Thanksgiving two (or perhaps, Thanksgiving too): the liquid edition

Alright, so on the one hand this will be a rather boring post as it will contain precisely zero pictures. On the other hand, this will be a fascinating and intoxicating post (ha ha) as it revolves entirely around everyone's favorite imbibable (not a real word): booze.

This year my new super-awesome friend Celeste started a holiday tradition that i can truly get behind - Gobble Goblet. Basically, she had the fabulous idea that as much as we all love our families and as much as we love Thanksgiving it can be a little, well, stressful. Why not arrange for a little post-dinner cocktail party where we can all kick back, see our friends for the holiday, and swap crazy family stories over the rims of our martini glasses?

I totally failed on bringing the camera but here are a few of the delicious concoctions that got mixed up in my time tending bar.

Differance

• 2 parts pumpkin vodka (see previous post)
• 1 part ginger liqueur
• Small dollop (half a spoon) pumpkin butter
• Small dollop (half a spoon) real maple syrup

Shake vigorously for a full 40 shakes (important to blend the pumpkin butter and maple syrup properly so they act as a thickening/emulsifying agent) and serve straight up.


The Pleasure Principle

• 1.5 parts cinnamon apple vodka (see previous post)
• 1.5 parts ginger liqueur (or goldschlager - the two will produce different tastes, but both are good)
• Marinated cranberries from cinnamon apple vodka jar
• Splash of apple juice

Take some of the cranberries out of your jar of cinnamon apple vodka and muddle them in the bottom of your martini glass. This can be a little tricky and i was tempted to muddle them mortar and pestle style, but you really want to tangy cranberry-vodka inside the berries so resist the temptation! Pour remaining ingredients (preferably chilled) into the glass and stir. Serve with one of the apples from your jar on the rim.


By this time the dark liquor drinkers were getting a little restless so i deviated from my previously contrived cocktails (those two come straight from November Cohort Communion) and mixed up some new stars.

Persons Unknown

• (Ri) 
• Courvouisier
• Ginger liqueur

Combine equal parts of all and shake vigorously; serve over ice in a highball glass.

This is a variation on my 'house drink' The Draper which is 1.5 parts bourbon to 1 part ginger liqueur served over ice. It was a nicely sweet variant, but a little boozey for my friend Sarah, who added a few squeezes of lime juice and was delighted with the result.

All are good but watch out, all are also very strong! So, though it was a morning-after rather than a night-of, i offer this final recipe for anyone who needs a little post-party pick-me-up (i'm no doctor, but my colloquial sense is that best cures for a hangover are water, vitamins, and/or a little bit more alcohol and this one features good doses of all three!)

Eye Opener

2 parts carrot puree (steam or boil carrots and then puree in a blender until fine)
2 parts orange juice (fresh squeezed is always best)
1 part ginger liqueur

Shake vigorously for a full 40 shakes (because of the pulpiness of the carrot and orange you want to be sure to fuse them so you don't have a separated drink); strain and serve in a juice glass.

Happy (and careful) holiday drinking everyone!