With the stuffed turkey roasting in the oven to the sweet globs of cranberry sauce, Thanksgiving can be a relaxing holiday, an occasion express how thankful we are for our loved ones — or it can be a nightmare. Too often, Thanksgiving is a period of hectic travel and dinner with family members who drive us absolutely insane. Instead of a day of thanks, Thanksgiving can easily turn into a challenge for survival. And what better way to make it through the day with your sanity intact than by making yourself a stiff, delicious cocktail to take the edge off? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Cranberry Old-Fashioned

Martha Stewart, you ol’ battleaxe, you’ve done it again! This seasonal take on the perennial favorite features bourbon and bitters with Thanksgiving’s favorite berry. It’s a simple recipe that requires a little bit of sugar and muddling.

2. Rosemary Gin Fizz

The steady consumption of sheer volumes of calories can make Thanksgiving dinner something to stress about. But you can cut some of them out with this delicious mix of rosemary, lemon and gin. The recipe, featured on SassyRadish, requires some extra prep to heat up some rosemary simple syrup, but I’m telling you, it is worth it.

3. Campari and Orange Sparkling Cocktail

Cooking Light has an appetite-stimulating cocktail that features the Italian aperitif, Campari. Also known as bitters or a digestif, this liquor is meant to be enjoyed with a meal. Combined with some rosé wine and orange juice, it turns a luscious reddish-orange that goes great with the holiday colors.

4. Harvest Punch

Highly recommended by CBS News and Jamie Boudreau, this cognac and black rum punch was created by Julie Reiner of Clover Club and Flatiron Lounge in New York City, who is one of the country’s most sought-after mixologists. It requires a lot of prep, but it can be made up to 24 hours before and can serve a large group.

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So Thanksgiving is gonna be a real hassle and you don’t know how you’re gonna make it through it this year? Don’t fret. Check out one of these delicious recipes — or, heck, as many of them as you need to — and you’ll have a tasty way to survive Thanksgiving.

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Bio: Liz Watson is a Brand Marketing Mangager at 2U Inc., which partners with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Masters in Public Administration and Executive MBA Program programs delivered online. In her free time Liz enjoys traveling, all things Twilight, and blogging on Biz Watson.

This is a sponsored post from our friends at 2U.