The holiday season is upon us: Thanksgiving is less than three weeks away and Christmas is coming hot on its heels. And although the last 18 months have brought heartache and anxiety as well as flat-out exhaustion (we see all you parents out there), we’re looking forward to this joyful season with more anticipation than ever.

Afterall, if the 2020/2021 juggernaut has taught us anything, it’s to be thankful for those closest to us, so this season at Pappy & Company, we’re celebrating our friends and family—around the table, behind the bar, and under the tree. 

At our houses ahead of Thanksgiving dinner, we’re building out our home bars and stocking them with a few bottles ofPappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel-Aged Old-Fashioned Mix from our partners at Bittermilk. The best-selling cocktail mix means we don’t have to play bartender when our guests arrive. Thanks to the Bittermilk founders Joe and MariElena Raya, a quality Old-Fashioned is as easy as stirring one part mix together with four parts rye or bourbon and serving over ice with an orange peel garnish. (Pro tip: Pre-slice the orange peel ahead of time to make prep even easier on your guests, using our gorgeousBarrel Stave Bar Knife.)

Or take a page from our sister Carrie’splaybook and add a tablespoon of ourPappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel-Aged Pure Maple Syrup to your favorite sipping whiskey, serve over ice, and enjoy. 

For pre- or post- dinner snacking at Thanksgiving (or Christmas), we like to set out dishes of ourHandmade Bourbon Balls and our addictingBourbon Nib Brittle. Incidentally, both of the Kentucky-inspired treats make excellent stocking stuffers, and no one in our family has ever complained about finding a half-ounce bottle of ourSingle-Serving Bourbon Barrel-Aged Old-Fashioned Mix wedged into the toe of their stocking either. From handcraftedBarrel Stave Cutting Boards to ourPappy Julep Cups, which are reminiscent of the ones our family collects, there’s something for everyone on your list at Pappy & Company.