Use lemon juice for the gold rush, or substitute grapefruit for a Brown Derby.

Don’t bring a new dish to Thanksgiving. Truer words have never been spoken.

I brought a new dessert once and it ended in disaster. My co-diners were not-so-quietly seething that I didn’t bring the standard pumpkin pie for dessert. I lived and I learned. We still don’t talk about it though.

Thanksgiving has always been my best-loved holiday; all of the food, none of the gifts. Other than the cranberry sauce (with whole cranberries, please), my favorite part is welcoming guests with a drink.

There are endless drink possibilities, warm and comforting, boozy and soothing, fresh and crisp. A welcoming drink doesn’t necessarily equal alcohol, but during events that involve family, I highly recommend it.

Stick with the basics this year and test your new Ottolenghi-inspired recipes for a random Thursday night with friends. And if someone does bring something new to your Thanksgiving table, a bourbon-based cocktail will mute the disbelief. Trust me on this one, I know.

Gold rush

Makes two drinks

Ingredients

• 2 ounces honey syrup

• 4 ounces bourbon whiskey

• 2 ounces fresh lemon juice

• Ice cubes

• Lemon peel, for garnish

Instructions

In a small saucepan, combine 2 ounces water and 2 ounces honey over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until honey is dissolved. This step can also be completed in a heatproof measuring cup in the microwave. This makes enough for four cocktails.

In a cocktail shaker, combine honey syrup, bourbon whiskey and lemon juice. Fill the shaker with ice, cover, and vigorously shake until the outside of the shaker is frosty, about 30 seconds.

Strain into two ice-filled cocktail glasses. Garnish with lemon peel.