Alcohol-free Thanksgiving drinks: a plan for the whole table
For your own glass at the table: sparkling raspberry and pomegranate, poured into a wine glass. 21+. One can is one serving. Never with alcohol or antidepressants.
Thanksgiving 2026 is Thursday, November 26. It's a long day with a big meal, a lot of family and usually a game on in the next room, which makes it one of the easier days to have a drinks plan and one of the harder days to make one up on the spot. Here's a plan for the whole table, for your own glass and for the couch after dinner, whether you're hosting or you're the guest who isn't drinking.
A pitcher for the whole table (no can)
Start with one drink everyone can have: kids, drivers, the aunt who never drinks and you.
Cranberry apple sparkler (serves about 8)
- 3 cups cranberry juice, chilled
- 3 cups apple cider, chilled
- 1 cup orange juice
- 3 cups sparkling water, added just before serving
- Orange slices, a handful of fresh cranberries and a few rosemary sprigs
- Stir the juices together in a big pitcher up to a day ahead and keep it cold.
- Add the sparkling water right before people sit down, so it stays fizzy.
- Serve over ice with an orange slice and a rosemary sprig in each glass.
Hot cider for the long afternoon (no can)
Put a pot on low after the turkey comes out: apple cider, two cinnamon sticks, a few whole cloves and a strip of orange peel. Leave it on the stove (or in a slow cooker on warm) and let people help themselves through the game and dessert. Nothing to measure, nothing to mix.
Your own glass at the table (21+)
If you want something that feels like your drink and not the kids' punch, pour a can of Kanna Pomegranate Fusion into a wine glass with a rosemary sprig. It's sparkling raspberry and pomegranate and pours pink, so it looks like it belongs next to the cranberry sauce. One can is one serving. Never with alcohol, and never with antidepressants.
Keep the botanical cans for adults: put them somewhere other than the kids' cooler, and away from the wine and beer so nobody tops one up with alcohol.
After dinner, on the couch (21+, not if you're driving)
For the slow stretch between dessert and leftovers, Kava Orange Dream over ice with a strip of orange peel is the creamsicle-style option. Only if you're staying put: don't drink kava if you're the one driving home, and never with alcohol. Want more ways to serve it? See our kava mocktails.
If you're the guest who isn't drinking
- Bring your own drinks. A bag of cider and sparkling water, or a 4-pack for yourself. It's one less thing for the host to think about, and you're never stuck with water.
- Have a drink in your hand early. Pour something as soon as you arrive, before anyone offers.
- Keep the answer short. "I'm good, thanks, I've got this" works. You don't owe anyone a reason.
- Watching the game? Drinks for game day has a plan for the cooler.
If you're hosting
- Put the alcohol-free drinks first. Same good glasses, same spot on the table, not hidden in the garage fridge.
- Label the pitchers. "No alcohol" on a sticky note saves a lot of questions.
- Plan the drive home. A long day means a lot of people driving at night. Make the no-alcohol pitcher the easy choice for them, and keep the botanical cans for guests who are staying.
Looking ahead
Thanksgiving is the start of a long stretch of parties. Non-alcoholic drinks for a party covers the next few weeks, and an alcohol-free New Year's Eve covers the night before Dry January.
If it's harder than you expected
Holidays can make drinking, or not drinking, harder than usual. If you're worried about your drinking, talk to someone. In the US, SAMHSA's National Helpline is free, confidential and open 24/7 at 1-800-662-4357. If you drink heavily every day, talk to a doctor before stopping, because alcohol withdrawal can be serious.
The botanical cans on this site are for adults 21+ and aren't a substitute for support. They aren't recommended if you're in recovery.
Who should skip kava
- Kava drinks are for adults 21+.
- Kava has rare reports of liver problems, mostly linked to concentrated supplements. Skip it if you have a liver condition, are pregnant or nursing, or take medications that affect the liver or nervous system.
- Don't mix it with alcohol, and don't drive after drinking it. Talk to your doctor if you're unsure.
Who should skip kanna
- Kanna drinks are for adults 21+.
- Never combine kanna with antidepressants (SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs) or other serotonergic medications.
- Skip it if you're pregnant or nursing, and talk to your doctor if you take any daily medication.
- One can is one serving. Don't drink it with alcohol, and don't drive after drinking it.
Related: Non-alcoholic drinks for a party · Alcohol-free New Year's Eve · Kava mocktails · Dry January guide