With Thanksgiving coming up, the holidays are going to look different. Nonetheless, you can still have a small, safe and socially distanced celebration in your home with these festive drinks. 

Make apple cider on the stovetop with “apple cups”

For this you will need: one gallon of apple cider, one and ½ cups of whiskey, a ½ cup of caramel, three cinnamon sticks and eight apples. You may also want some lemon juice, for brushing the bottoms of the apples.

First, combine the apple cider, cinnamon sticks, whiskey and the caramel in a pot. Cook on low until warmed through, 20 to 30 minutes. 

To make the apples into cups, first slice off the top of each apple. Next, use an apple corer to remove the inside of the apple until you’re about half an inch from the bottom of the apple. If you want, squeeze a bit of lemon juice inside the apple cups to prevent apples from browning.

Lastly, ladle the hot cider into apple cups. Garnish with cinnamon sticks (optional) and serve warm.

Apple pie shots with bourbon

For this recipe you will need: one and ½ cup of bourbon, three sugar cubes, two apples (one green and one red) chopped, one whole nutmeg, slightly shaved, four cinnamon sticks, plus more for garnish and a piece of fresh ginger. 

First, fill a mason jar with the bourbon, apples, sugar, nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon. Next, let the mixture sit for two to four days. (Start with two days and then let it sit for longer if you want, depending on your preferred taste.) Once that’s done, pour mixture into the shot glasses and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Mulled hot apple cider

Mulled drinks are drinks that have been combined with spices and warmed on the stove. For this you will need: one gallon of apple juice or apple cider, three cinnamon sticks, one large orange, cut into slices, one tablespoon of whole cloves, one tablespoon whole allspice, about an inch of ginger root, sliced, four star anise and one and ½ cups of spiced rum (optional). 

First, add the apple juice (or cider), cinnamon sticks, star anise, allspice, cloves and ginger to a large saucepan. Then, bring to a boil and let simmer for two to three hours. If you’d like to make it spiked, add in the rum and let it simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

These drinks should spark some of that festive feeling, even if you may not be able to celebrate the way that you are used to.