As many of you know from my posts on Instagram, my husband and I hosted Friendsgiving this year. We had such a fabulous time with everyone, dining and celebrating the night away. Apart from nailing the turkey (;) recipe coming soon), one of my FAVORITE parts was providing a festive cocktail to my guests immediately upon their arrival. What instills the holiday spirit better than a signature cocktail placed in your hand the second you walk through the door? I will tell you from experience – ABSOLUTELY nothing. My holiday concoction of choice is my mom’s Pink Panty!
Pink Panties and I go way back. I watched my mom make this cocktail for years for our annual Christmas Eve party, and truth be told, it provided me with my first tipsy experience in my underage drinking years 😉 Needless to say, there are many reasons this drink holds a special place in my heart (and frankly, I love the name LOL).
Pink Panties for the WIN
This drink is classy, STRONG, and – let’s be honest – the presentation is absolutely stellar. It’s not too tart, not too sweet, and (most importantly) not too complicated – Because if you’re hosting a holiday party, you’ve got enough on your plate already.
A Pink Panty cocktail is an enchanting blend of cranberry juice, lemonade concentrate, vodka, and a little bit of sugar. My mom traditionally adds normal cane sugar, however, feel free to omit the sugar OR, if you’re feeling experimental, you can definitely try a different kind of sweetener like agave.
This year, I decided to switch it up a bit. On the day of Friendsgiving, I had a bottle of club soda near the drink dispenser. When serving, I poured the Pink Panty over ice and fresh cranberries, then added a splash of club soda for freshness. I received a lot of compliments on this so I highly recommend it! (Note: if you put club soda in too early, the fizz will fade. Keep it separate and allow guests to add to their liking).
Cranberries and Glassware are the KEY to class
If you are serving a festive cocktail at this year’s holiday party, consider adding fresh cranberries on top! They infuse no flavor and act purely as a garnish that will beautifully float on top of the glass.
If you’re really going for it, invest in some beautiful glassware for the classy touch that will take the hosting to the next level!
Here are my recommendations:
Note: If you use the glass pitcher rather than the drink dispenser, you may want to have the cranberries already in the cocktail glasses to start and NOT in the pitcher. This will prevent a million cranberries from dumping into your glass each time someone wants to refill.
Glass Pitcher ($15) | Beverage Dispenser ($12) | Stemless Wine Glasses ($10)
Pink Panty Cocktail
Ingredients
- 12 oz lemonade concentrate (frozen)
- 60 oz cranberry juice
- 24 oz vodka (use empty lemonade canister)
- ⅓ cup sugar (can omit or use more or less – taste first!)
Instructions
- Combine ingredients into a large pitcher. Mix vigorously. Taste test to make sure if you like it 🙂
- If you want sweeter – add more sugar. If too tart – add club soda / water. If not strong enough – add as much vodka as you'd like :).
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