Happy day before Thanksgiving! I suspect that most of you have some sense of existential dread right about now. Is it because you’re A) Still at work? B) Still at work knowing that you need to do some traveling during rush hour on the busiest travel day of the year? Or C) Traveling in rush hour to family you may or may not enjoy spending time with? If any, or even if none of the aforementioned scenarios apply, I’m here to help.

It’s a special Thanksgiving Drinking Survival Guide! Here are two suggestions to up your holiday drinking game, and make this holiday suck a little less.

First up is a drink of my own making. It’s a bit of a twist on the Whiskey Smash I wrote about for the Kentucky Derby. This time instead of mint I’m subbing in some sage, since there should be plenty of sage leftover from turkey preparation. I’m sure none will be missed if a few leaves found their way into a cocktail. Also, I used honey as opposed to the simple syrup. Here is the recipe with those suggestions in place:

2 oz. Rittenhouse Bonded Rye Whiskey

3 Lemon wedges

.5 oz Honey

6 Sage leaves, plus 1 leaf for garnish

Muddle the lemon wedges, sage leaves and honey, using a sage leaf to wipe out the honey measuring vessel to make sure no honey is missed. Add the rye, then shake with ice and fine strain into a chilled rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with the last sage leaf.

I’d say this little experiment was a success. It tastes close to a whiskey smash, though surprisingly not as sweet. I thought that the honey would add more sweetness so I backed it down a bit from the .75 oz. of simple syrup from the original. Perhaps next time I’ll do the full .75 oz. The lemon flavor pairs nicely with the sage coming in at the end. Overall, I’d say this cocktail is a solid choice to pair with any sort of appetizer. It may also provide an aid to survive a conversation with a relative about the merits of the current administration.

That was on an individual basis. What if you’re HOSTING Thanksgiving and need something easy to make in bulk? Well, how about a punch? The origin of this punch recipe escapes me, as it was a feature of a Thanksgiving Mrs. Sharkbait and I hosted a couple years ago. However, the ingredient list was preserved via text message, so here it is:

1 Gallon apple cider

1 Orange, cut into slices

Whole cloves

3-4 Whole cinnamon sticks

750 ml Bourbon

In a large punch bow, add in the apple cider, bourbon and the cinnamon sticks. Stir well to combine. Take the sliced orange and stud each slice with 8-9 cloves. Float the orange slices on top and let sit for an hour to let the flavor come together. Ladle into a glass to serve.

This punch is tasty, simple and easy. Its an ideal beverage to serve to a ton of people, because when you’ve got a bunch of other dishes to worry about, dumping stuff into a bowl and serving it is as easy as it gets. The cider is very festive, plus the cloves and cinnamon add nice depth and aroma to the punch that makes it scream “the holidays are here!”  If you need to keep it kid friendly, you could keep the booze off to the side and just add to each glass on an individual basis.

Well, hopefully these two drinks help guide you through awkward family conversations and makes your Thanksgiving a little bit better. Happy turkey day everyone!

(Banner image found here)