My many years as a bartender has served me well.  Aside from teaching me a ton about the bar and restaurant industry, I can also throw a pretty good party filled with lots of fun cocktails.  Since having the boys, our party hosting days have taken a back seat to play dates and juice boxes but I have never lost my love of a fun, creative cocktail.  This Thanksgiving we will be laying low but that does not mean we will not indulge in a little holiday cheer with my very own thanksgiving cocktail.

Like the Giggles, Gobbles and Gulps logo, I will be cooking in my kitchen, cocktail in hand, while my little yorkies stand by my feet waiting for me to drop a piece of turkey or some other Thanksgiving morsel.

I will certainly be making this little cocktail I created called the Autumn Spice Slammer.

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Here is what you will need:

1 1/2 ounces brandy

3 ounces apple cider

2 ounces orange juice

1/2 triple sec

sugar

cinnamon

Apple, cut up into small chunks.  Reserve on slice of apple for garnish

Orange slice for garnish

Frozen cranberries (optional)

Mix equal parts sugar and cinnamon and place in a saucer. Rub the rim of a glass with the orange wedge and dip glass into the cinnamon-sugar mixture to rim the glass.  Reserve the orange.  In a shaker half filled with ice cubes , combine the brandy, apple cider, orange juice and triple sec.  Shake well.  Fill rimmed glass with ice and top with chopped apples.  Strain mixture over apples and ice and garnish with apple and orange slice.  Throw in a few frozen cranberries for a pop color (optional).

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Cheers to a great Thanksgiving and oh, make sure you eat the apples at the end.  They are the best part!