A Boozy Latte with a Side of Family Time

Thanksgiving marks the official kickoff to the holiday season, and you know what that means - we are on the run! We’re cooking, baking, cleaning, traveling, and shopping all season long. I often find myself more tired after the holidays than at the start of them. This Thanksgiving, I’ve made it a priority to relax and spend as much time as possible with the ones I love because that is the beauty in the holiday. My hope is that with this simple, three step cocktail recipe, you can spend less time preparing for the holiday and more time experiencing it.

This year, my family has decided to host a potluck dinner at my mom’s house, so each guest will contribute their favorite dish. I love this idea because it takes some of the burden off the host and gets everyone involved! Cousin Josh is in charge of the tukey, and decided deep-frying it was the way to go this year, so he’ll be bringing a deep fryer and the turkey. Cousin Dana is preparing made-from-scratch mashed potatoes, Aunt Eileen is making her famous sweet potato marshmallow casserole, and my sister Stelisa is bringing over a pepperoni and cheese tray. I’ve been designated as the cocktail girl, and it’s safe to say that I’m taking my newfound job very seriously. While sitting at the bar at my local Starbucks, I came up with an idea to mix the holiday flavored drinks into a cocktail. Check out the recipe below on how you can create the perfect holiday-inspired boozy drink for your Thanksgiving get together!

Begin with a Starbucks holiday edition Gingerbread Latte. Pair it with a cream-based liqueur, such as Baileys, Kahlua, or RumChata. My local liquor store had tons of holiday flavors, such as the Baileys Vanilla Cinnamon Irish Cream Liqueur I used in this recipe.

Simply combine the ingredients, and give it a stir!

Garnish with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice to add flavor and seasonal fun.

Voila! A holiday-inspired boozy drink for the whole family to share.

A great way to dress up this drink for the holidays is to use gold-foiled glasses with fun sayings like the ones pictured above. To give the drink a festive look, try setting the glasses atop a mound of sparkling snow or artificial Maple leaves and serve on a tray.

The recipe below can be customized based upon your taste preferences. If you enjoy the flavor of pumpkin, try mixing Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spiced Latte with a vanilla or pumpkin flavored cream-based liquor. Are you a salted caramel addict? Try out the Salted Caramel Latte at Starbucks alongside RumChata for a sentimental cinnamon taste!

Boozy Holiday Gingerbread Latte

Yield: About 2 cups

Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 tall Starbucks Gingerbread Latte, no toppings

• ¼ cup cream-based liqueur, such as Baileys, RumChata, or Kahlua

• 1 tsp Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pie Spice for garnish

Directions:

Refrigerate latte overnight. Stir all ingredients together until well blended. Serve in brown sugar-rimmed glasses over ice. Garnish with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice if desired.

Check your local Starbucks store for holiday hours. Some may vary.