Miso Cider Spritz Thanksgiving Cocktail Recipe

After roasting a turkey, mashing potatoes, and baking several pies, the last thing on your mind on Thanksgiving is crafting a cocktail. As you hurriedly crank open that last forgotten can of cranberry sauce, you're just hoping that some kind soul has at least poured you some wine, because you're ready to sink into a chair with a beverage in hand. There's nothing wrong with wine, but it's the holidays, and you deserve something special to match. The perfect cocktail for a busy day? A spritz.

This miso cider spritz cocktail crafted by developer Michelle McGlinn is nutty and fragrant, infused with buttery miso and topped off with apple cider. By making the miso-infused brandy ahead of time, this cocktail is effortless to put together the day of; meaning your busy hands won't be burdened by one more thing. Just pour the brandy, cider, and prosecco in a glass, and you have a deliciously savory cocktail to enjoy with your Thanksgiving spread.

To make the butter washed brandy, you'll need butter, miso, and brandy. If you can't find brandy or prefer different liquors, you can use bourbon, rye, or cognac instead. To make the cocktail, you'll just need apple cider and prosecco. For garnishing, we recommend a bay leaf (which you may have on hand for Thanksgiving, anyway), but you can also use other common Thanksgiving herbs like thyme, rosemary, or sage.

Melt butter and miso in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Pour brandy into a container.

Pour melted butter mixture into brandy.

Let mixture cool. The butter will curdle.

Once brandy is cooled to room temperature, cover and transfer to the refrigerator overnight or for 8 hours.

Once butter is solidified, strain the brandy, removing the butter.

To build the cocktails, fill glasses with ice.

Add 1 ounce brandy to each glass.

Add 1 ounce apple cider to each glass.

Top each glass with 4 ounces prosecco.

Garnish with bay leaves.

Fat-washing brandy or other dark liquors is similar to infusing, but not only does it change the flavor and appearance, it also changes the texture and mouthfeel of the drink. Fat washing usually involves melting the fat — in this case, butter — into a liquid, then combining with the alcohol. Because most fats solidify as they cool, the fats rise to the top and are easily strained away. In this application, miso is melted into the butter, then combined with the brandy to infuse the liquor with a nutty, savory flavor and silky mouthfeel. W

hile miso isn't really a fat, it behaves similarly and solidifies enough to be strained out of the brandy. Be warned, though: especially if infused overnight, your brandy will have a strong toasted miso flavor. If you're not sure you like miso, try straining as soon as it cools so that the miso only infuses for an hour or so. If you don't like miso at all but love the idea of a brandy spritz, try it with butter only.

This might be a no-brainer, but this miso cider spritz cocktail pairs perfectly with stuffing, turkey, and mashed potatoes. It not only matches the rich flavors, but is also just a little sweeter, providing some balance to the meal. If cocktails are more of a before-dinner thing for you, this spritz pairs well with charcuterie (we recommend serving it on skewers this year), cheesy stuffed puff pastry, and pecan-stuffed dates. And while this cocktail is a little more savory than it is sweet, it can make a great dessert cocktail, too. Just pair it with melty brie, caramel apples, or a classic pumpkin pie.

If you're the type of host that loves prepping ahead, we recommend making a large batch of this cocktail to make serving a breeze. To do this, make the brandy a few days in advance and strain. Then, up to a day in advance, mix the brandy and apple cider together and store in a bottle or jar. When ready to serve, pour 2 ounces of the mixture over ice, top with prosecco, and repeat.