Thanksgiving Mocktails: 12 Non-Alcoholic Drinks for the Table
Twelve Thanksgiving mocktails, the non-alcoholic wines to pour with turkey, and how much to make.
The best Thanksgiving mocktails taste like the season: warm spice, apple, cranberry and orange. Make one warm drink in a pot, one big pitcher, one bubbly drink for the toast and something easy for the kids, and put a non-alcoholic red and white on the table for dinner. Here are twelve recipes for the day, the wines to pour with turkey, and how much to make.
Wine for the table
- <0.5%
- Dealcoholized
- United States
- <0.5%
- Dealcoholized
- New Zealand
- 0.0%
- Never Alcoholized
- France
- <0.5%
- Denmark, France, Germany, South Korea, United States
Twelve Thanksgiving mocktails
Warm, from a pot
- Mulled wine: red wine, orange and spice, warmed gently.
- Hot toddy: tea, honey, lemon, cinnamon.
- Eggnog: a cooked custard with nutmeg, for dessert.
Fall flavors, shaken
- Cranberry mocktail: cranberry, orange and rosemary, topped with ginger beer.
- Apple cider mocktail: cloudy cider, maple and a cinnamon-sugar rim.
A pitcher
- Sangria: made ahead, poured all afternoon.
- Wine spritzer: wine and bubbles, light and long.
- Fruit shrub: a tart syrup to top with soda.
After dinner and for kids
- Old Fashioned: stirred, with orange.
- Shirley Temple: the one the kids ask for.
More in 25 zero-proof cocktail recipes and every recipe in recipes and mocktails.
Wine with Thanksgiving dinner
| Dish | Pour |
|---|---|
| Roast turkey | A light red (Pinot Noir) or a Chardonnay |
| Cranberry sauce | A light red, or a dry rosé |
| Stuffing and gravy | Chardonnay, or a medium red |
| Ham | A dry rosé or a fruity red |
| Pumpkin or pecan pie | Something sparkling, or eggnog |
More on pairing: food with non-alcoholic red and food with white. Cooking the gravy with wine? See cooking with non-alcoholic wine.
How much to make
- Two or three drinks a guest over the afternoon, plus water.
- A 750 ml bottle pours about five glasses with dinner, or six toasts.
- One pot of mulled wine (one bottle) serves five; double it for ten.
- A pitcher of sangria serves six to eight.
Hosting tips
Make the warm drink first
Mulled wine and toddy can sit on low heat, so guests help themselves.
Batch the pitcher the night before
Sangria and shrub get better overnight.
Label the drinks
If some drinks have alcohol, keep them separate and clearly marked.
Ask ahead
Some guests may be pregnant, driving or not drinking; see how to support friends who don’t drink.
Hosting more this season? See alcohol-free holiday parties and how to throw an alcohol-free party.
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Common questions
What are good Thanksgiving mocktails?
Warm drinks like non-alcoholic mulled wine and a hot toddy, a cranberry or apple cider mocktail, a pitcher of sangria or a wine spritzer, a French 75 for the toast, eggnog with dessert and a Shirley Temple for kids.
What non-alcoholic wine goes with turkey?
A light red such as a non-alcoholic Pinot Noir, or a Chardonnay. Both suit turkey, cranberry and gravy.
How many drinks do I need for Thanksgiving?
Plan on two or three drinks a guest over the afternoon. A 750 ml bottle pours about five glasses; one pot of mulled wine serves five.
Which Thanksgiving mocktails can I make ahead?
Sangria, fruit shrub and eggnog are best made the day before. Mulled wine can be made ahead and rewarmed gently.
