For a complete alcohol-free party option, use the Christmas cranberry and pineapple punch .

5. Mulled Apple Cider

Yield: 12 servings. Prep: 10 minutes. Total: 40 minutes. This version contains no rum.

Ingredients

  • 4 cinnamon sticks
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 8 whole allspice berries
  • Peel of 1 orange
  • Peel of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 6 cups apple cider or freshly squeezed apple juice
  • Apple slices and orange twists, for serving

Method

Put the cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, allspice berries and citrus peels in a medium saucepan. Add the maple syrup and cider, then bring the mixture almost to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve in mugs with apple slices and orange twists. The hot apple cider bar guide covers station setup.

6. Non-Alcoholic Sangria

Yield: 4 servings. Prep: 10 minutes. Total: 15 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 lemon, sliced
  • 1/2 orange, sliced
  • 1 small apple or peach, cut into wedges
  • 4 cups seltzer water
  • 4 cups grape juice

Method

Combine the orange juice, sugar and grape juice in a large pitcher. Add the sliced fruit and stir until the sugar dissolves. Refrigerate until cool, then add the seltzer just before serving.

7. Spiced Pear Cider

Yield: 6 servings. Prep: 10 minutes. Total: 100 minutes. Weigh the pears in kilograms as listed below.

Ingredients

  • 1 kg pears
  • 1 litre pear juice
  • 1 litre water
  • 1 large piece of ginger, sliced (about 9 cm / 3 inches)
  • 2 to 3 cinnamon sticks, depending on size
  • 6 whole cloves

Method

Quarter the pears and remove the seeds and stems. Add them to a large pot with the pear juice, water, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Cover and bring to a low boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid cracked open for about 90 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing the pears with a wooden spoon. Discard the spices and pear mash, then serve the strained cider hot.

8. Cranberry Ginger Ale Holiday Punch

Yield: 24 servings. Prep: 5 minutes. This version uses nonalcoholic ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups cranberry juice cocktail
  • 12 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate
  • 12 ounces frozen limeade concentrate
  • 1 1/2 cups ginger ale
  • 2 litres lemon-lime soda
  • Ice cubes, optional
  • Cranberries and orange slices, optional

Method

Combine the cranberry juice, orange juice concentrate, limeade concentrate, ginger ale and lemon-lime soda in a punch bowl. Mix well. Add ice if desired, then garnish with cranberries and orange slices. For an alcohol-free gathering, check that the chosen mixers meet your needs.

Recipe and service notes

Use the measured ingredient list for each drink separately. Description-only ideas are not complete recipes. No TFA kitchen testing or storage-life validation is claimed. For service and cold holding, follow the FDA buffet guidance .