A delicious cocktail and a Thanksgiving dish go together like pumpkin pie and whipped cream. We’ve taken the bold flavors in our spirits and paired them with some of Thanksgiving’s most traditional dishes like juicy turkey, Brussel sprouts with cranberry and a fluffy pumpkins dessert, to name a few. It’s time to sit back, relax, eat, drink and be merry this Thanksgiving with these 8 perfectly paired cocktails from Liquid Chef Billie Keithley.
We like to start the day with a warm sipper as you prepare your delicious Thanksgiving feast.
Maple Cider
1-1/2oz Breckenridge Spiced Rum (Buy Now)
1oz blackberry juice
1/2oz maple syrup
Top with hot cider
Garnish with blackberries dusted with maple sugar
HAPPY DRAMSGIVING + COLORADO TURKEY
We’ve taken our Breckenridge Bourbon, combined with locally sourced Honeybee Keep Honey, to create this honey glazed Colorado Turkey dish. The bold flavors of the turkey glaze paired with the spices of the Happy Dramsgiving will have your mouth watering for leftovers.
Happy Dramsgiving
2oz Breckenridge Bourbon (Buy Now)
1/2oz Allspice Dram*
1 dash orange bitters
Orange zest
Stir ingredients. Serve over ice.
**Allspice Dram Recipe:
2 cups Breckenridge Spiced Rum (Buy Now)
2oz brown sugar
3 cups water
4oz allspice berries
2 cinnamon sticks
1 clove
Muddle all spices, berries, breaking them up into pieces, not overdoing it. Add the Breckenridge Spiced Rum and berries together in a seal tight jar. Shake. Let steep for 5 days, shaking daily. Add cinnamon sticks broken into 2. After 2 more days add clove. After 10 days of steeping and shaking daily, strain out solids. Over medium heat, add brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Turn off heat. Add the Dram mix. Let cool. Put everything into the seal tight jar. Refrigerate for a couple more days before using. This is served superbly with Breckenridge Bourbon. Served hot is excellent. Cold is beautiful too.
MAPLE DATE OLD FASHIONED + MAPLE GLAZED HONEY HAM
Maple Date Old Fashioned
2-1/2 oz Breckenridge Bourbon
1/2 oz maple/date syrup*
2 dashes Fee Brothers Barrel-Aged Whiskey Bitters
Stir all ingredients with ice. Stain over a large cube or sphere.
Garnish: healthy orange zest, Luxardo cherry and edible Maple leaf.
*Maple/date syrup: over medium heat add 8 oz water, 6 oz date sugar & 1-1/2 oz Tim Burton’s Maple syrup. Stir until dissolved and let cool.
THE SEASON TO BE BERRY + CANDIED YAMS
A beloved turkey day staple that should find its way to every table. The earthy sweetness of the yams is juxtaposed perfectly with this snappishly balanced cocktail.
The Season to be Berry
1-1/2oz Breckenridge Pear Vodka (Buy Now)
1tbs lingonberry jam
1/2oz lemon juice
4oz cranberry juice
Shake all ingredients with ice
Garnish with mint and cranberry
CRISP HARVEST + BRUSSELS SPOUTS W/ CRANBERRIES
Delicious barrel charred, maple roasted Brussels sprouts and cranberry jam add the perfect pop of color at your Thanksgiving dinner table. Our maple syrup is aged in Breck Bourbon barrels, giving you a distinct flavor of charred oak bourbon. This cocktail and dish pairing offer the perfect balance of tartness and sweetness between the cranberries, pears, apples, and figs in the cocktail and the Brussels sprouts, bacon, jam, and almonds.
Crisp Harvest
1-1/2oz Breckenridge Pear Vodka (Buy Now)
1oz fig, pear, apple shrub*
4oz pear/apple juice
1oz cranberry juice
Garnish with cranberries and apples
Shake ingredients. Serve over ice.
*Homemade Shrub- Over medium heat, add 3oz fig jam, 4oz unfiltered apple cider, 3oz pear juice. 2oz of cider vinegar, 6oz brown sugar. Stir until dissolved. Let cool.
NUTS OVER RUM CASK + WARM APPLE PIE
Nuts Over Rum Cask
1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Rum Cask Finish (Buy Now)
4 oz oat Milk
1/2 oz orgeat (BG Reynolds Orgeat) or homemade orgeat*
4 drops Bittermans Xocolatl Mole bitters
Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain & serve over ice.
Garnish: crushed nuts.
*Homemade Orgeat-
Ingredients:
12 oz raw almonds
3 cups sugar
3 cups water
Instructions: Heat oven to 375. Spread 12 oz of raw almonds on a cookie sheet. Cook 10 minutes. Let cool (you can hear them crackle a bit). Add into spice grinder a few pulses at a time. Over medium heat add 5 cups water and 4 cups sugar. Stir until dissolved. Add Almonds. Turn off heat and cover. Let rest for 8 hours and strain.
WINTER’S CHAI + YELLOW SQUASH/BACON CASSEROLE
This pairing balances the bitter, spice and fat with the richness of the season. Slightly bitter squash and rich bacon meld harmoniously with the spiced piquant flavors of this seasonal sipper; bring an old tradition to the dinner table. You may have to ask Grandma for her recipe.
Winter’s Chai
1-1/2oz Breckenridge Spiced Whiskey (Buy Now)
1-1/2oz chai tea
3oz almond milk
3/4oz honey simple
Shake all ingredients with ice
Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg
TEN MILE TODDY + SPICED PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE
You will definitely want to save room for this pairing. Spiced pumpkin cheesecake with graham cracker crust, sea salt caramel drizzle, top with fresh homemade whipped cream and an almond tuile treat. That is a mouth full. The Spiced Whiskey and honey cardamom pairs perfectly with the spices of the pumpkin cheesecake.
Ten Mile Toddy
1-1/2oz Breckenridge Spiced Whiskey (Buy Now)
3/4oz toasted cardamom honey simple*
1/2oz lemon juice
Top with hot water
*Homemade Simple- Over medium heat in a skillet, toast 25 cardamom pods. Add cardamom, 12oz water, 6oz honey, 6oz brown sugar. Stir until dissolved. Turn off heat and cover. Let rest for 6 hours. Strain and bottle.
Looking for other delicious cocktails you can easily make at home? Read more about our winter cocktails and Christmas cocktails. Cheers and happy Thanksgiving from all of us at the Breckenridge Distillery.
