Thanksgiving recipe: A moonshine and cranberry cocktail to go with your turkey

If you’re planning a holiday family dinner, you’ll want to have a couple of cocktails ready. When your 80-year-old grandmother starts hassling you about your lack of a significant other, again, of course she means well. But a little moonshine couldn’t hurt the conversation.

For something festive, we’ve got a recipe for a cocktail called the Mood Shiner. It’s everything you’ll need to survive an evening with your extended family, including moonshine and a little cranberry liqueur.

We recommend using Stillhouse moonshine, a 100% corn whiskey made in Louisville, Ky. It’s surprisingly smooth and works as a great base for any number of cocktails.

Cheers! And drink responsibly.

The Mood Shiner

Total time: 5 minutes | Makes 1 cocktail

1 1/2 ounces Stillhouse original moonshine

1/2 ounce Leopold Bros. New England cranberry liqueur

1/2 ounce lime juice

Trader Joe’s Italian blood orange soda

Optional candied cranberry or orange peel garnish. (Recipe here)

1. Fill half of a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour the moonshine, cranberry liqueur and lime juice into the shaker. Give the cocktail a good shake, then strain into a martini glass.

2. Pour some Italian blood orange soda over the top and garnish with skewered candied cranberries.

I’m really into leftovers. Follow me on Twitter @Jenn_Harris