Everyone is focusing on the sad, bad parts of not having a proper Big Thanksgiving, but having fewer people at a Thanksgiving gathering means there are fewer people to argue with. This makes the dinner table a safer space, imbibement-wise, leaving you free to get even drunker than you normally would. Luckily, I have the perfect, extremely on-theme cocktail for this exact scenario.
It’s a bit of a doozy, and am calling it the “bad apple” because it tastes like apples and makes you feel bad (if you drink too many, that is). It’s a stiff mixture of Applejack, Mexican fernet, and sweet vermouth, and I will not be held responsible for how you behave once you’ve had a few.
The combination of vermouth and apple brandy is quite sweet, so the fernet is necessary. You can use Branca if it’s all you have, but I think the baking spices in Mexican fernet play a little better with the apple (Branca is a bit minty). If you like a sweeter drink, use 3/4 of an ounce of vermouth and 1/4 ounce fernet; if you know you like bitter amari, use 1/2 an ounce of each. Or try both! You have the day off! You have the time! To make this potent seasonal sipper, you will need:
2 ounces of Laird’s Applejack
1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
1/2 ounce Mexican fernet
Add everything to a glass filled with ice and stir until the glass becomes too cold to hold comfortably. Strain it into a coupe and drink it, then drink another one, then eat some turkey and mashed potatoes, then drink another. Then get on Twitter. Your family may not be around to argue with, but I’m sure you can find a spirited debate there.