Happy Hour: Thanksgiving Cocktails With Wild Turkey (obviously!)

Last year we hosted a big Thanksgiving dinner for friends and family at our apartment. It was the typical madness that ensued, involving yummy food, karaoke, and even inflatable turkeys. This year, we're doing a very different Thanksgiving and going to our parents house. But I still want things to be festive and fun so instead of just bringing dessert and wine, I have decided to make these cool cocktails with Wild Turkey Bourbon. If there's any occasion to ever drink Wild Turkey, this is it! The name is way too perfect, I think I'm just going to have to make it my official November drink (but perhaps enjoy it this way.)

Pass the Turkey (created by Master Sommelier Fred Dexheimer)
1.5 oz Wild Turkey 101
2 oz apple cider
1 tbs cranberry jelly
1 sprig fresh sage
1 sprig fresh thyme
Directions: Muddle sage and thyme with apple cider. Add ice, top with Wild Turkey and cranberry jelly. Shake well, strain over ice in a glass rimmed with turkey jus and breadcrumbs.

Smashed Pumpkin
1 oz Wild Turkey 101
1/4 oz almond liqueur
1/4 oz cinnamon schnapps
2 oz pumpkin pie filling
1/2 oz heavy cream
Directions: Puree or froth pumpkin pie filling with heavy cream. Mix with other ingredients in a shaker with ice; shake well and strain into a martini glass. Rim with crumbled graham crackers and a cinnamon stick; top with a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg.

Recipes and images courtesy of Wild Turkey.

Happy Hour: Old Fashioneds Are Back in Fashion--Just in Time for Bourbon Month

It's no secret that I am whisky drinker, and specifically, love bourbon. In fact, two of my favorite cocktails are bourbon classics: the Manhattan and the Old Fashioned. So imagine my delight when my friends at Wild Turkey sent me these recipes. Perfect for tonight's happy hour!

Did you know that September is National Bourbon Heritage Month? Seriously. It was declared an official bill by the US Senate. Which is pretty cool and all, but really, who needs an excuse to enjoy these pretty little concoctions?

The Manhattan 101
Ingredients:
1 3/4 ounces Wild Turkey Bourbon
1/3 ounce dry vermouth
1/3 ounce sweet vermouth
1 thin slice fresh ginger
3 mint leaves
1/2 tsp powdered sugar
Dash aromatic bitters

Muddle ginger, mint, powdered sugar and bitters in a cocktail shaker. Add Wild Turkey Bourbon, vermouth and ice. Shake and strain into a chilled glass.

The Old Fashioned 101
Ingredients:
1 1/3 ounce Wild Turkey Bourbon
1/2 ounce apple cider
3 sage leaves
1 pinch of saffron
1 tsp brown sugar
2 orange twists
1 tsp orange zest
1 fresh cherry
1 ounce Amaretto

Slice cherry from top to bottom five times around pit, and soak in a cup of Amaretto. Muddle cider, sage, saffron, brown sugar, orange twists and zest together in glass. Add Wild Turkey Bourbon and stir. Strain and serve over ice, garnish with Amaretto-soaked cherry.

Have a lovely evening, xo!

(Photo by Wild Turkey Bourbon)